Diamond Tiara returned late for class after finally repairing her beloved tiara as best she and her new friend Twist could. Her tiara looked more mangled and messed up than before, but it was at least better than a shattered mess, and she was at least happy enough with it. She sat in her usual seat beside Silver Spoon, regretting the instinctive action almost immediately.
Silver Spoon sneered at her former friend but Spitfire’s unamused glare made her stop herself before she said anything. The teacher made a more relaxed, friendly expression before she started to speak.
“Now, Diamond Tiara, Twist, you’re just in time for the last lesson of the day. Now, all you fillies and colts are aware of Cutie Marks, right?” she rolled her eyes at a chorus of annoyed groans. “Yes, yes, I know it’s pretty much common knowledge, but it’s what I’m supposed to teach regardless. But, hey, you might learn something new! Now, we all know Cutie Marks manifest themselves on our bodies, but do you know how or why?” She frowned as several hooves shot up. “That was a rhetorical question. Which means, SNAILS, that I didn’t want any of you to actually raise your hooves and ask!”
She started drawing a simple drawing of pony with blank flank and copy of the image beside with a mark on the flank as she continued. “Cutie Marks appear ONLY when we realise or adequately achieve our special talent, the one thing we’re all especially good at. A cutie mark can look like anything, and you can never predict when you will get one, only that you will one day.” She turned to the class, smiling. “I have some homework for you, children. I want you to talk to at least three ponies, though you can add more if you feel you’re up to it, and I want you to learn about their special talents and what they did to earn their cutie marks. Who knows? You might learn more than most of you think. Oh, and before I forget, I want you all to go in groups of at least three. You’re free to choose who you want to study with.”
At that the moment, the bell rang, signalling the end of the school day. “Alright everypony, time to go home, don’t forget to do your homework for the rest of the day!” Spitfire frowned at Silver Spoon and Snips. “You two will stay here for detention, you need to learn to be better behaved.”
Diamond Tiara got up and smirked snootily at her former friend, the other filly simply glaring back, unamused. Diamond ignored her, quickly leaving the classroom as Twist ran up to her side, dragging a white unicorn filly with her.
“Hey Diamond Tiara I got our third partner for our homework!” Twist proclaimed, practically shoving the newcomer into the other earth pony’s face.
“Hey...you look familiar.” Diamond Tiara said to the unicorn, blinking.
“Yeah I should.” The unicorn retorted, deadpan. “You bullied me for being poor and a blankflank after you got your cutie mark.”
“Oh...” The earth pony filly, winced. “I...I’m sorry...”
The unicorn blinked. “Did you...just apologise?”” She then narrowed her eyes. “What are you up to?”
“She apologithed cauthe the’th thorry, Thweetie Belle!” Twist interjected before Diamond Tiara could say anything, pulling the other filly into a tight hug as she dragged them both out of the classroom. “Now, we need to do our homework!”
Diamond Tiara struggled. “I-I usually have somepony else do the homework for me!”
Twist frowned at that, giving the former bully puppy dog eyes. “But we jutht became friendth, we need to hang out more, and then Thweetie Belle can be your friend too! And we might although get help earning our cutie markth if we do thith!”
“....In case you didn’t notice, I’m not a blankflank.”
“That’th good! We’re one third of the way there already!” Twist giggled happily and dragged her two friends down the street with her.
“OH hey Sweetie Belle! Are those your new friends? I told you you’d meet some nice fillies!”
Twist stopped as Sweetie Belle and Diamond Tiara twisted out of her grasp, Sweetie Belle looking up at the white, blank flank unicorn with a short, messy purple mane standing on the roof of a nearby house. Diamond Tiara looked very confused while Twist grinned, Sweetie Belle however looked nonplussed.
“Rarity, you tried this method before. It didn’t work.” The unicorn filly called out.
“Ah, but this time I figured out what went wrong!’ The older unicorn, Rarity, proclaimed, a pair of wings made of crudely nailed together planks of wood affixed to her back. “I merely thought flapping my legs could do it, but now I know better! I have been studying...AERODYNAMICS!” She stood dramatically as she said this.
Sweetie Belle simply gave her a half-lidded stare. “Rarity, you’re not gonna fly.”
“You don’t know that! I can do whatever I want!” With that, Rarity jumped...and her wing promptly fell to pieces as he fell to the ground with a hard thud.
Diamond Tiara blinked in surprise, looking at her two friends. “Uh...should we...do something?”
“Oh Rarity doeth thith all the time!” Twist responded as Sweetie Belle slowly trotted forward and lifted her sister up. “The’th alwath jumping from high platheth and getting herthelf hurt! But the’th alwayth at it again tomorrow!”
Sweetie looked at them with a frown, applying a bandaid to her sister’s newest bruise. “I just wish my sister here would come to her senses and act normal.”
Diamond Tiara looked between the two of them. “You’re sisters? I’ll be honest, apart from your coat colours, and your horns, you’re nothing alike.”
“I know...”
Rarity grinned. “Ah but there is ONE other thing we have in common!” She turned her flank to show the three fillies and Diamond Tiara’s eyes widened.
“You’re a blank flank!?” She gasped in disbelief. “But you’re a grown up!”
The older unicorn glowered. “Don’t say it like it’s an insult. That’s rude. Anyway, yes, I’m a blank flank, and yes, I really shouldn’t be at my age, but I mean, who cares?”
“You mean besides everypony?” Sweetie Belle said softly.
“A cutie mark is the most important part of a pony!” Diamond Tiara persisted. “It defines a pony, tells the world who they are and what they can do!”
“Oh yes, and I’m SOOOOO gonna let a picture on my butt dictate my life.” Rarity replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes. “A cutie mark is not the end all and be all of a pony’s life. When I was a filly, I was OBSESSED with getting one, and it got me no closer to getting one anyway.”
“How come?” Twist asked, smiling in curiosity.
“Well, I did use a spell to help me get my cutie mark once, thinking it had to do with me making some costumes for a school play. However, it brought me someplace to see something completely different: the wonderbolts in action, using their flying skills so expertly! It was so amazing, so completely unlike anything I saw before, I decided I wanted to become a wonderbolt instead, and in order to do that, I needed to fly!”
“But...you still don’t have a cutie mark.” Diamond Tiara pointed out.
“Well, yeah, but as I said, who cares? Just because I don’t have it yet doesn’t mean I won’t ever have one, and even if I don’t, it’s not gonna change my dreams and ambitions either way. Cutie marks are too limiting to most ponies anyway!”
“Cutie marks are so important!” Diamond Tiara argued.
“Are not!” Rarity countered.
“Are too!”
“Are not!”
“Are too!”
“Okay, you both can settle down.” Sweetie Belle interrupted, using her magic to push the two apart. “Look, we need to talk to a few ponies around town as part of our homework on cutie marks, so just bring us to your friends and we can get it done by the end of the day.”
Rarity raised an eyebrow. “You’re doing schoolwork on cutie marks.”
“I think it’th fun!”Twist offered.
“Well, if you need to speak to my friends, I don’t see why not! Come, we’ll go see Rainbow Dash, she probably knows a thing or two about cutie marks!”
“Wait, THE Rainbow Dash!?” Diamond Tiara exclaimed as she and her friends followed the bruised unicorn.
Unbeknownst to them, three foals followed.
---------------------------------------
Earlier that day...
Babs Seed read through a letter that Silver Spoon had discreetly passed her in class, looking sternly as she approached an orange pegasus and a yellow unicorn.
“Alright you mugs!” the earth pony yelled out. “Get over here!”
The unicorn colt smiled stupidly. “Whatcha need, Babs?”
Babs Seed glared. “That Diamond Tiara filly caused some trouble for Silver, so she wants us to make sure she pays for getting Silver in detention!”
“B-but...” the purple-haired pegasus nervously said, “Diamond Tiara didn’t do anything, the teacher just got mad for some reason...a-and isn’t she Silver Spoon’s friend?”
“Silver says it’s her fault and that’s all that matters, got it!?” Babs growled, narrowing her eyes at Scootaloo. “You want Silver to be happy, don’t you? Isn’t she your friend?”
“W-well, yes, I-I think so, but...”
“NOONE TOLD YOU TO THINK, SCOOT! Just be like Snails there and do what the smarter ponies say!” Babs suddenly smiled smugly. “Don’t worry, we’re not gonna hurt anypony, just prank them a little.”
“Yeah Scoots, it’ll be fun!” Snails chirped. “Silver wouldn’t tell us to do anything bad, she’s our friend! Besides, Diamond Tiara is a bad pony, everypony says so!”
“I...suppose so...” Scootaloo frowned and looked down. “W-what are we going to do, Babs?”
“Well first, we’re gonna follow Diamond Tiara and her little study group, then we’ll mess with them. Don’t worry, just follow my lead and everything’ll be fine.”
-------------------------------------
Diamond Tiara gazed up at the huge tree in the middle of the town, reading the sign plastered upon it. “This is a library? I just thought it was a big tree!”
“Well that does explain why anypony hardly uses it...” Rarity muttered, then spoke up as she knocked on the door. “Rainbow Daaash, I got visitors for you!”
The door opened, revealing the well known magical blue pegasus. “Hey Rares, how’s it hanging?”
“I’m fantastic! Just finished my latest flight test!”
Rainbow chuckled awkwardly, wincing at the newest bandaid on the unicorn’s face. “As I can see....you said something about visitors?”
“That’s us.” Sweetie Belle droned. “I’m Sweetie Belle and these are Diamond Tiara and Twist. Our teacher wants us to talk to a few ponies around town about...cutie marks.”
Rainbow raised an eyebrow in incredulity. “Seriously? Cutie mark homework? I didn’t realise ponies still did that in this day and age.”
“I think it’ll be a good learning ekthperience!” Twist chimed in with a wide grin.
Rainbow looked at the third filly, who was staring up at her with wide, adoring eyes and completely frozen in place, her body shaking.
“Uh...You...okay there, sport?” The blue pegasus asked, concerned.
Diamond Tiara slowly nodded. “I’mfine,justfine,areyoufine? I’mfine. You’reRainbowDash.”
“I...I am...” Rainbow winced slowly, unnerved.
“Youmusthavealottotell, I bet you do. Rainbow Dash is so amazing, Ibetshehasalottotellus. Rainbowdashisthecoolestponywhoeverlived, Idonotdeserve tobeinher presence. Sheistooamazingforwords. Tooastonishing. Tooawesome. Too”
She was interrupted by Sweetie Belle slapping her with her tail. “Stop being crazy.”
Diamond growled irritably. “I wasn’t being crazy, I was just...” she gazed up at Rainbow Dash, paling. “Ohmygosh.”
Rainbow backed away an inch. “You...sure you’re okay?”
Diamond Tiara gasped and squeeked, squirming in embarrassment. “Y-yeah I’m fine, it’s just...I-I’m your biggest fan!”
“You are?” Rainbow said in surprise.
“You are!?” Sweetie Belle gasped, in a rare moment of emotion.
“W-Well Rainbow Dash is just...amazing!” the pink filly grinned wide, looking up at the pegasus with adoration. “She graduated the prestigious Canterlot Academy at a younger than normal age, and was the second top student of the acadamy’s history! She is the first pegasus in history to perform unicorn-like magic, and does so consistently, proving it’s not a hoax or a onetime fluke! She used the Elements of Harmony to defeat Nightmare Moon in our very own town, and has spoken to Princesses Celestia and Cadance personally! And to top it all off, her very first magical feat was an impossible task that she was not supposed to succeed at, and it got her a pet dragon! How is she not awesome!?”
“Hey I helped with the Nightmare Moon thing, too.” Rarity interjected. “Rainbow couldn’t use the elements without me or our other friends there!” She grinned. “But yeah, Rainbow is the awesomest pony I know!”
Diamond Tiara gasped and she took Rarity’s hooves in her own and the two started to dance in glee over their shared fandom, Rainbow and the other two fillies staring at them.
“Wow, Diamond Tiara is full of surprises!” Twist giggled.
“I thought she was supposed to be not crazy.” Sweetie deadpanned.
Rainbow Dash rubbed her temples with her wings, signing. “I’m never gonna get used to this...ANYWAY!” she shouted suddenly, catching Diamond Tiara and Rarity’s attention. “You three fillies wanted to talk to me about my cutie mark right?”
“We’re kinda supposed to.” Sweetie asserted.
Diamond Tiara however waved her hoof flippantly. “Pssh! Everyone knows how Rainbow Dash got her cutie mark: she used her heretofore unknown magical power and hatched a dragon egg in front of several students and teachers at Canterlot Academy, releasing a massive magical energy burst at the same time!”
Rainbow smiled wistfully. “Yeah, that was the greatest moment in my life, the culmination of my dreams, hopes and hard work and studying. I shudder to think how my life would be like if I had failed, I probably would just end up working in the weather like every pegasus.”
“That’s not true!” Diamond Tiara asserted. “You are an amazing pony, if you hadn’t performed magic, I am sure you would have been able to succeed eventually! You’re Rainbow Dash, you can do anything!”
“Heh, thanks sport, but I’m not THAT great.” The pegasus said with a blush and a smirk. “....Though I’m not saying you should stop the praise altogether!”
“Hey, what does your cutie mark mean anyway?” Twist blurted out.
The pegasus chuckled, moving around to display her flank. “Well, most consider it to simply mean my incredible magical prowess, but notice the other stars surrounding the big one? I think that represents my ability to form connections with ponies, namely my closest friends in years.”
“Why you figure that?” Sweetie asked.
“Because I was taught that magic is more than mere ‘tricks’: magic exists to excite and enrich our lives, to make ponies happier and to bring them together. So, I figured that’s my special talent: enriching ponies lives with my magic.” The pegasus smiled warmly.
Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes, unmoved by the speech, while Diamond Tiara stared up at the pegasus in awe and Twist wiped a small tear.
“And...yeah...that’s my story.” Rainbow Dash finished lamely. “Not the most compelling, I know, and aside from my own theories, my cutie mark is rather straightforward...”
“No, not at all!” Diamond Tiara cried out with a happy grin. “I can totally see where you’re coming from and I think it sounds amazing that your cutie mark could have such an awesome interpretation!”
Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Well thanks. Now, I told you three about my cutie mark, and I REALLY need to get back to tidying this place up, why don’t you girls go visit one of my other friends? I’m sure they’ll be happy to help! Applejack should just be over in Carousel Boutique, she’s the closest from here.”
“Alright, thankth mith dath!” Twist grinned and ran off, Sweetie dragging a reluctant Diamond Tiara after her.
---------------------------------
Babs Seed smirked as she watched the three fillies run off, Scootaloo shivering nervously while Snails smiled vacuously as the two flanked the bully.
“Piece of cake.” Babs Seed spoke darkly.