//------------------------------// // Reunion // Story: Blank Flank // by invaderyor //------------------------------// Blank Flank Chapter 1 Reunion It all started with a school house. Originally, it had been a barn, but the red wooden shack had been added onto, converted, and reinforced, till it barely resembled its old self, and was habitable for the children of a small town like Ponyville. Most students didn’t know or cared about the buildings origins; all they knew is that the adults in their life made them go there, once a day, five days a week. For most it was the worst kind of prison their young minds could imagine. Adult hood would make sitting at a desk for hours a day seem trivial, and to some, enjoyable. Cheerlie had been a good teacher after all; friendly, smart; she seemed, to a young filly at least, to know everything there was to know. Still, some had it worse than others. Like any sort of prison, a school house has superiors; it has victims, and it has its harassers. Diamond Tiara was top dog in her little town, with a family wealth that allowed to her get whatever she wanted, and get away with just as much. School, she felt, was beneath her. Worst of it were the self-righteous Blank Flanks and their self-proclaimed crusade. Every day they were causing a ruckus, every day a new adventure, a new mess. ‘Why couldn’t they just be quiet and learn their place?’ She used to think. Their adventures lead to Diamond Tiara, and whatever followers she could gather, to tease the group mercilessly. She personally made their lives as much a hell as she could, a fact she was quite proud of. But this story isn’t about her childhood. Childhood ends, people mature, girls become women, and as time goes by, as the next generation of Ponyville looked at the school house, they looked less with disgruntled aggravation, and more with nostalgic longing. The Cutie Mark Crusaders, each in turn, found their talents. Scootaloo, the hot-headed and hyper eager of the bunch, found her talent in stunts and speed. She joined a racing group, not quite as popular as the Wonderbolts, but her stunts have made her famous. Her wings, spritely enough to propel her on her scooter, never developed enough to get her off the ground. She spends her weekends talking to children with ‘disabilities’, encouraging them, remind them that, like her, anything is possible with enough effort and pride. Applebloom found her talent for construction. Like most of her family, she never grew too far from her roots, and will probably never Ponyville for more than a few weeks at a time. She’s happy, living in a remodeled (and vastly enlarged) version of her childhood tree house, right in the middle of her family’s apple orchard. She makes a living fixing and building homes all around town. With the vast expansion they’ve been experiencing, she has become quite busy. She likes it this way, hard work and sweat makes her feel proud, and she enjoys what she does. But this labor has come with the price of precious little free time, and she has become increasingly distant from the other Crusaders. She is barely aware of this fact. Sweetie Belle, the youngest of the Crusaders by a year, grew the slowest after her early schooling. She spent a few years as her Sister’s assistant, helping with her ever expanding business. After this, she took time off for school. She spent three years trying to decide what her passion was, and despite being the only mare in her year to still not find her talent, remained positive with the constant encouragement of her friends. Still, secretly she began to doubt herself. She jumped from major to major, from teaching, to painting, to cooking (an endeavor that ended with the largest fire Ponyville University has ever recorded). Terrible thoughts of a life without the passion and drive like that of her friends began to taunt her. Her persistence was awarded however, quite unsuspectedly one day at an open mic night at her college campus. She had always been a talented singer, and had been quite proud of it, but she never much thought of it. Singing came as naturally to her as breathing, and we don’t stress too much thought about how much air is in our lungs. But that night she got up on stage, nervous but smiling, and one verse in she was bellowing her notes with such intensity, that by the time she finished, the crowd erupted in a sea of applause. She was asked to return for another night. By the third night her cutie mark, at long last, had appeared. But there were other fillies at that school as well, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were not the only ones who had grown. After completing her schooling, Diamond Tiara had her whole life already waiting: she had a trust fund, and the strict direction of her father guiding her into the cut-throat world of business. She took to it like a fish like water, surpassing even her father’s dream for her. A take-no-prisoners attitude, and a talent for attacking weakness, soon made a name for her, and by the time other ponies were finishing college, she had already established herself as an up-and-coming business tycoon. Her money touched almost every part of Ponyville, and the Diamond Rich bank is still the largest building in town square. She influenced business, brought a financial flow that helped the small town of Ponyville grow in the eyes of the world. But her growth was more than financial; Diamond Tiara becomes a women. Her emotional tantrums were quieted, and she became a figure of respect and tactful thinking. For a time, she discovered a strange, but pleasant, romance with her former friend Silver Spoon. The two exchanged power plays, and at Silver’s request, dived into a world of strange pleasures. Still, years of abuse is not easily forgotten, and after Diamond Tiara single friend left for Manehattan, the young business women was left quiet alone. She had pushed away anyone who might have been a friend, and after the passing of her father, she was left with her business and her business alone. All work and no play made Diamond Tiara a very lonely girl. The passing of her father left a longing that she could not fill alone, so she explored other methods. This is where our story begins. Most ponies were shocked that such a celebrity like Diamond Tiara would show up for something as silly as a school reunion. Most people expected her to be too busy with business in the big city Manehattan, or even the capital Canterlot. And yet, there she was, quietly standing in the back of the room in an expensive suit, stirring at a cup of fruit punch and staring at it as if she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do with it. In truth Diamond Tiara herself didn’t know why she had chosen to come to this little gathering. True, the rich manor estate was still her home, and still rested in Ponyville. But she had no particularly good memory of this school. In hindsight, it all seemed very standard. She had classes, she had a few friends, people she liked, people she didn’t. The most that stood out in her memory was her old rivals, the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Local legends, they were supposed to take some time from their busy schedule to make an appearance today. So why couldn’t she? “I have to admit, Miss Tiara” a withered voice ended the staring contest between Diamond and her drink. “I am surprised you showed up. I don’t recall you being one of my most… social students.” Cheerlie, Diamond Tiara’s former school teacher, had aged considerably sense the last time Diamond had seen her. Her pink and powder colored mane was streaked with grey, and crow’s feet had clawed under her eyes. Her eyes now looked at her through half-moon glasses, but there were just as bright and kind as any other day. She was smiling at Diamond, in a way that was completely sincere, but still put Diamond on edge. “Uh, yeah…. I guess I didn’t have anything better planned today.” Diamond phone began to ring on her belt. She ignored it, becoming transfixed on her punch cup again. Cheerlie giggled next to her. “I’m sure. Well, whatever your reasons for being here Tiara, I hope you find it. After all the drama that happened here, I’m sure we’re all glad to be passed it.” “Yeah…” Diamond didn’t know how to respond. Most of the drama Cheerlie was referring too was her own doing. It was no secret that she had been the school yard bully. At the time, she had justified it by saying they were beneath her social class; A horrible argument in hindsight really. Still, there was nothing that could be done about it now. Diamond Threw the fruit punch back like it was scotch, but unfortunately it didn’t have the same effect. There was the sound of a roaring engine from outside, and excited chatter just outside the school house door (The little building was much too small for the entire graduate class). The next moment, the door burst open, and the three mares everyone had been waiting to see waltzed through the door. “Sorry we’re late.” Scootaloo was the first to enter, an overconfident swagger in her step. She was also the most jarring in appearance. She had been a touch rebellious as a child, but now it was blown into proportion: Two thirds of her head had been shaved down, and the magenta strip that remained covered only one half. Her bare hairline had been trimmed into the shape of a lightning bolt. Her leather jacket, torn pants, and ‘devil-may-care’ t-shirt complete her punk look. Behind her was Applebloom, wringing her hands on an already dirty handkerchief. The same grease spotted her over-all’s, which held a hammer, a few nails, a pen, and a pad of paper in the pouch. She seemed to be wearing a dress shirt under them, but Diamond got the feeling she had just ran here from her last job. Her signature pink bow was still her hair, but it was now tied around the end of a very messy braid. She looked as descrambled as she did working on the farm. “Yeah. Hi everyone. What’s up?” She sounded rushed, almost as if she was being forced to be here. Behind them both came a soft giggling noise, and a horn about a head shorter than the other too gave a small bounce. Diamond looked at it from the corner of the room with a curious frown. Almost at once, ponies began to swarm Scootaloo. She was something of a celebrity herself, her stunt show just getting back from her first tour. Unlike Diamond however, it was all too clear why she had chosen to come to this reunion; laughing as she signed autographs, bragging about her daring feats of defying death, commenting on her absurd hair. She loved the attention. Applebloom began to socialize with a couple of ponies she remembered from school. But her attention was always drawn back to the notepad in her pocket, where she kept scribbling little ideas and pictures for buildings. As the two parted, Diamond Tiara got a brief glance at the third former crusader. She registered a smile and green eyes before a crowd rushed passed her to get to Scootaloo. “Watch it!” She growled after them, mopping up punch from the front of her shirt. “This shirt is one hundred percent Neigh-gypt cotton. It’s worth more then-…” But no one was listening. Growling furiously, Diamond Tiara turned back to the snack table, muttering. She had just reached out for a cupcake (She was on a very strict diet of course, but she needed the splurge at the moment) when another pony had pumped into her from behind. “Does anyone in this school watch where they’re going!” She swerved on the spot to start calling the stupid klutz out, and froze when she saw it was Applebloom. Applebloom didn’t seem to notice her at first, nose stuck in her notepad. It didn’t take her long to look up though, and when she saw Diamond staring at her she blinked. Diamond supposed, like her, Applebloom didn’t know what to say and an unsettling silence fell between them. Applebloom looked down at Diamond’s front and finally broke it. “Nice shirt.” “Thank you. You… too.” Diamond faltered as she looked down at the grease covered overalls. Applebloom fallowed her gaze and fumed, muttering something about not having time to change. “I haven’ seen yah around in a while. Where yah been at?” Something coiled in Diamonds stomach. The edge in Applebloom’s voice made her uncomfortable “Manehattan mostly, lots of business and trade going on around there...” “And you came back for this?” Applebloom made a gesture around the crowded classroom. She gave a sharp laugh. “That doesn’t sound like the Diamond Tiara I remember.” Diamond Tiara didn’t even flinch, she simply nodded. “We were kids, it was stupid.” “Well…. One of us was.” Diamond narrowed her eyes at her. Applebloom smirked, meeting Diamond’s eyes with equal intensity. It was rare that Diamond could be stared down by anyone, but there was something decisively off about Applebloom. Desperate to escape the mounting tension, Diamond Tiara made a fake excuse to go use the ladies room, and hurried into the crowd. The small school had been even more crowded as ponies came piling from inside to get a look at Scootaloo or talk to Applebloom. Diamond Tiara was pushed and shoved along, and somewhere along the mess she got a second cup of punch spilled over her. She didn’t know why she couldn’t bring herself to say she was sorry. It was just two little words, and it wasn’t as if she didn’t regret all the things she did in her youth… But she had just been a stupid child, certainly that deserved some leniency. She caught a brief listen at Scootaloo boasting about some daring stunt and rolled her eyes, and furiously made her way towards the door. She almost didn’t see her, and if the unicorn hadn’t given a sharp gasp at her approach, Diamond probably would have plowed right into her. Diamond was able to stop herself just in time, and looked down at the final member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. She was shorter than the other two, and the most moderately dressed. Her legs were hugged by a very tight looking pair of blue jeans, and her white tank-top was poking out of a nice blue collared shirt. Her mint green eyes and pale complexion was impossible to mistaken, even now. She also gave Diamond Tiara the second sincere smile she had seen that evening. “Oh, I didn’t know you were coming.” She chirped. “That seems to be the theme today. Hello, er, Sweetie Belle right?” Diamond extended her hand. She might as well start off on the right foot with someone at this party. Sweetie Belle’s round face broke into the largest grin and shook Diamond Tiara’s hand firmly. “It’s nice to meet you again Diamond Tiara. I’ve heard a lot about your success, Rarity has a couple of magazines about you, calls you a business wizard.” “That’s nice of you to say.” Diamond was fighting not to smile “But I’m sure you don’t mean all of that. Consider how we actually were in school, I don’t think you’re actually happy to see me.” Sweetie Belle tilted her head like a confused puppy. “Why wouldn’t I? Because you used to be a bully? We were just kids, right? What’s the point in holding grudges?” Diamond Tiara frowned. This had been the last thing she expected from any of the crusaders. “That’s… oddly mature of you Sweetie Belle.” Sweetie giggled. “Well, thanks for that vote of confidence!” “I didn’t mean it like that” Diamond said hastily. Sweetie waved it away, still smiling. “It’s fine, I know what you mean. I don’t know, things don’t go quite the way you planned in life, I guess I just learned to roll with things. I just don’t let anything get me down anymore.” Sweetie’s eyes were sparkling with a kind of self-pride. Diamond was astonished by Sweetie’s growth. That growth hadn’t translated much into height though, Sweetie Belle barely came up to Diamond’s shoulders. Diamond couldn’t help it; she actually found it pretty cute. “Do you want to get some punch?” Sweetie asked brightly. Diamond shuffled her feet. “I’d rather not to be honest… I think there are two too many mares that have it out for me back in there.” Sweetie face fell. “What, you mean Applebloom and Scootaloo? They might be a bit more abrasive, but I’m sure if you just gave it time and-“ “I said no thank you.” Diamond said firmly, her eyes flashing. Sweetie Belle bit her tongue, gazing up at Diamond with a small whimper. Diamond flushed. How could she possibly be this cute? Diamond Tiara, recognizing the hot flushing sensation in her face, found it suddenly more urgent than ever to leave. “You should go socialize Sweetie Belle. I think it’s time for me to leave.” “But I just got here-“ “And you have the entire evening to enjoy yourself. I’ve had my fill.” She made a step towards the door. But Sweetie made a move, almost as if to block her, and Diamond’s arm brushed past hers. She stopped, looking back at the only mare besides her former teacher to treat her kindly, and blushed. “Thank you Sweetie Belle, it was very nice to see you again.” Diamond barely heard her mutter ‘you too’ before she escaped into the cool air of the deserted school grounds. She gave a long ragged sigh, and tried in vain to control her racing heartbeat. What had just happened? She had known for quite some time now that she had been attracted to girls, but honestly, Sweetie Belle?! Of all people to find attractive, it had to be one she relentlessly bullied in her youth. “…. I think I need a drink.” She muttered to no one. Digging her hands in her pockets, she made her way down to the car waiting for her at the foot of the hill. “And I don’t mean fruit punch.”