//------------------------------// // Burying the Hatchet // Story: Pony POV Series: Dark World Drabbles // by Godzillawolf //------------------------------// Pony POV Series Dark World Drabbles Burying the Hatchet Hey everypony, my name is Scootaloo! The Element of Loyalty and Rainbow Dash’s number one fan! (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Being interviewed by the one and only Rainbow Dash herself.) I think Rainbow Dash already explained what happened a thousand years ago, so I won’t go over it again. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Thanks Scoots…Mind telling ‘em how you got to be a kick flank rebel leader though? I‘m sure they want to know about that.) If you don’t mind…I’d rather save that one for the history books too. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash):  Huh?) You guys drug the world kicking and screaming OUT of all the of the horseapples, I want to talk about better times. Maybe I’ll tell it to the Apple Pie’s, since that’s their history too, but I want to talk about my NEW life, not my old one. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Hehe, I can respect that. Celestia knows I can respect that.) Don’t you mean ‘Libra knows‘? Celestia’s a filly right now. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): I’m not swearing by my best friend’s name, it’d be weird. I’m still getting used to hearing ponies swear on her mane. Even if she likes it. So what DO you want to talk about Scoots?) How my new life started. --- I can’t TELL you the kind of party we had in Heaven when Paradox finally got her flank kicked. Literally, I can’t. Cause…well, it’s Heaven and all. But me, Applebloom, and Sweetie were having a BLAST. Considering who beat her, you can guess how excited we were. I don’t think Sweetie has EVER sung THAT well before. “Dreams do come true!“ “Yes they do!“ “Dreams do come trust!” “They really do!“ “Sometimes you find your heart’s desire Just by wishing it wishing it!“ It helped Melody and Sweet Music were there singing with her. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Who?) Oh! Her and Rarity’s ancestors…and Melody is kinda one of Rarity’s previous selves. And was apparently declared a Saint like Applebloom by Queen Cadence for helping preserve music after an apocalypse! She was a rock star! Isn’t that awesome?! (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Hehe, yeah, I guess…) I met your ancient ancestor too, her name’s Firefly, she’s awesome too! She was REALLY cool! “So, you know my descendant?” “Yeah, I was kinda her biggest fan before you know who took over and got his claws in her... …I tried to get through to her...I know Queen Cadence was right and...and there had to be good still in there but...she's the one that killed me...” Yes, I know. You'd been a broken pedestal to me when I died...but a part of me just couldn't help hoping there was still good in you. “Hey, kid trust me when I say this: bad guys don’t have to stay bad guys, especially if they used to be good guys. Isn’t that right Catrina!” A bipedal cat with a lizard guy with her gave a nod. “Believe in her, so long as someone believes she can change and remembers the good old days, there will be hope. Right Rep?” The lizard man nodded. “It worked that way for us.” That admittedly did feel good to hear…Katrina was nice and so was Rep. It gave me a bit more hope. I mean yeah, Heaven and all, so we were pretty happy in general, but that didn’t mean we didn’t still want you guys to reform yourself and getting a boost in out hopes was always welcome. Oh! Firefly also taught me a lot of cool tricks! It was awesome! I can’t wait to show you a few! (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Alright alright, enough about my awesome ancestors…you can tell me later…) Alright. I met this pony named Patch too. She’s another old hero too! And she was AWESOME with a sword! She taught me a lot along with one of her friends named Lancer taught me how to use one really good. And how to stand on my hind legs…and hold stuff with my hooves. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): So that’s why some ponies who came back from Heaven are acting like Lyra and Pinkie!) I didn’t really understand it at first really… “Uh…why would I want to hold stuff in my hooves?” I asked. “I can use my wings the same way.” Yeah, yeah, I know, don‘t knock something before you try it. But I thought it was weird to use my hooves like that.  Or stand on my hind legs. It seemed like something an alien or do or something…and I knew actual aliens. In fact there were some ACTUAL aliens present. Patch chuckled. “Well, can you fly and hold swords with your wings?” “Yeah, that’s what wing blades are for.” “Hehe, oh yeah, forgot those existed. Well that just makes this next part more awesome! You can hold two of those, right?” she asked. “Yeah…” “And one in your mouth?” “Yeah, duh.” “Well if you can hold two if your hooves and fight on your hind hooves, you can use FIVE swords at the same time!” “I…can’t argue with the fact that’s awesome…” Using multiple swords isn’t easy, you got to keep track of them all, but that just makes it a LOT easier for a Pegasus to do, since we NEED that kind of thing to fly as fast as we do anyway. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Admittedly, that’s at least twenty percent more awesome than three swords.) Hehe. Patch and I also played a lot of pranks. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): There are pranks in Heaven?!) Yeah. Not meanspirited ones, but funny ones.. And Patch is great at it! She taught me a lot about that…but of course, my time in Heaven wasn’t forever and a thousand years later, it ends. Like I said we were having this HUGE party!…And then Rarity became an Alicorn. Hehe. Sweetie Belle’s eyes went SO big Pinkie asked her if she’d remembered the Lost Age! (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): What?) You’ll understand when you die. It took her a few minutes to SPEAK after that. And then she found out her sister was getting married to Spike. Hehe… “So…we’re kind of…family now?” asked one of Spike’s Ancestors, the First I think. Sweetie was busy fainting. Her mom provided had a couch, though it was a lot tackier than Rarity‘s. “I think so, sweetie,” Mrs. Belle hugged him. Melody hugged the Spike that had been alive in her life and so did Sweet Music, since it was the same Spike I think. While we were still recovering from that bombshell, Mortis and his Thestrals arrived to let us know about his wedding gift to Rarity. “We…we can come back to life?” I asked, the three of us standing around Mortis himself. “You can.” “Rainbow…I could be with her again…” I muttered. I knew Rainbow…I knew you needed me, Rainbow…And I missed being your number one fan. I HATED that our last moments before I died had been us fighting to the death and you killing me. I hated THAT being the last time you saw me alive…because it wasn’t how I really felt. Yes, I was angry when I died, I really was. But you don’t get into heaven letting old grudges consume you. There was a reason I came back to help you break Discord’s chains!…And I was sick of Discord stealing everything from me. This was my chance to take something from the life he stole back…and give you back a part he stole from you. A little bit of the life he’d stolen back for both of us. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): T-Thanks Scoots…Thank you…) You’re welcome, Rainbow Dash…are you crying? (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash):  No, of course not…j-just continue.) “I can be at Rarity’s wedding!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. Applebloom looked conflicted. “Ah could be with Applejack again…but Ah…” It was easy to forget she was married to Lance and had a family, much of which was in Heaven now, not to mention the friends she’d made there. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Uh…wasn’t she…you know…a zombie? How exactly did she…) All I know is she and Lance loved each other big time. And I don’t like to think about how they had foals. Do you like to think about how Rarity and Spike are going to do that? (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash) …Point taken…please move on while I try to find some brain bleach…) “You misunderstood me, my little ponies,” Mortis said in the same bittersweet tone he seemed to default to. “Only Scootaloo may return.” “W-What?” I asked. “Just me? Why?” “Because only those that died of unnatural causes resulting from Discord or his minion’s actions may return. That is the rule.” “…But Applejack killed Applebloom, doesn’t that count? She was working for him at the time!” “No. She was several hundred years past her natural life span when she died and requested death. Sweetie Belle died of old age. They are not permitted to be revived.” “But…but…” “There will be no exceptions. The act of reviving you is already bending the rules as it is. If you wish to revive, you are allowed, but if not, you can remain here. It is your choice.” I didn’t know what to do. My friends couldn’t come back but…I wanted to. You needed me… “…It’s okay, Scootaloo…” Sweetie Belle finally said after a few moments of silence. “Better one of us than none of us.” “But…Sweetie Belle…” “I don’t want you saying no because of me,” Sweetie Belle said, unable to hide her disappointment, but giving a small smile. “If you want to go back, I’ll still be here when you come back.” “And Ah did what Ah wanted with mah life, Scootaloo,” Applebloom said, giving a smile. “Everypony in Sunny Town is free. Ruby’s free. Ah had a family and a husband. Ah did everythin’ Ah wanted…And Applejack will come tah meh, she promised, and Ah know she’ll keep it.” “But…but how can we be the Cutie Mark Crusaders if two of us are here?” “We got our Cutie Marks a LONG time ago, did THAT make us stop being the Crusaders?” Sweetie asked, giving a smile. “And it’s not like we stopped bein’ the Crusaders from when yah died until Ah did. Once a Crusader, always a Crusader!” I couldn’t help smiling a little at that. “I guess you’re right…I’ll miss you guys.” “And we’ll miss you, but us and Heaven are still going to be here when you get back.” Applebloom gave a nod. We had a group hug. “CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS FOREVER! YAY!” “…I didn’t think it was possible for an Alicorn’s ears to ring…” Mortis muttered, rubbing his ear.. --- “So, you’re leaving, huh?” Firefly asked, sitting next to me, Patch on the other side. “Yeah…you mad?” “Nah, I’m used to waiting to see old friends again, I’ll be fine. Enjoy your second chance. We‘ll be here waiting for you.” Patch nodded. “My friends waited a couple hundred years for me! I think I can wait a few decades for you. No worries!” Both gave me a hug and reassured me we’d always be friends. After all…both of them had been proof of that when Twilight’s spell summoned them to beat Eclipse. --- “R-Rarity?” I asked, looking up at Rarity as she met me and the Theatral leading me back to the mortal world. “Is that you?” I asked the Alicorn. “Yes, darling,” she replied. “Call me Queen Libra if you want.” I expected just ‘Rarity with wings,’ I hadn’t expected a full grown Alicorn! I was dumbstruck! “Um…Scootaloo?” “Oh! Sorry! Just…you’re…well…” “I’m still Rarity, darling. Don’t be afraid of me. I simply want to talk to everypony who‘s returning to me.” “Oh…” I replied, then I remembered who I was talking to. “Uh…Rarity…I’m sorry but…Sweetie Belle…She…” Rarity gave a sad look. “I know…my brother already told me about it I’m afraid…I’m disappointed, but I can’t be angry with him, he’s bending over backwards for me already…I guess it just wasn‘t to be…” I’d rather not talk about what we discussed, it was kinda private. Except ya know, the ’you’ll be a crystal pony now’ thing. But I think the next part is something we’ll both be happy to remember… “S-Scootaloo?” “It’s me, Rainbow Dash!” “Scootaloo…I’m…I’m sorry…” And then I hugged you so you’d just calm down and enjoy the moment. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): I don’t know what shocked me more, that you were back or that you were a filly again…You were right, it WAS something I’d wanted to have for so a long time. Having my number one fan back…and I didn‘t have to complete some horseapples deal of Discord‘s to get it…Thanks Scootaloo, you were right, I do need you…I really do…) You’re welcome, Rainbow. After that, we started up the Wonderbolts again and I met Inquisition, she’s a nice filly…chick…thing. She reminds me a bit of me and the others a thousand years ago, what with all that energy she has and how determined she can get when she really wants something, which is probably why we became friends.… Oh! That reminds me! I’ve restarted the Cutie Mark Crusaders too! Though I’m kinda the mentor now! Some of the Apple Pies have joined up! (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Thank Celestia ponies are so much more durable now…) What was that? (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Nothing! Continue! And emotional stuff aside, apparently you‘re supposed to not address me directly in the interview…Kinda forgot it myself.) Oh, right, forgot about that too…Oh! Here’s a good part! --- It was going to be hard enough for the Sea Ponies to adjust to the outside world as it was without having their entire history and just about everything they knew about the outside world being revealed to be a lie (considering I've spent the last thousand years in Pony Heaven, I can relate. It took awhile to get used to Hippogriffs and Virgacorns being a thing), so they were allowed to keep on thinking Discord had been a hero. But of course, letting a race of ponies who'd spent their lives thinking Queen Cadence was the bad guy interact with the Changelings that still worship her was a bad idea…and if a member of the CMC calls something it’s a bad idea, you know it is. Not to mention some of their plays portrayed renown heroes as villains. Ponies didn't mind Discord and his minions being good guys when a real monster like Grogar was the baddie (I actually found that one pretty funny…and strangely, so did Grogar when he returned…), but when it was Queen Tiamat or Cadence's Changeling Rangers? No way. Especially since those six were alive again and helped stop Grogar. Their robot is still being repaired though. Too bad, I kinda wanted to ride in it… Apple Pie came up with the idea from some of her comic books (thank the Father of All Alicorns there's still comics lovers! That was actually how we became friends). The Sea Ponies were told 'recently uncovered evidence' had been found that revealed the 'Evil Spirit' controlling Discord had manipulated both sides into believing the others were evil. And being ’Twilight Tragedy,’ ’Traitor Dash,’ ’Liarjack,’ and ‘Rarigreed’ were their beloved heroes, they believed it. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Glad I actually deserve it now.) Now Queen Cadence had been 'tricked' into thinking Discord planned to genocide the Changelings and Discord thought Cadence was trying to overthrow him. In some ways I guess that's the truth, since if Paradox (like I WOULDN'T beg Rainbow Dash tell me EVERY detail of that battle…even if I'd watched the whole thing from Heaven anyway) hadn't been pulling strings he probably wouldn't have still been the bad guy. As for me? I was now 'tricked' into thinking Discord was the bad guy too and Rainbow Dash had been convinced I was a terrorist trying to destroy Sky Ocean (like the story they'd been fed had portrayed me as), with the 'Evil Spirit' pulling strings. 'The Bolt of Shadow Versus The Scooting Lightning' (blech! Ok, come on! Couldn't Discord at least TRY to come up with a cool title?) was rewritten into a tragedy called 'Broken Lightning Bolts'. Yeah, I was surprised that Discord had let the Sea Ponies know what tragedy was, but I guess having nothing but comedy and action plays would've gotten boring. The Sea Ponies begged and pleaded with Rainbow Dash to attend the opening with me until she gave in. It was kind of awkward when they started by calling me to stand up so they could publicly apologize for believing the Evil Spirit's lies about me for so long. So was when they asked why Rainbow had left out how much it'd hurt her to kill me, and she'd had to lie about not wanting to disappoint them after they'd worked so hard on the play. I think the fact I'd already forgiven her was the only reason she set through it, though...Hehe. Well, most of it. +++ "S-Scoots?" asked the actor playing Rainbow Dash. "It's me Rainbow Dash!" called the one playing me, though this one was a filly (she’d played me as a filly in new flashback scenes). The real Rainbow Dash just gasped and stared at the reenactment of our reunion. "But...but I thought this was..." "I...may have convinced them to revise the ending a LITTLE bit," I said, giving a smile. “And they love a happy ending.” Her eyes teared up, but she smiled and wrapped a hoof around me. "Thanks, Scoots..." "It's nothing, I thought since you've sat through this play having a sad ending the Father knows how many times, you deserved it to have a happy ending at least once." SO worth the rest of it. That and Gilda's reaction to finding out I'd included her reunion and her coming to join the new Wonderbolts with us. Hehe. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Thanks again for that Scoots…I really needed that.) You’re welcome, Rainbow Dash. I think the Sea Ponies liked it better than their original ending too. Oh! And here comes one of my favorite parts! “Scootaloo!” Rainbow Dash called. “Yeah Rainbow Dash?” I asked, coming over. I’d been training with Gilda. I might be able to do a Sonic Rainboom and trained with a several million year old flying pony, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need to keep my practice up. She looked at me with a proud smile. “I just wanted to say, you’re one of the most loyal ponies I know.” I blushed, I admit it. “T-Thanks…but you needed me…What kind of number one fan would I be if I DIDN’T come back?” “…I thought you hated me, but you still came back for me…a few times. Even after I rejected you.“ I admit, before I died, I DID feel hate. But…Queen Cadence had never stopped believing the ponies we’d known were deep down inside them…I’d never forgotten that somewhere inside of Traitor Dash was Rainbow Dash.  “…I hated what Discord made you into. I hated Traitor Dash. I didn’t hate you. I wanted to believe Queen Cadence was right as much as anypony.“ “…So if I were Applebloom or Sweetie you’d have done the same thing? Answer honestly Scoots.” I blinked. I had to think about that. “I…I never thought about that but…when Discord came, I…I left them, Rainbow…” I’d already accepted that when I got into Heaven, you need to let go of your sins to get in…but I was just scared to disappoint Rainbow Dash. I can’t help it…I guess I felt like she was still the mentor and I was the student. Maybe I just wanted it to be like that again as bad as she did. Just like I wanted to have my foalhood back. “But did you go back?” “…Yeah…I did…” “And you knew Discord might get you too if you went back?” I nodded. “But that didn’t matter when you were heading back? All that mattered was they needed you?” I nodded. “Yeah…that’s right…” “And you have done it again if they were in my place?” I thought long and hard about it. “Yeah…I would. Once a Crusader always a Crusader. That‘s just how it is.” She gave me a smile. “And that’s why you were my pick for this…” She opened her saddle bags and pulled out a stone sphere with a gem engraved in it. “What’s that?” “An Element of Loyalty, this is what the crown and necklaces look like when they don’t have a Bearer.” My jaw dropped to the ground I think. “A what?! But you‘re the Element of Loyalty!” “It was Rarity’s idea. She thought it was a good idea to have two different ponies have Free Will and Loyalty and Deceit and Kindness so there’s two complete sets that could work separately. She asked Luna how to do it and long story short, reforged the Elements of Harmony and Chaos,” she pulled out what looked…a lot like what I’d seen in her chest. Only now it was connected to a polished bronze necklace and the black gemstone was right side up and…kinda beautiful, actually. And not just because it wasn’t covered in blood. It just looked RIGHT now. “She wants me and AJ to wear these as decoys for our real ones.” (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Just to clarify, we can’t just make an army of Bearers. On top of the ‘Bearers need to be friends’ thing, I made two copies of Free Will one of which got reforged into Scoot‘s Element, but the other Elements don‘t seem to want to replicate that easy and even then Scoot‘s took a little more effort. Inquisition’s was made from Tom’s shard, Magica’s was Twilight’s, but we had to go on this big long quest for the others. Long story short, it involved finding an ancient magic amulet the Rainbow of Darkness was forged into but got corrupted beating some super evil witch, stopping it from corrupting Magica (don't know why it targeted her), and purifying it with the help of this weird mare named Cobweb. After that we just had to reforge the jewel inside it into the Elements of Chaos. And then we had to go through the trouble of going on a long quest of recapturing the magic Discord drove out of the Elements of Harmony to turn them into the Elements of Chaos in the first place and reforge them into new Elements. At least we already had two and only had to get four, that was such a pain in the flanks!) “And…and y-you chose me?!” She smiled to me. “Like I said, you’re one loyal pony.” I just stared at it for a moment. There aren’t words. There seriously aren’t. I had just been offered to be Rainbow Dash’s successor as Element of Loyalty! “Your choice, Scoots. Just remember, if you take this, you’re one of Equestria’s protectors. You need to be ready to fight…if you just want to enjoy your second foalhood, then say no, I won’t think any less of you. Don‘t just jump into this, think first.” I gave it some thought and  just smirked. “I took an oath already to Queen Cadence to defend Equestria, Rainbow Dash…I might not have wanted to be a guard, but I did always want to be your teammate. And I want to go all the way.” She smirked at me. “Alright then, Scoots…touch it.” I looked at the stone sphere in front of me. My heart was racing. I slowly reached out my hooves and touched it. It flashed red and shattered into a ring of red gems that circled around me before converging with a bright flash of light. When it cleared, a gold necklace with a red gem shaped like my cutie mark was around my neck. “Awesome!…Do I get superpowers too?” “Hehe, that’s my Scoots…” --- Now I guess I should get to the main event of the interview: how me and my schoolyard bully/Discord’s bruiser became good enough friends to use the Elements together… (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Hey, Scoots, mind waiting a bit while I talk to Diamond about her side of things? No offense but Rarity said I‘d better get both your sides.) No prob, Rainbow Dash. --- Hello, it’s me Diamond Tiara and…Rainbow Dash, why do I have to introduce myself? I helped save the world from Grogar! (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Sorry Diamond, Rarity’s orders. Doing it with every one.) Fine. I’m the new Element of Cruelty. And yes, I know what my cousin did with it when she had it. Uncle Discord didn’t approve of it either. But she’s still my cousin…And I wish I had been able to get to know her no matter what she did. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Ugh…no offense, but even after learning that Discord was being forced to still be a monster by Paradox, it’s still weird hearing you call him and Fluttercruel your family-and put the cartoon mallet away! Geez! Sorry!) Look! I know my uncle and my cousin did a lot of bad things! But I love them both! If you’re really my friend you should understand that! (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): GAH!…Ugh…I guess I can…a lot of ponies still talk about Pinkie as Angry Pie. Like there never WAS a Pinkie Pie. It’s a hard pill for them to swallow she was a victim just like everypony else since she never got a chance to set things right with them…Sorry, Diamond, I stick my hoof in my mouth…a lot…) …Apology accepted…I didn’t hurt you too bad did I? I didn’t mean for my Element to kick in. I’m still getting used to being able to actually get really angry…and showing restraint…and being sane…and feel empathy…and a lot of stuff come to think about it. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Nah, I‘ve had enough real swords cut me I‘m kinda used to it, but while we’re on the subject why not tell them what you just did to me?) I’ve always known how to cut deep with my words. I’m surprised it isn’t my special talent sometimes. My Element of Cruelty makes it so my words literally cut deep, and make whoever I say them to feel like I actually DID cut them, as badly as the words hurt. Queen Libra says its possible if I cut deep enough I could actually physically cut them, but I’ve never had the chance to do that. As for how I represent it, I’m still cruel, I still can tear ponies apart with my words. I’m still vicious in a fight. Just now, it’s not blank flanks because they’re there or ponies who I thought I could play with for fun, it’s bad guys who deserve it. Though it is kind funny to smack bad guys over the head with a cartoon mallet though. I guess I’m like Gilda there, how I represent it hasn’t changed, but who I direct it at has. Let me just take off my Element and put the mallet away… (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): By eating it?) Hehe, what can I say? I got some of my uncle’s crazy side still. Now where was I? (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Up to you, it’s your interview.) …Alright then…I don’t think you’ll like it. (Interviewer’s Note (Rainbow Dash):…I’ll try to tolerate it. Go ahead.) --- “Mad Tiara? Screwball?” Uncle Discord asked. We hopped up to him, mom stretching into the room like a rubber band. Hehe! I love it when she does that! “Yes Master?” mom asked sincerely, both of us smiling wider than our mouths could without our powers. Thank you Master! We couldn’t show you how happy we are without them! “How did you enjoy today?” “It was perfect! Just like every day! Hehe! Thank you so much for making the world make sense!” momma exclaimed cheerfully. “And thanks for making it so I can see it how momma sees it!” I exclaimed. Everyday was great! Everyday I played with lots of ponies! Everyday with momma! The world made sense! I was so happy! We were so happy! “Good. You’re quite welcome,” he said, giving a smile. He always smiles so nice to us! Uncle is always so nice to us! “But remember how I said that eventually, it would be time for you to retire?” “Yeah…” “I’m afraid it’s time,” he said with a small smile. Then he looked a little less happy than he was supposed to look! Master isn’t supposed to be sad! I hugged him super tight! “Thank you, Mad Tiara, just…voices in my head.” “Oh I have those sometimes! They can be annoying! Or funny! Or angry! They can be lots of things!” Isn’t that right voices in my head? Hehe! ‘That’s right Mad Tiara!’ said one of the voices in my head! Thank you! He laughed a little bit. “Yes, I know. But as I was saying, Twilight and her friends are all ready to go. It’s time for you to retire.” We frowned. “Oh can’t we stay? We like being here with you!” mom announced. I nodded. I liked being with Master! It was so fun fun fun! Master cringed a little. He looked sad again. “No no, it is very very important you retire. Very important. Please, if you won’t do this for yourself, then do it for Uncle Discord.” We frowned but nodded. It was for Master, for Uncle Discord. Of course we’d do it! We’ll do anything for Uncle Discord! “And besides, you won’t go far,” he said, pulling a four dimensional golden carrot off a shelf and giving it to me to eat. How nice! “You’ll be right here as little music box ponies! You’ll still be with me! Never out of my sight! Won’t that be wonderful?” “Yeah! Of course it will be fun!” We were just happy we could still be with him! And with each other! I’d be with momma and Uncle Discord and the voices in my head forever and ever! Isn’t it great voices in my head?! ‘It’s great Mad Tiara!’ See?! Discord picked us up and hugged us both! We hugged him back! “Thank you, Screwball, Mad Tiara…This means a lot to me. Just stay safe and sound in you little music box and enjoy retirement, okay?” “Yes Master!” With a snap of his fingers we were in a pretty little music box just for us! Me and mom just dancing and dancing and dancing a little endless waltz with Uncle Discord watching us! Hehe! This is so great! I love you momma! And I love you too Uncle Discord! --- (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Wow…that was…) Say it…It was creepy. It was scary. You didn’t WANT to know what it was like to be insane! That’s what you were going to say, right?! (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): No…okay, yeah, kinda feel that way. But…I meant it was just kinda surreal. Seeing Discord act like that.) Oh…well, he did to me and mom! And Fluttercruel too! He…He loved us…He was my Uncle…I…I think now he was trying to keep us safe from Eclipse. That he retired us so she couldn’t make us get hurt or kill us to hurt him… (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): It sounds like something she‘d do…it’s just kinda hard for me to think Discord as having a heart. You know what he did to me…) …He’s sorry for that… (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): I know…Look, I accept that he’d changed, it’s just taking some getting used to thinking of him as a good guy…) I know…And ponies wonder why I spend so much time with the Sea Ponies. …There is one thing I could talk about after Queen Libra made me and mom sane again. Oh…yes, becoming sane. I won’t lie, I LIKED being insane. I enjoyed it. I don’t hate my uncle for making me that way, I LOVE HIM for it…because me and mom could make sense to each other, and the world made sense. He didn’t break my mind in two with one of his lectures, I ACCEPTED being insane if it meant being with my mom. I don‘t regret it! I might feel guilty for some things, but I DON‘T feel guilty for being insane just to be with my mom!…You don’t get it do you? (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): No, Diamond…I think I do. I think part of the reason some of the six…five of us didn’t turn on Discord before we did is we didn’t want to be apart. Even when he’d tied our brains in knots, we still were important to each other deep down…I know how you feel, kid.) Thanks…But I do kinda like being sane too, it has some advantages. The biggest is…mom is sane too. If Queen Libra had only been able to heal me and not mom, I’d have chosen to stay insane and be with her. We’re still together, we still love each other. We’re still family. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): No offense, but I think your mom can be scarier now than when she was insane.) Hehe. I think Grogar’s Anti-Elements squad would agree with you on that. --- “This is for foalnapping my princess!” mom yelled as she drew what looked like mix between a giant cannon and a flint lock pistol about twice her size from a normal sized holster she was suddenly wearing. She took aim at these suped up soldiers in magical robotic suits Grogar had designed to take out both sets of Elements (they’d been doing a frighteningly good job of it too until mom, Minty, and the Changeling Rangers showed up) as they were trying to break out of the ice Minty had locked them in. Mom pulled the trigger and fired a HUGE blast while the Changeling Rangers fired their big combined cannon thingie. “Avenge us Lord Grogar!” “Tambelon will prevail!” And then Grogar’s elite soldiers got blown straight to Great Uncle Havoc. “Princess! Are you alright?!” mom called a second later as she ran to me when the explosion died down. --- (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Grogar did NOT mess around making those guys to take us out. Good thing he didn‘t count on us having back up that WEREN‘T Element Bearers or we might have been toast.) Yeah, tell me about it. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): By the way, why does your mom still call herself Screwball most of the time but you went back to Diamond Tiara?) Simple, I think it sounds better than Mad Tiara. Though I’d still take that over my birth name any day. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): What’s your birth name?) Tarnished Rich. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Yikes! Don’t blame you there!) Thanks…Now can I get back to what I wanted to talk about? (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Yeah, sorry.) --- I think Libra was waiting to see how me and mom took being sane again before letting me know so I’d really appreciate what was being done for me…because…when I found out what happened after Uncle made me crazy like mom, I…I couldn’t accept it. I knew it happened but I didn’t want to accept it. I…I buried it as deeply as…as mom did after what happened before…before she got taken away… (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Are you okay Diamond?) Y-Yeah, just…Libra helped me and mom get through it when she made us sane again. Mom remembered it right away and…I don’t want to talk about it, okay? (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): I gotcha. So long as you don’t let it eat you alive, okay Diamond?) Yeah, Queen Libra said that too…I guess she’s an Element of Honesty for a reason. …Even after my sanity came back, I guess I just kind of buried it…I didn’t want to accept it…until. “Diamond?” I just stared at her. A grey filly with a silver mane in pig tails. A silver spoon with a heart in the handle for her Cutie Mark. Blue glasses on her face. “S-Silver Spoon?” I squeaked out, feeling my heart starting to race as memories flashed through my head. “Diamond…she’s gone…” “No! She’s not gone! Haha! Nice joke! She’s just on vacation! Yeah, that’s it! She’s on vacation! She’ll be back!” Except now I didn’t have insanity shielding me from the truth that was right in front of me, literally staring me in the face a couple of hooves away from me. “It’s me Diamond! I’m back!” I just…broke down. I cried. A thousand years of denying…denying she was dead broke loose all at once. I know I could have made some kind of excuse again…but I just didn’t know HOW to handle this! I wasn’t USED to it! The only time I’d felt anything LIKE this was when Uncle Discord died! And this time I didn’t have insanity to shield me. …Instead Silver just hugged me and let me cry on her shoulder. Silver is the Element of Kindness for a reason. “Silver I…I…” “It’s okay, Diamond. I missed you too…” We decided to find some peace and quiet with the Shady Tribe so we could talk. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): What is the deal with those mares anyway? Even they don’t seem to know why Discord made them.) I don’t know either, he never told us. All I know is they all look like the statues in the Hall of Shame and Mount Shady and Uncle Discord treated them nice and they have always been nice to me and mom. Uncle Discord might have just made them on a whim like the Sea Ponies, Breezies, the building blocks dimension, half the mods for Minecraft, and the dimension of sapient pork chops. I didn’t know what to say to Silver. It’d been a thousand years, and I done my best to NOT acknowledge she’d been dead. I didn’t know HOW to feel. And…well…even before I became Mad Tiara, I wasn’t exactly the best at expressing my feelings… (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): For what it’s worth, I’ve kinda been there. I’m not good at the emotional stuff, that’s AJ and Rarity’s thing.) Thanks…At least you cared other ponies HAD feelings…in a weird way, Uncle Discord was the one that taught me that… “Diamond…I’m glad to see you again. I was afraid I’d never see you again…” “…I know, Silver…Did your dad come back too?” Silver looked down sadly. “…No, he died of old age…we had to convince him it wasn’t his fault he…” She touched her neck a little bit on impulse. I shuddered. “…It took me and mom a long time to convince him to forgive himself so he could come with us…” “…And your mom?” “…Old age too…Discord made sure she would…” “T-Then why come back? Why did you leave your family?” Silver gave a little smile. “I came back because you needed me more, Diamond.” “You…You came back for me?” She nodded. “Yeah…You’re my friend. It…It took a long time for me to realize it but-” “…You should have stayed in Heaven…” “W-What?” “You…You shouldn’t have left your family for me…I’m…I’m not worth it…” I said. Yes I cried! I admit I did! “Diamond…” “Daddy didn’t come back! Uncle Discord’s dead! My cousin’s dead! Mom’s all the family I have left! You…You should have stayed with your family…why did you choose me over them? I’m not worth it…” (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Wait, ‘not worth it‘? Where’d that come from?) It’ll make sense later. She didn’t get angry, she didn’t get mad…she just hugged me. “It…It took me a long time to realize it but…You were my only friend…I needed you. I’ve had a thousand years with mom and dad, they‘ll be waiting for me when I get back. I only had a couple years with my only friend. ” I…I didn’t know what to say to that. I was speechless. I thought about what she’d said. I was her only friend? “What about…no…how about…no, he was in love with Twist…Oh there was…no…” I was hitting a brick wall…she…she was right. I was the only friend she’d had…and what’s more…the more I thought about the friends she didn’t have…I realized something else. “…You’re right…and…and…” the waterworks started again. “And you were mine…” There! I admit it! She was my ONLY friend! I was such a jerk that no pony except her wanted to be my friend! “You’re the only friend I’ve ever had…” She just hugged me again. “That’s why I came back, Diamond…we need each other…” I finally hugged her back. We just sat there for a few minutes. Then she backed up and got in a pose I recognized. I smiled. “Bump, bump, sugar lump rump!” we recited, doing our hoofshake we hadn’t done in a thousand years. And it felt GOOD! “I missed that!” I chuckled. “Yeah…so did I, thanks…” …Then I noticed Silver’s glasses had fallen off during the last part of it, but she hadn’t made a move to grab them. “Uh…Silver, your glasses?” She blinked her CRYSTAL eyes and felt her face. “Oh!…Oops!” I blinked. “Wait…Libra fixed your eyes?” “…Yeah…But…I wore my glasses again because…I didn’t know if you’d recognize me without them.” I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Silver, I have crazy toon powers now, I should be afraid I’m the one who’s changed too much!” We both got a good laugh out of that. It felt like things did a thousand years ago except…maybe a bit better. Realizing Silver had died…that I’d lost her. And…and she came back for me. It made me realize how much I’d taken her for granted…Ugh! Since when was I so sappy?! (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Hehe, believe me, Diamond, I’d be more surprised if you hadn’t changed after a thousand years.) …I guess you have a point. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): And I know this isn’t my strong suit, but…since Discord made the Shady Tribe, the Breezies, Sea Ponies, and Eden, doesn‘t that mean they‘re kinda your cousins too?) …I…I guess you’re right…I hadn’t thought about it that way…Maybe I’m not so alone after all…Thanks. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash) What are friends for? Now…I think it’s time we got to the main event if you’re ready.) Alright. I guess it's time to talk about how me and Scootaloo became friends… --- Alright, before I get into the details, I guess I need to talk about how things were a thousand years ago a little bit. Diamond Tiara…she actually only spent her first couple weeks as Discord’s enforcers tormenting me and Sweetie Belle…then it got a bit more…creepy… I won’t say she got bored with it, that’s not what happened. If she’d gotten bored that would have made sense because her ‘Uncle’ got bored of doing the same old tricks too (even by then we’d seen that). What happened was scary because…we just couldn’t understand it. --- (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Uh, Diamond…who’s this?) They’re Wood Poppy, Plum Blossom, and Snow Willow. They’re Breezies. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Yeah, I can tell they’re Breezies. Where did they come from?) You said they were my cousins, so I went to Neighpon and met some. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): How?) Toon powers. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Oh…They’re kinda cute I guess…do you want them to stick around for the interview or not?) If it’s alright. They already knows how I used to be. Forgiveness has apparently always been a virtue in Neighpon. Though some Breezies didn’t… (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Uh, how did you talk with them?) The Changelings helped…once I found some that didn’t think I was the boogiemare or hated me. Thankfully, me and mom helping defeat Grogar changed some of their minds. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Believe me I can relate.) But the Breezies are really nice, I’m glad they’re my cousins. They came because they and some of their sisters can speak High Equestrian and wanted to see Equestria. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): I see…Wait, why can they speak High Equestrian but the other Breezies can‘t? I thought Discord made them from the same pony.) (Snow Willow: It would appear that we each received a mixture of the basic components of her self as the foundations for our own individual personas.) (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): First off, please don’t write in the notes without my permission.) (Plum Blossom: Oh! We’re sorry! We‘re really really really sorry!…Um…may we?) (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): …Only when it’s important. And second…uh, what did she just mean?) (Wood Poppy: I think what my sister said is that we came from the parts of momma that could speak High Equestrian, Rainbow Dash-sama! She just comes from the brainy part!) (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Oh…Uh, nice to meet you….Diamond, can we please get back to your story now?) You mean why I decided to stop bullying Scootaloo and Sweetie? I’d more or less decided it was totally pointless to pick on them anymore. I decided that about a lot of things. And part of it was…I kinda bullied them to make myself feel better, so now that I was happy and with mom…I didn’t feel like I needed to. So I decided to play and be ‘super friendly‘ with them. And…well, my mom’s idea of being nice was making somepony into a pony pretzel trying to give them a massage and I was just as insane as she was, so you can guess how that worked out. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Yikes!) I know. But at least I didn’t MEAN to break Scootaloo’s foreleg and two of Sweetie’s ribs! (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): …) I didn’t say I wasn’t sorry, I said I was honestly trying to play with them and be friendly for once in my life…I really was just trying to be nice… (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): It’s alright, Diamond. I’m done chewing you out over the past…that’s a story for another day though.) --- Yeah, so basically, she started ‘playing’ with us and…well, she didn’t exactly play easy. I think that made things even more scary. When she was a bully, we could say ‘she hate us’ and that was that. When she hurt us because she thought she was being nice to us? It just made no sense. And that was scarier than when she hated us. Though…I guess I owed her for us reuniting with Applebloom. Long story short, we hadn’t found her after I came back to Ponyville looking for the others and we ended up hiding in Everfree to get away from Diamond when she and Discord came to play in town and that’s how we met Applebloom again. But the point was, she still made our lives a living Tartarus. And then I joined Queen Cadence’s army later in life. I was a soldier training for her to be my enemy most of my life, and unlike the Chaos Six, I didn’t know a ‘good pony’ buried under Discord’s gunk. I just knew mean old Diamond Tiara, not to mention her and Discord had outright admitted she‘d JOINED him willingly…Even going to Heaven, I still remembered her as the enemy. That was how I remembered her. And I didn’t see a reason to change how I saw her like I did Rainbow Dash and the others. --- I know I know: why was I the one who went to Scootaloo? After all, I was always the bad guy. I was the schoolyard bully who’s sole purpose in life was to make the Crusaders miserable. The former madmare that’d followed Discord’s orders through to the letter and joined him without an ounce of brainwashing or receiving one of his lectures. I was a complete one trick pony who EXISTED to be the bad guy. So why was I the one who went to bury the hatchet? It’s…complicated…You see…back when Sweetie Belle was alive, I was still Discord’s enforcer when she came to be Rarity’s caretaker. She lived in the castle and…Well there weren’t many ponies to play with besides Applejack and Fluttercruel, and Fluttercruel wasn’t interested in friends at the time, that wasn’t until later, after I retired. I spent a lot of time around Sweetie Belle and got to know her a lot better. She was scared of me at first, but…I think she liked my company…even when I became sane again, I remembered her as someone I liked…I was sad she didn’t come back. So…when I realized that Scootaloo had, I guess…I wondered if we could be friends too. After Silver Spoon and I were friends again, I decided to give it a shot. That’s why I picked SCOOTALOO…there’s another reason I wanted friends… The problem was getting somewhere were I could actually talk to her. I kept trying to, but she flew away before I could even say a word to her. And I couldn’t blame her, I mean after what I’d done…But I kept trying. I can be quite stubborn when I get something lodged in my head. --- I did notice Diamond coming up on me a few times, but I normally just flew off since I didn’t really want to talk to her at all and she hadn’t talked to me yet.  I wasn’t trying to be rude, I just didn’t WANT to talk to her and didn’t see any reason to. Then one day I decided to stop by Sky Ocean. I’d never really got the chance to be there before when I was alive and I did want to talk to them about the rewrites to Discord’s play. They were actually really cool! Yeah, I knew what they were and that Discord made them, but…seeing them in equus? They all looked so beautiful. Each one was different and unique. And…well, they’re just nice. While I don’t like Discord or the Tartarus he turned the world into (even if by the end Eclipse was the puppeteer, Discord wasn‘t always on her strings), I can’t argue with Apple Pie when she says they’re beautiful. However, as I found out, it was also somepony’s favorite hang out… “Scootaloo! I’ve been looking all over for you!” “Ahh!” --- Like I’ve said, I tend to stick around with the sea ponies most of the time. They see Uncle Discord exactly how I do. They love him…they’re the only ones I feel like will truly understand me. And now…well, they’re my cousins. Just like you, Breezies. Thanks for the hugs. So I stayed there a lot of the time…so when I saw Scootaloo there, I figured it was finally my chance to speak with her. After all, how can you avoid somepony when you’re in a giant ocean floating in the sky? The exit wasn’t very close and Scootaloo couldn’t breath underwater…I think…I don’t know how being a crystal pony works. “Ahh! Where’d you come from?!” Scootaloo yelled, tumbling backwards. “I’m a living cartoon character.” She gave a grumble. “Right, weird toon powers.” “Look…I want to talk to you.” She sighed. “Yeah, I figured.” We ended up sitting in a corner of the Sky Ocean visitors area (yes, that was now a thing) so the Sea Ponies wouldn’t hear any ‘Discord really was evil’ stuff (not that they’d believe it). “…” “…” “…” “…” “…” “…” “Um, excuse me?” We jumped as a Sea Pony poked her head in. “Oh! I‘m very sorry! You were so quiet I’d forgotten anypony was here!” We both blinked in confusion. “Uh…sorry…” After the Sea Pony left, we sat for a few more awkward moments. “…So…um…” I finally started. “How are you doing?” “…Good…” “Oh…How are things going with Rainbow?” “Fine.” “Oh…Me and mom are doing fine…Silver came back…” “Yeah…I know. We talked in Heaven.” “Oh! So you’re friends?!” “No…not so much friends as…not enemies.” --- Silver was in Heaven, I was in Heaven. We had a thousand years. And…she died before me. It’s one thing for you to be bullied by someone. It’s another to see that pony was murdered after you wished so many times that they’d just disappear. “Oh…Well…that’s…nice…” “Diamond, what are you doing here?” I finally asked. --- I jumped a little. Yes I was nervous! Can you blame me? I took a deep breath. “Scootaloo…I want to be your friend…” Scootaloo looked at me like I was crazy. Well, a different kind of crazy than I think she already thought I was. “You want to be my what?” “I want to be your friend, Scootaloo. I want to start over…” She looked completely shocked for a moment, then angry. Really angry. “After everything, how can you POSSIBLY think we can be friends?!” I expected something like this. “Scootaloo, we might look like kids, but Miss Cheerilee’s school yard was a long time ago…I‘m different…I‘m sorry about back then…” She actually laughed. “Really?! That’s what you think this is?! A little foalhood grudge?!” --- Yes, I got mad! I got REALLY MAD! Yes, I’ve been to Heaven, but the thing about Heaven? You might not NEED to feel negative emotions in paradise, but if they don’t stop you from getting into it, you don’t lose them. You just don’t NEED to feel them. That’s the best I can describe it, what with being Heaven and all…But now I was in my mortal coil again. “I haven’t been mad at you for that in YEARS! I let GO of that when Discord took you! Just like I let go of my anger at Silver Spoon when I found out her dad lopped her head off! I was GUILTY I’d been angry at you two and said ‘I wish she was gone’ when that happened!” She didn’t seem scared or upset. But she seemed shocked. “You…you felt guilty?” “Yeah! How do you think I felt when the two bullies I’d always wished were gone got beheaded and abducted by the evil overlord that tore the world apart?! Adults always say ‘be careful what you wish for, you just might get it,’ I know EXACTLY what they mean!” “…Then…why are you mad at me?” I snarled. Part of me wanted to hit her. “Why?! You want to know why?!” I laughed, I really laughed. It was almost FUNNY how little she knew. “Because you and your ‘uncle’ wrecked the world! I spent my entire foalhood hearing about the atrocities you two had caused! Do you have ANY idea how many ponies came to Avalon running AWAY from YOU and your mom?! How many of those ponies had relatives YOU killed?! How many ponies I met in Heaven that YOU killed?!” Diamond gasped in surprise. I think her eyes were actually starting to tear up. Part of me ENJOYED it! “I spent my foalhood wanting to BUCKING STOP YOU! THEN, when I got older, I began training to KILL you!” I panted, she shuddered. I think I scared her. “…I wanted to stop you and your mother and your uncle so bad. But especially you. And you know why? You know why I was so dedicated to stopping you in particular? Why I’m so angry at you? Because you WEREN’T Discord’s brainwashed slave! You JOINED HIM! You told me straight to my face and Discord BRAGGED that he didn’t even have to trick you! That you WANTED to do it!  Dash and the others were brainwashed, your mom was already crazy when Discord found her, the League of Auxiliary Minions were made from a soulless monster, the Valeyard was the Doctor‘s inner evil personified that Discord made surface by killing him who knows how many times. What‘s your excuse?” “I…I just wanted to be with my mom…” “I lost my parents too, BOTH of them, you didn’t see me accepting favors from Nightmare Moon to get them back, did you?” --- I admit…that one hurt. If Scootaloo had had my Element, I’d have been in the hospital, I know it. I may not hate Uncle Discord for making me insane so I could be with my mom, but she was right. Selling my soul to become the evil overlord’s enforcer isn’t justified just because I was a scared little filly who wanted to see her mother again. --- “That’s why I’m angry at you,” I spat. “Because out of every last one of Discord’s minions, you’re the only one who signed up knowing full well you were selling your soul to the devil. You’d seen everything that monster had done before that. All the ponies he’d hurt in Ponyville. You make me sick.” I got in her face. “And you know what stinks the most about all that, Diamond? After training all my life for that fight? By the time I was of age to fight, you’d retired. You got away with it. I spent all that time planning to make you face justice for what you’d done, and then poof! You’re retired! You got off clean! I’m not angry because of what happened when we were foals in the schoolyard, I’m angry because you bucking got away with WILLINGLY joining up with the evil overlord that turned the world into a living Tartarus!” “…So you’re angry you never got your chance to bring me to justice?” she asked, realization on her face. “You’re angry because you spent all that time preparing to bring me down for what I’d done…and in the end you never got the chance?” “Yes.” “…Fine,” she said, taking a step back and pulling her toon hammer out of her mouth. “Let’s do it.” My eyes went as wide as dinner plates. “What?” “You heard me! You want that fight you trained all your life to get? You want to give me my licks so I’ve paid for what I did? Fine! I agree with you! I deserve it! And if giving you a chance to kick my flank is what it takes to put this whole thing behind us, then I’m standing right here! Fight me! Beat the Tartarus out of me if that‘s what you need to do!” I think my heart skipped a beat. “You…you WANT me to fight you?” “YES! It’s what you want, isn’t it?” She pulled a contract out of her ear and signed it before handing it to me. “What is this?” “A contract saying I absolve you of any wrongdoing for the beating I’m probably going to get out of this. Everything is official. My daddy WAS a business pony after all.” I just stared at her in shock. I got that ‘be careful what you wish for’ feeling again. “…Why? Why are you doing this?” --- I sat my hammer down. “…Because…” I started, looking down. “Because all of that? Everything I did? I…I thought I was making Uncle Discord happy. I thought he liked watching me ‘play‘…I thought I was making my family happy…then…then I found out…” I looked at my hooves. “…Eclipse…Uncle Discord…he didn’t WANT to be a monster anymore. He didn’t WANT to hurt anyone or kill anyone! He wanted to be good! And…And…And I was still bad…” I looked up at her. “I may have THOUGHT I was being nice and kind, but I hurt ponies. I killed ponies. I crushed skulls. And I thought my games were making my uncle happy. But they weren‘t. If anything, they were torturing him just like Eclipse wanted them to! Instead of being the good little niece I thought I was being, I was helping a psychopathic witch make the guy I thought I was helping miserable! The guy I LOVED as part my family!” I broke down crying. I admit it. “…I wanted to help him so much, but all I ever did was hurt him…I was worthless to him…Just like I was before…” Scootaloo blinked. “What?” “…You want to know how I got my Cutie Mark? Stealing my mom’s tiara and wearing it! You know what that caused?” You know, it’s strange…if I’d remembered it without my mom being there, I don’t want to know what it would have done to me. I think that’s why Queen Libra made sure we were together when we became sane again, so we could help each other through it. If we’d been alone…I don’t want to know. “…It’s why my mom went insane and it broke my family apart! Everything you just said about me?! I agree with you! I can‘t even get my bucking Cutie Mark without making somepony‘s life miserable! That’s all I’ve ever been good for! Causing misery! I‘m no good to ANYPONY! I‘m…I‘m worthless…and now…for once in my life, I just want to start being WORTH something to SOMEONE! I‘m tired of ONLY existing to cause misery! I‘m tired of having only one note to who I am! I want to be a PONY instead of some bucking one dimensional bully antagonist you‘d see on a kids show! I want to MEAN SOMETHING to somepony other than me!” --- She started sobbing. She’d just fallen apart as she spoke. I…I didn’t know what to do. I’d wanted to see her pay for what she’d done. I wanted to make her sorry for it…I’d got it. Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. What she said…it hit home. I hated to admit it, but I actually sympathized with her because I’d been there. That feeling like you’re worthless… “Diamond…I…” Diamond stood up, wiped her tears with a tissue she pulled out of nowhere, and picked up her hammer. “C-Come on. Let’s do this.” She was still trembling. She choked back a couple sobs. “Come on! Give me the plot kicking we both know I deserve!” “…You’re really sorry for what you did?” “Yes! I just said that! You‘re right!” “…I…” I looked down at my hooves. I didn’t know what to think or say…My nemesis had just broke down crying right in front of me and they WEREN‘T crocodile tears. And I actually knew a bit of what she was going through. I guess this is how it must have been when the ponies who have spent the last thousand years thinking Rainbow and the others were monsters felt to see them vulnerable and guilty. “…Look…I…I have a lot to think about…” I replied with a sigh. “…Can I have time to think about it?” Diamond nodded. “S-Sure…I guess…” “Thanks…And Diamond?” --- “Yes?” “…You’re not worthless…Nothing is…that’s something I learned in Heaven. And something I learned spending so long as an orphan blank flank with weak wings who took forever to learn to fly…Even if you messed up…a lot…and were messed up…in a lot of ways…Even if I was angry at you…even if I wanted to see you pay…you’re not worthless, okay? You‘ll keep feeling that way until you decide to give it worth, but even then you‘re never worthless…I‘ve been there, and I stayed there until I did something about it.” I didn’t know what to think really. Here was the pony who’s life I’d made a living Tartarus…telling me I actually meant something. Suddenly my uncle’s chaos seemed NORMAL. But…in a way it was that good kind of crazy…the kind I like. I knew we weren’t friends yet. I didn’t even think that we were ‘not enemies’ yet…But I guess I finally saw how I looked from her side and…I guess she understood me a bit better…at least better enough to give me a second chance. We didn’t really become friends until later. Sometimes one ‘I’m sorry’ isn’t enough to make it up to somepony…And now I understand that…I still don’t know how much I’m worth…but I think I’m worth more than I started out as…I’m not just a one dimensional bully anymore at least. Me and Scootaloo did talk more. We did spend more time together. We BECAME friends…I guess not all friendships happen in one big impactful moment, but that’s the way the world works. Even now she still doesn’t like it when I talk about how I feel about my Uncle or how understand why I’m THANKFUL he drove me crazy. We weren’t suddenly BFFs. But we’re still friends. Though it helped when I eventually got around to talking with her about Sweetie. “Wait, you knew Sweetie?” she asked. “Yes…that’s part of why I wanted to be your friend. The only real…companions I had when I was Discord’s enforcer was Applejack and her. The sea ponies didn’t really exist yet, Uncle was still making them and Sky Ocean (even with his powers he needed ponies), Pinkie Pie hadn’t started taking in her ‘children’ yet, and Fluttercruel hadn’t wanted a companion yet…Sweetie was the only one my age, and even then, I stayed young while she grew older…I never got to see her on the same level after that…I was disappointed when she didn’t come back so I could have a chance to really be her friend, but…I thought if I could learn to get along with one Crusader, maybe I could get along with the others…Ever since Silver Spoon came back for me, I wanted to be worth something to more ponies than just her…and I thought becoming your friend would be a good start since…maybe I could make up for the misery I caused you too. That‘s why I wanted you to be my friend, what I said before was why I wanted to be friends with someone.” Scootaloo looked at her hooves for a moment. “…Thanks…” “You’re welcome Scootaloo…” “…Did you say Silver came back for you?” “Yeah…it…it gave me a lot to think about…that someone would leave everything in Heaven behind for my sake…It was the kindest thing anyone had ever done for me…” “…I know how she feels.” Scootaloo told me how she’d come back for Rainbow Dash, just like Silver had for me. It was unbelievable to see two former enemies actually have something in common. Scootaloo saw it too. That’s why she stopped being ‘not enemies’ with Silver and began to become friends…And I think we’d started to become ‘not enemies’ too by then. Becoming friends came not long after. I think her finding that out about Silver was why she nominated Silver to be the new Element of Kindness…Silver Spoon nominated me as Cruelty because we were already friends and I was becoming Scootaloo‘s friend, so if I became Cruelty it wouldn’t require much effort for us to be able to use them together. (Wood Poppy: Can we be Scootaloo’s friends too, Diamond?! Can we can we?!) …You’ll have to ask her that, but I’d like it very much. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Why not do that right now, Diamond? You can never have enough friends.) Good idea…I think I will. Hehe, I guess I have a lot of friends now…That feels good. --- Diamond…I’m glad I was able to forgive her. Righteous anger isn’t a sin, but…when it turns to wrath, that’s when it becomes a problem. If I hadn’t, I would never have been her friend. And I guess I might have never been Silver’s friend either. There are times for Anger and Hate, when they motivate you to fight injustice, but there’s also a time to let go of those things… Hehe. If you’d told me a thousand years ago I’d been Diamond’s friend, I’d tell you you’re crazy. If you’d told me 990 years ago I’d be her friend? I’d probably punch you in the face. But I’m glad now she and Silver are my friends. Now if you excuse me, me, Bomb Pie, Apple Pie, Inquisition, Minty, Silver, and yes, Diamond have a show in Sky Ocean to catch. (Interviewer’s Notes (Rainbow Dash): Hope you don’t mind, but Diamond’s brining some friends along.) Hehe, the more the merrier.