//------------------------------// // Silver Strings // Story: Date of the Fire Diamond // by TheGreatEater //------------------------------// When Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo finally arrived at class Cheerilee asked them to come to her desk, looking at Diamond Tiara she softly asked, “Diamond Tiara I found three of the ponies who pranked you and they have something to say to you at recess, alright?” “Alright, but I don’t have to forgive them do I?” Diamond Tiara asked. “No you don’t,” She replied, “And I’m going to be talking to their parents, since you could’ve been seriously hurt. Are you alright?” “Yes Ms. Cheerilee, I’m better now. Scootaloo helped me.” “I’m glad to see that you’ve been reaching out to other ponies. Honestly you remind me a lot of Trixie when she first arrived here. If she can make the turnaround she has. Then I know that you getting some good friends will be a good thing for you. Go to your seat now, and we’ll talk at recess.” Trotting over to her seat she started writing her notes to Silver Spoon. Hey Silver, thanks for helping me with Scoots. Sorry that somepony had to have the nerve to prank me. I’ll try helping you run interference with Moon Glimmer after those three who confessed apologize. Don’t worry about it Deets. A lot of ponies felt bad since Ms. Cheerilee got mad at the bullies, and chewed out the rest of the ponies for laughing at you. I think I was only one of like four ponies who didn’t laugh at you. As for Moon Glimmer, I asked her out. Everypony was too busy feeling ashamed for laughing at you when you could’ve gotten hurt that you running interference wasn’t needed. So thanks. You’re welcome I guess? So how’d things go with Scootaloo? Sort of Okay. She said maybe. And I don’t know how to make it change to a yes. Maybe you need to do an epic quest to prove yourself to her? Like a fairytale knight? But she’s supposed to be my knight in shining armor. You should be your own knight. Go on your quest to prove yourself to her. Maybe have your dad help you with the Harvest Festival to make it extra special. And I’ll go work on getting my own date to be perfect. We can meet up and compare notes. Alright I’ll do it! Although I’ll probably avoid Trixie’s. First Dinky mentions it, now Ms. Cheerilee mentions her … it’s creepy. but I’ll do this quest, and prove to Scootaloo that I’m the filly she wants! Well I guess I’ll be seeing you next Monday? Sounds like a plan. Until Monday. Silver said while marking it with a smiley face. Diamond Tiara was trotting through Ponyville slightly miffed from earlier today. The apologies boiled down to they thought it’d be funny to see what happened when a pony was covered muzzle to dock in chalk then watching Scootaloo propel herself away from the school left once it was all over filled her with more than a little angst. All I need to do is talk to Lyra and Bon Bon and then I can make a plan to be my own Knight, and Scootaloo will be so impressed that she’d have to say yes! But she had a goal in mind. If she went to Lyra’s and figured out how ponies as different as they were got together then she’d have a chance. Maybe even more than a chance to get Scootaloo to say yes. The thought of Scootaloo wrapping her luxurious, warm wing around her body, holding her close, as they watched the fireworks go off was an amazing daydream to her. But she needed to find a way to tip the balances to her way rather than a no. She had spent the last half a year on pins and needles trying to work up the courage to ask her out. The School Talent Show didn’t go as planned, the few times she hung out with Scootaloo was when her friends were around, and all the holidays uptil now ended with Scootaloo hiding from her. But no longer! With Bon Bon and Lyra’s advice she would know their secret to a happy relationship. All she needed to do was ask. She pushed open the door and saw the two ponies she wanted to see as well as Bon Bon’s sister Twist, “Twist what are you doing here?! I thought I left before you did.” “I left before you did, you were talking to Mith Cheerilee about thomthing, and are you here to talk to my thithter about Thcootaloo?” Twist lisped giddily. “Actually … I think I’ll just come back some other time, it’s not that important anyways,” Diamond Tiara said sticking her nose in the air and was about to turn around when Bon Bon interjected. “Wait up a second, hey sis can you go in the back room and make us some toffee. I think we’re running low,” Bon Bon asked her sister with a knowing look which went over her sister’s head. “But didn’t we jutht make thome a while ago?” Twist asked while tilting her head in confusion. “True, but we need some reserves for the Harvest Festival. You know the little pumpkin and apple shaped ones that you wanted to try making? And I said you could try it this year?” Bon Bon replied. “Really!” Twist squealed before running up and nuzzling her sister before bolting to the back door. Bon Bon walked to the door and flipped the open sign to closed and gave Diamond Tiara a warm smile, “Okay, now it’s just us two for now. Why don’t you sit down and I’ll make you a nice strawberry hay smoothie while you tell us everything.” Diamond Tiara sat down and for a second tried to organize her thoughts, a small scowl forming on her face as she did so, “Well I wanted to ask Scootaloo out to the Harvest Festival.” She stated drawing D’awws from the couple. “The first time I got smacked in the head with a lacrosse ball, and ended up being sent home. Dinky stayed with me and I got enough information to at least get started with a good date by having Jeeves get and deliver a waiver for The Monster so that Scootaloo can eat the hottest Veggie Burger in Equestria, and I told Silver Spoon my plan to ask her out today. “But some dumb colts were paid to pull a prank that involved a metal bucket and large amounts of chalk dust which I’m allergic to. Scootaloo had my back and yelled at the ponies laughing at me before she rode me to the park to wash me off,” She continued. “So you told her there right?” Bon Bon asked, as she put the drink before Diamond and rested her head in her forehooves. “No, Trajectory almost crushed me with a refrigerator,” Diamond Tiara huffed. “Seriously? He almost crushed you with a fridge?” Lyra interjected. “Yes he did, so well Scootaloo and me rode away from there, and she asked me to tell her what I wanted to ask. So I asked if she’d go out to the Harvest Festival as my filly friend,” Diamond muttered. Suddenly very interested in the contents of her cup. “What’d she say?” Bon Bon asked. “Maybe. She said she’d say yes if I told her why I wanted her as a filly friend, but I can’t do that. Not yet, but I’ll do it when the times right. So she said she’ll think about it and get back to me before the Festival,” Diamond Tiara replied. “Well a maybe’s better than a no. And I can’t wait to hear when you confess. It seems that you’re a romantic,” Bon Bon said playfully. “So! What’s wrong with being romantic? I can be romantic if I wanted to,” Diamond said defensively. “There’s nothing wrong with being romantic, I think it’s pretty cute that you’d want to wait until the right time. Just make sure that you don’t wait too long or the chance might pass you by,” Bon Bon said with a knowing wink. “So anyways. I came here for a reason. I heard from my daddy that Lyra was a jerk when she was younger, and you aren’t now. And a few adults say that me and Scootaloo remind them of you two. And if you two can get it too work out so can I. But I need to know how you did it,” Diamond stated in a matter of fact way. “Well for starters, you should probably not resort to insulting ponies you’re asking for help,” Lyra said with a grin. “Bu-But I was just saying the truth,” Diamond stuttered. “I’m just playing with you, but it’s good advice nonetheless. So let’s see here, Bon Bon should I tell her the story, or do you want to?” “Hmmmm … take turns?” “Alright then I’ll go first.” Lyra stated picking up her lyre and strumming it to build up emotion and imagery to the tale, as she lit up her horn castings a basic illusion painting a scene to go along with her tale,“When I was an itty bitty filly, much like yourself. I was a dreamer and a snarker who had dreams of making it big. I was going to be a world renowned bard decked out in silver, with ponies coming from all over Equestria to listen to the tales I told. Riding a chariot that shot out sparkers from the rear.” A ghost chariot racing with a filly Lyra decked in platinum clothing was racing around. With tiny ghost sparklers shooting out as it raced around Diamond Tiara’s head, “I was going to be epic! And all the ponies around me were just stupid mouth breathers who were only standing in the way to my awesomeness. Now as awesome as I thought I was, it was all in my head. After all if you never wonder outside your own head then you never have to risk anything. But that all changed when I met this beautiful filly. She was sweet, beautiful, and a voice that was enthralling.” Diamond Tiara rested her head on her forehooves, a dreamy expression washing over her face as she listened to the tale. She could see Bon Bon as glowing like the light of the moon shining off her. And the tiny Lyra stopped dead in her imaginary tracks. Lyra’s music turned slightly more agitated and deep as she moved to the lower notes, as Bon Bon took over the next bit, “when she met me the first thing she did was pull my mane through class, only to give snide remarks about every pony in class. And I’ll admit it was quite annoying. So I told her to leave me alone.” Diamond Tiara saw a rather obnoxious Lyra sitting next to Bon Bon who had little angry clouds floating over her head. Lyra picked up where Bon Bon left off the melody taking an airy yet sharp quality to it, “You see I thought that any attention was good attention, as long as she noticed me. Since I was too afraid to tell her how I thought, I just acted out on what ever got me the biggest reaction, but seeing her angry while pretty cute was risking me losing a potential friend. So I go to thinking of what I wanted to do.” A brief flash showed the Bon Bon let loose an adorable frown. Before the scene changed to filly Lyra absent mindedly strumming a ghosty lyre. Her sitting with a far off look on her face. The music kept it’s airy qualities while transforming from sharp to whimsical, giving Diamond Tiara a grin as Bon Bon took over the next part, “It was kind of funny after she stopped. She’d sit in the playground for all of recess with a distant look on her face. She was still sarcastic, and snarky, but at least she wasn’t crossing the line like she could’ve.” Lyra giggled, and the melody took a less whimsical tone, “I decided that I’d try showing that there was more to me than a super cute, totally awesome pony, who happened to tell ponies how it was. And I decided that I could lighten up a bit.” The happy melody continued, putting a grin on Diamond Tiara’s face as Bon Bon took the next part, “Well when she wanted to be she could be quite the charmer, and I decided that it was worth getting to know her. We became friends, and she would show off as well as do random acts of niceness.” The scenery showed Lyra doing random acts of kindness and odd jobs for other ponies with Bon Bon being drawn closer and closer to Lyra before they stood side beside. The music took a practically giddy quality as it flitted throughout the room, “It took about a year, but I called in favors from ponies that I had been helping out along with Bon Bon, and well the rest is history.” And with that the song and show ended. Diamond Tiara frowned slightly, “But how did you ask her out?! When did you confess?! You can’t leave the story at that. I need to know!” She yelled as she was left hanging as things finally got to the good part. “I’ll make you a trade. When you finally confess to Scootaloo, when the time is right of course. I’ll let you know about how me and Bons got together. We can compare notes, and I’ll even play a song about your own adventures to you and Scootaloo. To commemorate the event. Sound like a plan?” Lyra said holding a hoof out. Diamond gave it a short shake, “Fine. That sounds like a fair deal. But what do I do myself? I want her to say yes, and make it last, but I don’t know what to do.” “Well there’s no real way to make her love you. Love doesn’t work like that, but I can give you three bits of advice,” Lyra replied. “What’s the advice?” “Well one is be honest with yourself. As long as you stay true to you and don’t try changing everything about yourself for anypony, then you’ll be happy, and Scootaloo will be happy. Next is being mean is easy. But being good, not necessarily nice but good is hard. Helping others, being a pony that others rely on, doing what good deed you can. It’s hard and you might stumble, and make mistakes. But as you reach out to others, Scootaloo and others will see that you are a pony that can be trusted and relied on. And good things will come to you. Trust me ponies are more willing to help those they like rather than those they don’t. “Just like with Carrot Top when she needed help with her farm on the Farming Contest a few months back, or me with how ponies help me out when I’ve needed it. It’s hard, but fulfilling. Last but not least. Be the fily you think she’d be proud of. None of it’ll be easy. But not even a foal comes out of the womb running. But as long as you try I think you’ll see it. And others will as well. Does that help you at all?” Diamond Tiara was deep in thought mulling over what Lyra said, she looked up and said, “So I don’t have to change everything, and I don’t have to be a goody four shoes?” “No you don’t. Just be do what makes you happy, and you can be proud of, and you think Scootaloo would be proud of. At least that what I do for and did with Bon Bon,” Lyra said. “Okay. I have things I need to think about. Thank you, it’s been helpful,” Diamond Tiara said thoughtfully, “How much do I owe you for the Hayshake?” “It’s on the house. I’m happy that you finally asked Scootaloo out. I hope the best for you,” Bon Bon said as her and Lyra nuzzled. “Oh! One last thing if that’s okay?” Diamond Tiara asked as she was about to leave. “Sure what’s up?” Lyra asked. “I want to make this Harvest Festival the best night ever. Is there anything that needs to be done?” Diamond Tiara asked. I’m going to make this Festival as perfect as possible. Regardless of what I have to do to get it done. “D’awwwww!” Bon Bon gushed, and a smile spread on Lyra’s face. “Well the Farmer’s Union is working out a meal plan for their booths, don’t know if you can help but it won’t hurt to ask. Cheerilee and Rarity are working on the decorations, they might need some help. And then there’s Trixie, she said that this year’s Harvest Festival is going to end in a bang. That’s all I know really.” Lyra listed off which of her friends were going to be doing. Diamond Tiara walked out of the store with a smile and a plan in mind, All I have to do is help those ponies with their stuff, or have daddy help me. Then I can make this the greatest Festival ever and Scootaloo will love it! This will be my quest!