//------------------------------// // Amity // Story: Collapse, Collide // by Zombificus //------------------------------// The sound of rapid hoofsteps made Apple Bloom pause mid-explanation and turn to the clubhouse window, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle following her gaze. “Is that… Dinky?” asked Apple Bloom, confused. Scootaloo leaned forward out the window for a better look, affirming Apple Bloom’s assumptions. “Yeah, it’s her – she’s got that pegasus filly with her and… wait… Diamond Tiara?! The hay’s she doing here?” “What?!” exclaimed Sweetie Belle. “Let me see, you two: you’re blocking the whole window!” Pushing her way in between her friends, her eyes widened as she saw that they had been quite right: Dinky Doo, Auburn Wake and Diamond Tiara were galloping towards them, with the pegasus quickly closing the gap with long-legged strides assisted by her wings. “Well, shit.” Sweetie said, simply, unable to come up with anything more eloquent to express her current feelings. The thud of hooves on wood heralded the arrival of the first uninvited visitor, and moments later a bedraggled looking filly poked her head through the doorway, her eyes scanning the interior for a few moments before she collapsed onto her hindquarters. Panting heavily from her long run, she turned to her two companions and reported her findings. “They’re still here... Whew, that... last sprint really... took it out of me: you two... doing okay?” “We’re fine” replied Dinky and Diamond in unison; their voices not sounding particularly ‘fine’ at all, but more as if the ponies they belonged to were about to collapse. The sound of a throat being cleared meaningfully drew Auburn’s attention back to the Crusader meeting she’d gate-crashed. Apple Bloom was staring her down, her expression making it clear she didn’t appreciate strangers just walking into her clubhouse. “What in Equestria are you doing here?” She said. “We were almost ready to go Crusading.” “We needed to talk to you… well, Diamond did, mostly… but we missed you... at school so we... ran all…the way…here.” Her reply was slowed somewhat in its delivery by the pegasus panting for breath every few words; still worn out from her sprint over there. “Can’t it wait ‘til tomorrow?” asked Apple Bloom, pointedly. Auburn stepped further into the clubhouse to allow Diamond to enter and answer Apple Bloom. “Do you really think we’d run all the way over here if we could just ask you tomorrow?” She bit back the end of her response, thinking it instead: ‘Don’t flatter yourself.’ Antagonising the farm filly would not help her out, even if she was acting like an ass. “She’s got a point,” admitted Scootaloo. “You’d have to be mad to run all this way without a good reason.” “So let’s hear it – what did you need to talk to us about so desperately?” Sweetie Belle added, curiously. Diamond looked each of them in the eye before speaking, her look beseeching them to hear her out. “I’m going up in assembly tomorrow morning to tell everypony the truth about me and Silver. It’s not going to be easy to convince them all, but if you’d tell them that you believe me I might have a chance of getting something good out of it all. Please, you three – you wouldn’t have to say much: just a sentence or two.” The Crusaders frowned, and Apple Bloom didn’t look at all convinced; seeming to give it even less thought than the other two before voicing her opinion. “Look, I appreciate what you’re doin’ ain’t gonna be easy, but I don’t really want ponies thinking I like you, ‘cause to be frank, I don’t. You made years of my life a living Tartarus whether you wanted to or not, so if you think we’re friends, you can think again. If the other two want to help you, I’ll do it, but I ain’t sticking my neck out for you without a reason.” Scootaloo looked a little hesitant after hearing this, but stuck to her original decision stubbornly. “I’m up for it, even if these two aren’t. You’re trying to make amends, and even Apple Bloom can’t argue that’s a bad thing – she’s the one who made you go out and apologise in the first place. You hurt me just as much as you did the other two, but holding grudges just ain’t worth it.” One for, one against; Auburn had been right: Sweetie Belle would be the decider. “Well…” she began, cautiously. “I don’t really want to help you any more than I have to – we already bailed out your father, for Celestia’s sake – but I guess I could manage a sentence or two. Just don’t expect much.” That concluded things: the Crusaders would help, but how much that would aid her case would remain to be seen until Friday and the assembly. “Thank you so much. I’ll let you get back to your Crusading now. Bye!” Hurriedly; as if she was fleeing a possible change of heart, she trotted back out of the clubhouse and down the wooden ramp to Dinky, who’d been waiting nervously for Auburn and her to re-emerge from the clubhouse. “How’d it go?” she asked, unable to make a clear guess from Diamond’s cloudy expression. “They’re in,” answered Auburn, as she touched down from her short glide down to the them and turned to Diamond to ascertain what they’d be doing for the remainder of the afternoon. “So Diamond, want to go to my place with me and Dinky? Once we’re done with homework we can try and find something you like to do.” Auburn looked at her expectantly, clearly wondering how she’d respond to her offer. They’d only really known each other a day, but she hoped that’d been enough to sway the earth filly’s opinion to a positive outcome. “Sure,” answered Diamond, who could think of little better to do than spend more time with her new friends, “I just need to tell my dad where I’ll be first.” Dinky piped up happily at her response. “Great! Let’s get a move on, then. It’s a long way back to Ponyville and we’re going to want as much time as we can get if we want to have some real fun.” As one, the three trotted off back home. * “Hey - you two: this is my house.” Stated Diamond as she and her friends’ meandering journey through Ponyville brought them to their first destination. Dinky and Auburn immediately paused in their conversation to stare up at the large building, which they’d passed on the way to school many a time, but never seen the inside of, for obvious reasons. Diamond trotted forward and knocked on the door, her friends shuffling nervously from side to side as the sound of the chain being removed inside could be heard through the door. Filthy Rich smiled broadly as he opened the door to his daughter, who, for the first time in a long while, looked happy herself. The stallion’s considerable eyebrows rose slightly at the sight of Diamond’s companions; he recognised the slightly shorter unicorn to her right as Ditzy Doo’s daughter but the pegasus filly standing and entire half-a-head taller than her was new to him. He felt a little concerned about who this filly was, and what her intentions were, (her height alone made him wonder whether she was even Diamond’s age) but the her demeanour spoke of no evil within, and he resolved to let Diamond explain in her own time. “Daddy!” exclaimed his daughter as she flung herself at him, pulling him into a tight hug. Rich, having been expecting this sometime in the next few moments, did not wobble from her enthusiastic embrace, instead wrapping a foreleg around her back and holding her close. “Hello to you, too, my little gem…” he said through a chuckle, “I see you’ve brought friends.” She disentangled herself from him and hopped back, looking a little embarrassed at the reminder of her friends; who, she realised, had seen that show of affection. “Yeah, I guess I have. You already know Dinky, I think; and this is Auburn: she doesn’t talk much, but she’s good company anyway. They’re my friends, even though we only really got to know each other today.” Filthy Rich smiled amiably at them all, before pursuing a question Diamond hadn’t yet given answered. “I don’t think I’ve seen Auburn before, is she new around here?” Rich had intended the question for his daughter, but instead she looked meaningfully at her friend, who answered the question herself. He supposed it was probably better to hear it from the pony’s mouth; figuratively and literally; and listened attentively to the answer. “Sort of. We only moved here… oh, about half a year ago; so I could go to Ponyville Elementary when it reopened for more than just ponies from the town. Me and Dinky tend to walk to school pretty early, so that’s probably why you haven’t seen us; I don’t think we’ve ever run into Diamond on the way to school, so I guess we must leave at different times.” “That makes sense.” He replied, more at ease now. “Are you three coming in, or going off adventuring?” Diamond smiled a little sadly at him. “Adventuring – sorry, Dad. We were going to go to Auburn’s place and get our homework done, and then do something more fun.” “Alright, sweetie, have fun! –Oh, I suppose I’d better get your address, Auburn, so I can come collect Diamond later. I’ll just get something to write on…” “No need” said the pegasus, offering a small rectangular object out to him, which he took and examined in curiosity. “A business card?” He asked, bemusement etched into his usually stony features. “My father’s – he makes little things out of bronze to sell: statuettes and the like – he works out of our house; the address is at the bottom, in the green writing.” “Ah, I see it. Thank you – I’d better let you girls get going, wouldn’t want to miss that homework, would we?” “Nope!” cried Dinky, apparently without irony, and she skipped happily away; followed by Auburn, who waved a silent goodbye, and finally Diamond, who gave her father one last, brief hug before hurrying off after them. He watched them go, smiling as his daughter laughed inaudibly at a comment from Auburn and the three fillies disappeared down a side street. It looked to him like Diamond’s second pick of friends were much better choices, and whilst he’d be much more cautious than he’d been with Silver Spoon, he had the feeling they’d be no real trouble. * It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the door of Auburn’s house. It was an average-sized home for a Ponyville family, but with a few unorthodox alterations to its roof: the entire left side of it had been replaced with a small garden beginning about half a storey above the gutters on the neighbouring homes; and the right consisted entirely of a glass-roofed seating area and a squat, rounded tower somewhat reminiscent of an observatory. The reason for this, presumably, was the lack of a real rear garden: the gap between houses in which it stood wouldn’t have allowed for a building of the same width, so the architect had presumably just extended it backwards instead, at the cost of the same green space enjoyed by most Ponyville residents. “You live here?” Diamond asked, slack-jawed. Auburn turned to her and nodded. “Yeah, I do – weird, isn’t it?” “Not the word I’d have used.” “And that is…?” “Pegasus. Very, very pegasus.” “What do you mean, 'pegasus'?” “Really, Auburn – you’ve got a garden on your roof, and you’re asking me why I’d call it a pegasus house?” Glancing up at it for a moment, Auburn chuckled. “I suppose you’ve got a point, Diamond. Never really thought about it like that before.” As they’d lagged behind, Dinky had already arrived at the house proper and rang the doorbell, and now stood tapping her hoof impatiently as her friends caught up. The door clicked open and a thick-set pegasus mare grinned out at them, opening the door fully as she turned to call back into the house. “Copperwing, your sister’s home! Get your flank downstairs double-time and be sociable for once!” Facing the fillies once more, she noticed the new face amongst the gathered fillies. “Hello, Auburn – and you too, Dinky. And welcome to you, cadet – what’s your name?” “Diamond Tiara” “Pleasure to meet you, Diamond. I’m Burnished Gilding, but you can just call me Gild, everypony does. I’m guessing you’ve joined Auburn’s little circle? – Oh, where are my manners, I haven’t even invited you in yet – guess old habits do die hard.” She trotted backwards, carefully sidestepping to avoid the filly who’d just reached the bottom of the staircase, and Diamond, Auburn and Dinky followed suit. “There you are – I was starting to wonder if you were going to show up at all.” Gild said to the newly arrived filly who looked to be Auburn’s sister. Like Auburn, she was tall and thin – albeit less awkwardly so – and shared the same coppery colouration as her mother and sister, though this was most apparent on her coat and feathers rather than her mane, which was an unusual, dark shade of blonde. “I can go back upstairs if you want, I don’t mind.” Replied the new filly, virtually swimming in sarcasm. Turning to her sister and friends, her scowl turned to a smile and she greeted them happily. “Hey, sis, have a good day at school?” – Auburn nodded affirmative – “’s good – Nice to see you again, Dinky” She looked at Diamond, curiosity gleaming in the one eye not obscured by her long mane. “Oh, you’ve brought somepony new…” she said, “Hi, I’m Copperwing.” “I’m Diamond Tiara, nice to meet you.” With that introduction done, they trotted after Gild into what served as the house’s living room; Diamond following the others to the largest table in the room and sitting in the first seat she came to. "Hey, Auburn?" She had just remembered something Gild had said earlier, and found it prickling her sense of curiosity. "Yeah?" "Why did your mum call me 'cadet'?... And what did she mean 'old habits die hard'?" "Oh, that." Auburn chuckled. "I was wondering when you'd pick up on that. It's simple, really: she used to be in the Royal Guard, and I guess some of that's stuck with her even though she's retired. Same goes for the habits thing - guards aren't exactly supposed to invite strangers in, are they?" "No, I suppose not. Thanks, Auburn." Her friend smiled back at her for a moment before turning her attention back to her homework sheets, and Diamond knew there would be no avoiding her own. With a sigh, she opened her saddlebags and withdrew her homework, laying it on the table top with a sense of despondent finality. After staring hatefully at the indecipherable questions for a while, she picked up her pen and tried her hoof at one of the less confusing riddles her maths teacher had prepared for her. Homework – what fun. * Diamond found to her dismay that the one question she’d been able to complete appeared to be the only one of the set which made any sense. She wracked her brain for some possible way of decoding them, but nothing helped. It wasn’t even the maths itself which perplexed her: it was the questions themselves. What they wanted her to do was a mystery deeper than that of the universe itself, as far as Diamond was concerned. Expand the following: (X + 5)(X - 12) Expand the following? What in the name of Celestia’s colossal flank was that supposed to mean? Giving up the task as a lost cause, Diamond let out a groan of frustration and slumped onto the table in defeat. A moment later, she felt a hoof tap lightly on her foreleg and she grudgingly lifted her head. It was not Dinky or Auburn who’d been trying to get her attention - or even Gild: it was Copperwing, looking at her with her head tilted to one side – presumably so that she could see with both eyes, and not just the one her mane didn't cover – and concern creasing her features. “Are you alright?” “I’m fine. Can’t figure out this homework, though – it makes no sense!” “Let me see… oh, expanding brackets? What’s the problem?” The filly was apparently quite adept at reading upside down, since she’d said all this before Diamond even thought to turn the question sheet round. “I don’t even know what it means. What has expanding things got to do with algebra?!” Despite clearly knowing exactly what the term meant, Copperwing did not mock Diamond’s confusion; instead, Copperwing explained carefully and patiently; and Diamond found she was beginning to understand at long last. This was a departure from her classmates' reactions every time she had to ask what the ‘simple’ terms meant, which generally consisted of mocking and insults from former victims who'd realised that she was no longer a threat. “What they want is for you to multiply the things in the first bracket with the things in the second bracket. Like X times X is X squared, and so on. Does that make sense to you?” Diamond thought it over for a moment: “A little. So, I do X times twelve, too?” “Yeah, but the twelve is being subtracted, so it’d be minus twelve X instead of twelve X. Confusing, I know, but it’s how it works.” Copperwing smiled encouragingly as Diamond scrunched up her face in concentration and hesitantly gave her answer for the next part. “So, uh, we've got: X squared, minus twelve X, and then it’d be five times X so… five X?” “Yep - you're almost there. Last one’s five times minus twelve. You could do it as five times minus ten, plus five times minus two, if you find that simpler.” “That’s… uh… minus ten, plus… minus fifty? So, minus sixty?” “That’s right! Now, what do you get when you add them all together?” “Erm… X squared, plus five X, minus twelve X, minus sixty… so X squared, minus seven X, minus sixty?” “Yeah, that’s it - nice work, Diamond! And, before you ask: no, I don’t know why they write the questions like that, either – it’s supposed to be maths, not riddle solving, but that’s how the teachers like to do things.” Scribbling down her answer hurriedly, Diamond looked with eyes full of gratitude up at her saviour. Finally: somepony who could explain things in a way she could understand! “Thanks, Copperwing; that’s been confusing me for weeks!” She gushed happily. The pegasus grinned at her and shrugged. “No problem, Diamond – if you need any more help, I’ll be happy to lend you a hoof.” With that, they both returned to their own studies, sharing a mutual spark of amity between them. It appeared that one good thing did lead to another from time to time; her friendship with Auburn Wake and subsequent meeting with her equally nice sister was proof enough of that. *****