//------------------------------// // Thoughts and Visions // Story: I Hate You ≠ I Love You // by LE_MALEM //------------------------------// Ponyville - Streets The two counterparts were trotting around the streets of Ponyville, sightseeing around. They have seen unimaginable things: Apart from the regular ponies, there were pegasi and unicorns too. Some of the pegasi were noticed moving clouds around like it was nothing while some unicorns were seen horns ablaze while they were levitating small and heavy objects alike. Needless to say, they were flabbergasted at how diverse and strange this world is; even fairy tales do not compare to what our two lovers have seen with their own big eyes. CHS Applebloom felt like they were being watched; in fact, some of the ponies' eyes averted to the couple, staring at them awkwardly. Noticing that, she tapped on her girlfriend. "We need to hide. Ah think it's not safe to stay in here." she whispered as they trotted in a nearby alley. "What do you mean by that, Bloomie?" asked CHS Diamond. "Ah mean that we both maybe are known by the town of ponies and judging by the glances of the townsfolk and the adversity between our doppelgangers, it must've been weird for them to see us together. We need to do something about that." As they tapped their hooves under their chins, the pinkish filly noticed some rags being thrown away. She inspected them. "Look, Bloomie. This maybe our ticket of going undetected, even if the look is rather shabby." she said as the couple put their camouflage on and continued trotting towards their destination. Meanwhile, at School Class was in session. Everypony, with the exception of Silver Spoon who fainted for some unknown reason by the other ponies, were present and all got the attention of Miss Cheerilee, all except for Applebloom, who was still thinking about the aftermath of the hoof wrestling match. She was tapping her hoof on her desk, still thinking about what happened earlier. Flashback - Applebloom's POV It was over. Utter disbelief was all written on my face as I rubbed my hoof which got slammed by the most unlikely pony imaginable; Diamond Tiara. "Y-ya slammed me... Ah can't believe it!" I said, clearly defeated "Ah... lost." I hated to admit it. I almost cried but decided to hold back my tears. I heard Diamond saying. "Never underestimate your opponent, no matter who they are. This would be your lesson for today, Applebloom." I guess I learned the lesson now. I approached the winner, head down. "Well, ya won. What shall ah do fer ya?" I asked, fearing the worst that could happen. She could make me her slave or make me disband the CMC which we built for a while now. Her eccentricity is mind-boggling now that I know what she's capable off. "Could you please refresh my memory and tell me where you usually eat breakfast? I kinda forgot to eat my breakfast AND my wallet too due to excitement and I haven't eaten a thing since this morning." She simply asked. I was not expecting that, really. She doesn't know Sugarcube Corner of all places and she, THE Diamond Tiara, is asking me, the farmer pony, for money. Nevertheless, I complied by giving her all my lunch money. "Here y'are! Ten bits! Mah lunch money." I said "As for Sugarcube Corner, just look for the building with the candy canes and cupcake for a roof, ya won't miss it." Diamond looked at the money like it was something she never saw before. It was weird since she always has the means to buy anything she wants. I noticed her looking at me. She lifted my chin up so that I look straight into her face, then she grabbed my hoof and gave me half of my money back and here is the clincher: She did that while smiling the cutest smile I've ever seen on her face before. Then she disappeared and magically reappeared out of nowhere. Flashback End "Wait a second," she thought "Why did I think Diamond's smile of ALL PONIES was cute? I... MUST... NOT... THINK... ABOUT... THAT... She was slamming her head on her desk so loudly that everypony's attention turned into her. "Are you okay, Applebloom?" asked Miss Cheerilee "What is wrong with you, doing that?" Applebloom was holding her head from pain as she received a collective laughter from everypony. "N-no, nothing Miss Cheerilee. Keep going please." She said, embarrassed, as class resumed. Sugarcube Corner With Pinkie Pie being absent for a royal mission, the Cakes were early this morning as they were cleaning shelves and preparing for their customers' arrival. Mrs. Cake, being on reception, was enthusiastically waiting for customers to barge in and taste their delicacies. Suddenly, the shop's door opened and two hooded figures of small ponies appeared. They were discussing and murmuring about something as they approached the counter. One of the ponies spoke. "Um... I would like anything you have with this sum of money, please." Mrs Cake looked at the bits, then looked at the ponies. She noticed the ragged clothes they were wearing. "I am sorry but I cannot accept your money" she replied, making the ponies hunch down "However, you two must be tired from a long journey so why don't you relax and take a seat while I bring you something to eat? On the house!" The ponies' ears perked from under their hoods as the pony who just spoke had tears running down her cheeks. "W-was it something I said?" asked Mrs Cake. "Naw, nothin'!" answered the other pony, "Just very happy from your generosity, that's all. We'll accept gladly! Thanks, Mrs Cake." and then she hugged the other pony and dragged her to the nearest table. "I could've sworn I never told any of those two my name" thought Mrs Cake but quickly dismissed the thought as she prepared breakfast for the poor ponies. Meanwhile at the table, CHS Diamond was still crying while CHS Applebloom was consoling her. "Is it that vision again, Dee?" asked the yellow pony, whispering. Diamond couldn't hold back any longer as she embraced Applebloom in a hug, letting it all out as silently as she could. "I-it was awful, Bloomie. I can't get it out of my head. I-I always see myself drowning in that river. T-this vision is haunting me since that day. I-I shouldn't have taken the money of my doppelganger at all. I-I feel so bad. Am I bad, Bloomie? Am I? Please tell me!" The poor filly was sobbing under Applebloom's hooves as the latter tried to calm her down. "Shhh... It's ok now... It's ok. Ya didn't know how the pony vendor will react and your prank on the other me was as harmless as it could get. No, Dee, as long as you are with me, Ah will always see you as my sweetheart forever and ever. That's what the oath was for, remember?" She looked under Diamond's hood to see hear clear azure wet eyes as she wiped them out of her cheeks. "Now, act all natural. We need to stick together until we find some way to get us home, remember?" Swallowing her tears, Diamond smiled and nodded as Mrs Cake arrived with a quite appetizing breakfast. "Here you go, little ponies! And sorry for whatever I caused earlier." she placed the plates in front of them as the two fillies say their thanks and wait for the vendor to be gone before they resume talking. "Hey, Bloomie. Remember that prank I just did? I felt some nostalgia from doing it. I remembered how I discovered your little secret back then." Applebloom nodded in acknowledgement as she also remembered her past for a moment. "Yes, Dee. Ah remember what Ah was doing and what I am still doing until now... Ah won't quit it, however" Bloomie retorted "It all started two months after we discovered what we mean to each other." Flashback, 2 months after the events of Foal Mountain, Canterlot High Nobody knew what exactly happened during that trip at Foal Mountain; nobody except Applebloom and Diamond Tiara. Each time they encounter each other at school, they simply hunch their head down to salute each other and to hide the apparent little blush on their faces. They avoided direct contact for two whole months but they couldn't get each other' images out of their heads. Love was indeed a hard feeling to explain. That day, Diamond Tiara was minding her own business when she overheard something. "Did you hear the news?" one guy asked. "What news?" the other retorted. "The Blaze did it again!" a third guy exclaimed. "Oh! You mean the vigilante who is helping the cops catch criminals and the students with their delinquent problems?" "The very same. Although nobody saw his or her face because of the crimson red motorbike helmet he or she wears. I heard he or she single-handedly caught three bank robbers yesterday using only bare hands." Diamond seemed interested in the rumor. Not because she felt secure, but she wanted to give a shot at pranking this so-called Blaze. With a smile on her face, she left the school towards home. Streets - Diamond Tiara's POV Still thinking about how to prank the so-called Blaze, I walked down the streets. Strangely enough, they were empty today for some reason. I felt the shiver of loneliness throughout my body as I continued walking home. I saw something grey overcoming my sight and before I even react, the grey thing was a hand grabbing my mouth, preventing me to talk or scream. I got dragged towards the nearby alley and thrown towards the nearest wall. Regaining my sight, I did not see one, but three quite bulky teenagers: Upon recognition, I realized that they were the Diamond Dogs, the thugs of the school. What did they want from me? I soon got my answer. "He he he, we shall finally get our revenge for that dirty prank you caused, Miss Rich." said their leader "We got to do community service because of you!" "W-what?" I stammered, body shivering. I couldn't utter anything more as I saw them approaching me. "Pranks are supposed to be harmless, y'know?" continued the leader "Tell me, Miss Rich, how many people did you ruin because what you've done and how many people shall you continue to ruin?" each question came ringing to me. I felt the world falling on me as my eyes shrunk. I felt a grab on my hand and a paper knife coming towards my throat. I was helpless to do anything: He was right. I am nothing but a prankster that ruins people's lives. I looked at their eyes: They were eyeing her strangely. "Y'know? You got a nice body after all" he remarked "Such a shame to let it go to waste." He started cutting through my clothes. I screamed as loud as I can, eyes tearing up. I was in my bra and underwear, completely exposed and shameless in front of these bullies, who were licking their lips in anticipation of raping my pure, virgin body. I closed my teary eyes, accepting the fact that my future shall be shattered forever, all because of silly, harmless pranks. All I thought of that moment was the reason why I was born a prankster in the first place. Money? My father has an emporium of firms. Dominance? What dominance? I am the one being dominated here. Is this how it feels being dominated, being played on dirty? Tears weren't giving me the answer I needed as I got ready for the inevitable. Suddenly, I heard a loud impact as one of the boys, the bigger one, screamed in agony. I opened my eyes too see what was happening: It was a figure dressed in black and yellow ensemble and wearing a helmet on its head, who kicked the bully to the nearest wall, rendering him unconscious. "What the-" the other boy reacted by blindly slashing his way, only for his arm to be grabbed as he was flipped on his back by the figure as he got finished by a punch in the stomach. The leader went with an overhead thrust. The figure ducked it as it grabbed him from behind and suplexed him. The leader spilled every mouth fluid he had as he lost all consciousness he had. My vision was clear after the fight as I looked at the triumphant figure who botched up its cell phone, notifying the police: The figure was the Blaze, the target of my next prank. It approached me. I couldn't figure its expression because of its helmet but one thing for sure is that the fear I felt from the Diamond Dogs was nothing compared to the fear I was feeling right now. As it approached me, my naked self was backing up, still on the ground. "Diamond Tiara? Oh, what have they done to ya?" the figure suddenly spoke. For some reason, I recognized that voice instantly. The confirmation came as a shock as the figure removed its helmet: That crimson, blazing hair, those scorching orange eyes, there was no mistaking it. It was Applebloom. My eyes widened at the sudden realization. My body was shivering like a freezer. I felt all sort of power taken from my fragile body as I looked intensely at the one who saved my life twice without even batting an eye. Diamond Tiara's Vision Everything was red. Diamond was drowning in a dark red sea as she saw three skeletons floating around her. "You do not deserve to live..." they said in unison. Diamond was losing her breath slowly as the skeletons exploded. A figure appeared: It was Applebloom with a grim expression on her face. Grinning like a madman, with a bloody black axe at hand, she lunged at Diamond, cutting her left arm. A silent scream left the little girl's body as Applebloom spoke those unforgettable lines. "You are not worthy..." as she rammed the axe on her skull. Back to Reality, Diamond Tiara's POV I held my head as I screamed as loud as I can, eyes open and veins red, almost popping out of their sockets. I touched my face all over the place. I was tearing my hair from the sheer horror of what I saw. "I'M SORRY..." I repeated those words, fidgeting all over the alley. Applebloom couldn't believe what she was seeing: The cool headed girl who was me, was wailing around like a banshee about to be taken to the depths of Hell. I was apologizing. That was the only thing I could do. Applebloom rushed towards me as she took off her jacket and put it on my body. She held me, putting my head towards her chest and patting it. "It's okay, it's okay... Ah'm here now." she whispered to the weakened state that is me. I felt something levitating me. I was carried towards her motorcycle. As soon as we were on, I clutched onto Applebloom, still shivering from all the emotional conflict that happened to me. "Please, please..." I sobbed "Never leave my side!" As Applebloom started the engine, we were like the wind on the streets. "Ah promised I'll never leave ya, remember?" retorted Applebloom, reminding me of the mountain's incident. I felt... relieved and defeated for the first time of my life. The weakness I felt today was excruciatingly painful. I looked at Applebloom one last time and took my decision to never be weak again. I've never abandoned pranking people until now and I'll never abandon it but I know one thing for sure: There is a watchful person over me, a person who can recognize me as I am, a person whom I strangely enough fell in love with, a person whom I shared my first kiss with, a person who can raise me up whenever I fall down. It was at that moment that I admitted. "I'll never... love anyone besides you, Applebloom." I declared as I faded to unconsciousness. Alas, the visions could never stop. "You are not worthy..." Flashback End "Ah wonder what those words mean, Dee" CHS Applebloom said "but nevermind that now." The couple finished eating. As they left, they thanked the owners and were on their way. "By the way, Dee, it's time for your punishment." CHS Diamond turned, eyes widening under her cloak. "D-does it have to be now?" she shrieked. "What is a better time than now, mah love?" CHS Applebloom laughed as she held Dee's hoof and trotted away to a distant location. School, Recess time Applebloom was alone for once, distant from her group, still thinking about the events of this morning. She looked at her hoof, only to see Diamond's smile. She slammed her hoof repeatedly on the ground as she saw Diamond Tiara approaching her. "Hey, blank flank." she provoked, grinning mischievously "You're trying to get your Cutie Mark at ground slamming or what?" As she passed by, her laugh and face echoed Applebloom's mind. "T'was not the same" she thought. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo kept spying on her, worried about their fellow Crusader. They decided not to approach her for the time being. "Something is wrong. I've never seen Applebloom so deep in thought AND demoralized to that point." whispered Sweetie. "I agree. But she has to deal with it. She lost to Diamond Tiara once. Not everypony can win at everything, even Rainbow Dash knows that. Speaking of Rainbow Dash, I wonder where she is..." "Oh, Rarity said something about some 'map' appearing at Princess Twilight's castle, so she went early yesterday with the others and didn't come back. I hope they come back safely." answered Sweetie Belle 3 Hours Later - The CMC Clubhouse Our couple found the location to be quite interesting and distant. They removed their cloaks and started exercising for some reason that is about to be explained right now. "Show me the results of your training, darlin'" yelled CHS Applebloom "It's time for sparring." CHS Applebloom's POV - Diary Yes! Finally sparring! In a new body nevertheless! I was excited but I couldn't say the same for Dee. It was the perfect moment to lighten up the mood and do something quite unorthodox for once. Also, I have to see what my love acquired during all this time. True, we spar from time to time but this time I decided to spice things up, especially with this new body.