Diamond Tiara huffed in annoyance.
It was a bright and sunny Saturday which she would have wanted to spend hanging out with Silver Spoon, maybe going to see a movie or just wandering around Ponyville talking. Unfortunately, her best friend was stuck at home—foalsitting, of all things. When Diamond Tiara had asked for whom, Silver Spoon crinkled her nose in confusion before responding: “Duh! For my baby brother of course.”
Diamond Tiara hadn't even known that Silver Spoon had a baby brother.
Being alone and having nothing to do was proving to be a dreadful experience. Right now she was sitting at Sugarcube Corner, sullenly slurping the remains of an iced tea—her third—and looking at the clock on the wall, wondering how time could pass so slowly. Butler had dropped her off at the town square at twelve and she had told him to pick her up at two, and here it was one thirty and she was bored out of her wits. She begged for something interesting to happen. Anything interesting! Just so that she would be able to catch some bit of juicy gossip to spread.
Suddenly, the door swung open and the Cutie Mark Crusaders entered the shop. Thank Celestia. Showing those blank flanks where they belong would be a much more satisfying way to spend her time.
“Whew,” Scootaloo said loudly, parking her scooter next to a coat rack before joining her two friends in line. “Y'know, playing the piano is tougher than it looks. After all, piano ponies just bang the keys with their hooves. What were we doing wrong?”
“They're called pianists,” Sweetie Belle corrected, sounding uncannily like Rarity as she did so.
“Maybe we weren't hittin' the keys hard enough,” said Apple Bloom. “But oh well. Sweetie Belle kinda got the hang of it at the end, there. At least the piano didn't sound like it was dyin' like it did for you, Scootaloo...Hey!” she exclaimed, turning to Sweetie Belle. “Maybe your special talent is music!”
“I don't know...” Sweetie Belle said slowly, reddening. “I don't think I'm good enough. But it would be nice...”
Diamond Tiara had planned to at least wait until the three bought their drinks, but an opportunity like that was too rich to pass up. She laughed loudly, grabbed her empty cup and went to stand behind the three fillies in line.
“A musician? You have got to be kidding me,” Diamond Tiara said. “You seriously think she should get her cutie mark in music?”
Apple Bloom shifted nervously, causing Diamond Tiara to smirk. This was too easy. “Uh, well, I dunno—I mean, if she wants to, that's fine--”
“You three have no idea about anything, do you?” Diamond Tiara said. “Not all cutie marks are good, you know. If I had gotten a music cutie mark, Daddy probably would have disowned me. Most musicians are poor so they live on the streets of Canterlot, singing and accompanying themselves by playing cheap guitars with broken strings for extra bits. And the few that actually get paying jobs have to work long hours for bad working conditions and abysmal pay.” After letting her words sink in for a few moments, she spoke again. “Oh, and Scootaloo? In case you don't know what abysmal means, just think of the state of your vocabulary. It's the perfect way to describe it.”
Apple Bloom came to her friend's defense at once. “Hey! Lay off of her! She ain't stupid!”
“As if you would know any better. I'm surprised your family sent you to school at all. What, they needed somepony in the family able to read?”
“Diamond Tiara, please stop,” Sweetie Belle said. “If you don't like us so much, then go away and stop bothering us!”
“I can't go away,” Diamond Tiara retorted calmly. “I'm standing in line, stupid.”
It was the Cutie Mark Crusaders' turn to order. Sweetie Belle turned towards Mrs. Cake, who was working at the counter. “Three milkshakes, please,” she said. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo carried the milkshakes over to a booth while Sweetie Belle paid. Diamond Tiara filed this notion in the back of her brain as possible gossip.
After paying, Mrs. Cake handed her a new glass of iced tea. Diamond Tiara walked back over to her table, but to her dismay, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were sitting at her table.
“Scram, losers! This is my table, I was here first.”
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle flinched, looking more than happy to leave, but Scootaloo glared at her defiantly: “Go away, Diamond Tiara. This table was free when we got here, so it's ours. Go find your lonely self another table.”
Diamond Tiara felt her cheeks reddening with rage. How dare Scootaloo, a blank flank and overall loser, call HER lonely?
“Where is Silver Spoon, anyway?” Sweetie Belle blurted out curiously.
“None of your business,” Diamond Tiara said curtly. “And Scootaloo, you're one to talk. You, of all ponies, calling somepony lonely. I bet it's all fun and games and friends down at that orphanage you live in, isn't it? That's right, I know. By the way, how's your father doing these days? Daddy's private files on you said something about rehabilitation, but it's hard to know--”
“Lay off her!” Sweetie Belle cut in, noticing her friend quiver, seemingly conflicted between anger and tears. “We'll give you your stupid table, all right? Just stop picking on us!”
“No we won't!” Scootaloo said, her voice cracking slightly. She wiped her eyes furiously, trying to destroy any evidence of tears, and so they looked reddish and slightly swollen. “We were here first--”
“--actually, I was here first--”
“--and we're not going anywhere! You think you're so great, with your Butler and your Daddy and your stupid little crown, but it's going to take you more than a couple of mean words to push us around this time!”
Where was all this resistance coming from? One thing was sure: Scootaloo had challenged her. Scootaloo thought she was better than her. And Scootaloo was about to see what a good-for-nothing, rotton, blank flank she really was. Because nopony challenged Diamond Tiara. Nopony.
“The orphanage discharges you soon,” Diamond Tiara said, trying to look as nonchalant as possible whilst enjoying Scootaloo's horrified expression. “You own nothing, other than your scooter. And that milkshake Sweetie Belle bought you. Maybe you should sell it back instead of drinking it. After all, it would more than double your financial assets. Oh, you don't know what that means? In stupid pony language, that means making a hopelessly poor person a bit less poor. Anyway, you'll have no home, cutie mark or skills whatsoever. You have Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle who will take you in for a couple of weeks, but after that...” Diamond Tiara trailed off, smirking.
Scootaloo flushed a deep red. “That—that's not true!” Scootaloo said hotly.
“Oh, what's the matter? Did my mean words hurt you? I thought you said--”
“I know what I said, and I'm sticking to it! Just shut up! I don't care about what you say anyway!” Scootaloo said, her voice breaking.
“Really? 'Cause it looks like you're starting to cr--”
“SHUT UP!” Scootaloo yelled, voice wobbling. She hit the table with both of her forehooves hard, causing their drinks to teeter. If Diamond Tiara had not been so focused at the satisfaction of seeing Scootaloo break at last, she would have noticed that the din of Sugarcube corner quieted to thick silence as everypony cautiously turned their heads to look at the table occupied by the four schoolfillies.
Taking a deep breath, Scootaloo spoke quietly: “Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle: I'm gonna go outside to get some fresh air. I'll—be back in a sec.” And Scootaloo exited the room, carefully letting her mane obstruct the table's view of her eyes.
And then there were three.
“Just go away, Diamond Tiara,” Sweetie Belle said quietly, looking nervously towards the door. “Please. That was really mean.”
“In case you don't remember, Scootaloo was mean to me first.”
“Well, Rarity says that you shouldn't do mean things to other ponies just because they did them to you first.”
“Rarity? As in your big sister? Ha! You do know that big sisters aren't supposed to act like that, right? My big sister never bosses me around—she never tells me to do chores or how to act.”
“Well, she's the grownup in the house, so it makes sense, I guess...”
“Being raised by your big sister doesn't make sense—it's not normal!” Diamond Tiara retorted. “Most ponies' parents don't just drop them off at their big sister's place before moving to Fillydelphia and never coming back. Don't tell me you never realized how weird that is. It's like, she's your mom, but not really, because she's actually your sister. You know, she'll never love you as much as a real mom would. Unicorn siblings aren't bonded as strongly as earth pony or pegasus siblings. That must really suck for you, to know that your only family is a big sister who will probably leave you some day. I mean, my big sister left ages ago off to Manehattan University and hasn't written once, but I don't care because I have Daddy and Silver Spoon and Butler because I'm not going to be lonely like you will be some day--”
Sweetie Belle sniffled, eyes starting to glisten. “I—I never thought about that before.”
“Don't listen to her, Sweetie Belle!” Apple Bloom said. “She's just telling a bunch o' lies to make you feel upset.”
“No, Apple Bloom—think about it,” Sweetie Belle said softly. “It's true. It's always been the case that unicorn siblings split apart over the years. Rarity will never love me like Applejack loves you, and eventually she'll move to Manehattan or Canterlot without me or get an exclusive deal with Photo Finish and do secret work all day long and her dreams will all come true and I'll never get to see her and she'll forget all about me...”
Diamond Tiara preened. That had been easier than she thought it would be.
Sweetie Belle wiped at the tears streaming down her face, making the fur on her face stick up in places. “I'm—going—Scootaloo--” she choked. She stood up and trotted away. Diamond Tiara heard the sound of the door closing as Sweetie Belle left.
And then there were two.
Apple Bloom glanced nervously at the door.
“You're a big bully, y'all know that?” she said, glaring at Diamond Tiara. “But you know what? Scootaloo was right. Somepony has to show you that you can't always get your way by
“Ah, Apple Bloom,” Diamond Tiara said slowly, relishing the absolute control she had over her. Apple Bloom wouldn't dare leave the table now. Both ponies knew that leaving would mean surrender.
“You know what a bloom is, in literature? Of course you don't—you're too stupid to read. It means hope, hope for a new beginning. Everypony who's not too dumb to take words at their face value know that you weren't just names Apple Bloom 'cause it involves apples. Your sister and brother are singlehoofedly relying on you to be that spark—that bloom, that new beginning--to get your family apple farm back to where it once was. But you don't even have a cutie mark! Your cutie mark probably won't have anything to do with apples, either—if it did, you would have long gotten it by now. So once they realize that you're just a worthless, untalented brat that can't help your sorry orchard in the slightest, all your family's crop will stay unsold and your trees will die. And then my Daddy will buy out the land and turn it into an extremely profitable amusement park or shopping mall or something and you'll have to work there for minimum wage. And it'll all be your fault, since you will have let not just your entire family, but all your ancestors down--”
Apple Bloom sniffled slightly before crying, then wailing, and pushing herself out of the booth, then running out of the shop, screaming: “I hate you! I hate you so much, y'all know that?”
The door to Sugarcube Corner slammed shut.
And then there was one.
Diamond Tiara noticed her iced tea, full to the brim, having fully forgotten about it. Her mouth felt dry, probably from talking so much. She took a sip, feeling at once refreshed.
This is winning.
First Sweetie Belle had had the nerve to tell her to go away. Then Scootaloo had called her lonely. And they had stolen her table, too! But she fought back—and won.
This is winning.
For a moment, there, she had thought she was going to lose. For a couple of losers, the Cutie Mark Crusaders' resolve and determination was disgustingly high.
This is winning.
Relief washed over her, but it didn't last long, because something else followed in suit. Maybe it was because she finally noticed that some of the other ponies in the shop were eyeing her warily. Maybe it was because she never meant to make anypony cry, she just wanted her table back. Of course, it wasn't really ever about a table, either.
It was about winning.
She almost didn't notice Butler come in.
“Did you have a fun afternoon, Miss?”
“Oh, yes,” Diamond Tiara said, because while the first part had been dreadfully boring, the second part had been more than enough fun to make up for it.
“You weren't by chance picking on those three young fillies from your class, were you? I saw them outside, and they did not look of the best of spirits.”
Ha. Losers.
“It's none of your business,” Diamond Tiara said shortly. “Let's just get to my carriage.”
She walked outside and glanced to her right, where she saw Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, engaging in a tight group hug. She could still hear Apple Bloom's whimpers. Each filly had red, glistening eyes, a ruffled mane and spoke in soft, cracking tones.
This is winning.
“Ready, miss?” Butler asked, holding the door open for her.
Diamond Tiara slammed the carriage door shut and waited as Butler started to pull the carriage. As they drove away, she snuck one last peak at the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They were still huddled together, still hugging each other tightly, still crying.
As they should be.
This is winning.
...
I think.