//------------------------------//
// Empathy 
// Story: Empathy 
// by Maayu Morinozuka 
//------------------------------//

'What am I doing here? At some rundown cottage that's probably violating some health codes, my father must have lost his mind sending me here.' Diamond Tiara thought to herself as she sat on Fluttershy's couch waiting for her to return with refreshments.
"Diamond Tiara? Do you want cookies with the sandwiches?" Fluttershy called from the kitchen.
"Oh whatever is easiest for you ma'am!" Diamond called back. 'Even if I hate it here, I do still have to be polite to any buyers of father's goods.' Diamond thought as she dreaded having to be nice to this goody-two-horseshoes all day.
As she was thinking of some way to get out of this arrangement as soon as possible a white light flashed beside her. After the flash faded Discord appeared in its stead, making himself comfortable in Fluttershy's chair.
"Hello there squirt! Whatcha in for?" Discord said making some jail bars in front of his face and wearing some typical prison garb while grinning at the shaken filly.
"What're you doing here!?" Diamond said but then scolding herself for shouting in a house of a buyer.
"Is everything okay Diamond Tiara?" Fluttershy called worriedly from the kitchen.
"Yes! I'm perfectly fine!" She responded to Fluttershy, then turned back to Discord. "Being here is bad enough so why don't you get lost?" She said as she glared at Discord, thinking she could intimidate the lord of chaos.
"I'll have you know that Fluttershy is my good friend so I'm welcome at any time. The question is what're you doing here?" Discord asked with one eyebrow raised, as he poofed a cup of tea into his right paw and made a blanket appear getting  quite comfortable and ready for the story.


"Hmph. I don't see why I should tell you. I don't even see why you should be allowed free. Why aren't you back in stone?" She snapped at him.
"Well let's see how you like it?" He said as he snapped his fingers turning Diamond Tiara into stone. He quickly turned her back.
"Aah! Why'd you do that! I'll tell Princess Twilight!" She roared which got Fluttershy's attention that something must be wrong as she hurried out to the living room.
"Discord? I wasn't expecting you. What's the matter Diamond Tiara?" She said as she quickly looked over her making sure she wasn't harmed.
"She's perfectly fine!" Discord said a little rushed before the tyke had a chance to speak. "I was just having a chat with filly."
"Oh? Well as soon as I finish the snacks I'd love to join in! Are you sure nothing's wrong Diamond Tiara?" Fluttershy asked with her big caring eyes.
Diamond thought to herself for a second. 'Wait a minute, from what I've heard Discord is friends with Princess Twilight, so if I told her what he did she'd probably think I'm lying, that I'm just trying to get out of this session with Fluttershy, not a bad idea but they'd never buy it. I guess the best thing to do right now is get Fluttershy on my side, then I can rat out Dipcord over here.'
"Of course I'm fine, Mr. Discord was just showing me one of his tricks." She smiled, it was a fake smile but she's practiced that so it seemed pretty convincing.
"Okay, well then I'll hurry with the snacks and be back soon. Do you want any snacks Discord?" She asked the Draconequus.
"Oh no, don't trouble yourself Fluttershy, I can just make some snacks for myself. Well, maybe a glass of water please?" He asked batting large eyelashes.
"Sure!" She replied as she trotted back to her preparations.


"If you could make refreshments for yourself why not save her the trouble and do them all?" Diamond whispered looking none too pleased at the moment.
"Because I want to talk to you. Now tell me why you're here, because you obviously didn't come for tea and crackers." Discord said sounding a bit more serious. Diamond was scared of his change in tone, even if it was slight.
"Alright, I had a fight with Silver Spoon." She admitted looking down.
"You had a fight with cutlery?" Discord asked knowing she meant a pony but he just couldn't help himself.
"No, she was my best friend, we had an argument and my father sent me here thinking that miss wonder pony can fix any problem." She said venting some frustration against Fluttershy, which she regretted with the glance she got from Discord.
"So you had a spat and your pop sends you for what? Friendship lessons? Well it's true Fluttershy is a great teacher, after all she's taught me all I know about friendship." Discord said as his tone and face softened compared to before.
'That's why I'm worried' Diamond thought, not daring to even whisper it.
"Still I would've figured since you have the Princess of Friendship right here in your town I figured that'd be the first stop." Discord stated.
"Actually she's out of town right now, off on royal duties I hear. Funny, I thought her friend would know about that." Diamond jabbed.
"Oh please, as if I want her updating me on everything Celestia delegates to her. Besides we were talking about you, do you regret fighting with Chrome Spork?" Discord inquired.
"Ugh, her name is Silver Spoon and no. It's all her fault, why should I apologize or regret it?" Diamond said sounding annoyed thinking back on the quarrel.
"Hmm, fair enough. Do you want to know why I turned you to stone?" Discord asked, his more serious tone returning but not intimidating this time.
"Yes! What right do you have to do that? If I tell Princess Twilight about it, you'll be banished quicker than my father runs out of Zap Apple Jam to sell!" She stated now standing on the couch.
"I did it so you'd see what's it's like from another pony's point of view. Speaking of, wanna take a trip down memory lane?" Discord said as he snapped his fingers and teleported them to the time of the fight before Diamond Tiara had a chance to respond.


"Here we are! I don't get to travel through time nearly enough." Discord cooed as they appeared floating in the air.
"Waaaah!" Diamond Tiara shrieked as she clung to Discord for dear life.
"Do you mind? You're not going to fall." Discord reassured prying the foal from himself.
"Uuh..Well pardon me, I've never floated before!" Diamond snapped. "What if somepony sees me hanging around you!?" She whined, but then paused. 'Wait, this is perfect! If ponies do see me up here then he'll get in trouble for using his magic and taking me away from my session and I won't have to spend the whole day with Cluttershy.' She thought and smirked.
"Don't worry, I've teleported us to the past, nopony can see or hear us." Discord explained.
'Drat.' Diamond's smile disappeared.
"All the same we should wear disguises. Unfortunately we'll still have to see and hear one another so let's get this over with." Discord said as he pointed to the foals walking home from school and poofed curly mustaches, dark sunglasses and trench coats onto the both of them.
"I'm not wearing this!" Diamond tried pulling off the mustache only to find it stuck to her face."Hey!" She said in the most shrill voice she could manage.
"Oh fine, suit yourself." He poofed her getup away but opted to keep his."Now quiet or we'll miss it." He shushed.


"Can you believe those three!? I've never been more furious, who are they to talk to us that way? They're just blank flanks!" Past Diamond Tiara fumed.
"Yeah..." Past Silver Spoon said looking down.
"We're not gonna let you get to us anymore Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, and we're not gonna stand for you bullying the rest of the class neither and blah, blah, blah!" Past Diamond said mocking Apple Bloom. "Argh! Well we'll show them won't we Silver?" Past Diamond asked rhetorically.
"Uumm...Diamond, do you think maybe we should stop teasing those Cutie Mark Crusaders?" Past Silver Spoon asked sheepishly.
"What!? Don't tell me you let what they said get to you!" Diamond was taken aback.
"It's just, they seemed serious, and well maybe if we apologi-" Silver started but was interrupted.
"I can't believe this! I never thought you'd turn chicken like that failure of a Pegasus!" Diamond barked at her now scared friend.
"Come on Diamond, maybe it is time we moved on from teasing them."Silver said with hope in her eyes. "I mean I always had fun making fun of them with you, but some of the fillies and colts we tease look really sad, some cry. I think maybe it's time for a change." Silver stood up tall now, hoping that her friend understood her.
"You're right, I agree." Diamond Tiara said smiling at her friend, Silver Spoon's face lighted up. "Yes, a change, I need a new best friend!" She shouted at her, Silver's smile changed to a frown and she was on the brink of tears.
"I'd never abandon you, but you think that just because those no talent nincompoops talk back to you you're ready to leave me and be all palsy with them!" Diamond Tiara stared down the crying foal. "If that's how you want it to be then I'll treat you just like another Cutie Mark Crusader!" She shouted as Silver Spoon got up and ran off tears trailing off her face.


"Ouch." Discord remarked. "Did you go and kick a puppy next?"
Diamond Tiara didn't say anything for awhile. "Silver Spoon was crying? I don't remember that." Diamond finally stated with confusion as she watched her past self storm off.
"Well you were too busy thinking she was a traitor to notice what she was actually saying so I can see how that slipped past your radar." Discord stated.
"So this is what you meant by seeing it through somepony else's eyes? Well I don't like it, take me back now." Diamond lowered her head dejectedly.
"I don't do requests missy. While we have a moment here, I should tell you that I've been where you are now." Discord said and poofed up chairs for the both of them.
"What do you mean? You've barked at a friend and scared them off?" Diamond looked disbelievingly.
"No, I've never been in quite the same horseshoes as you, but I was a bully before, but of course I'm reformed now." Discord said looking proud of himself.
"A bully? You were evil! You tried taking over Equestria remember? I spent weeks getting the chocolate milk smell out of my mane! Besides, I'm no bully, I was only having fun." Diamond crossed her forelegs and turned away from Discord.
"Bully, tyrannical overlord, same diff. And I was having fun too, and sometimes I miss it. But I learned the hard way that when I did whatever I wanted, I ended up with no friends and no power left. I also learned just because my friend is friends with somepony else doesn't mean they've abandoned me. Sound familiar?" Discord raised an eyebrow hoping she got the message so he wouldn't have to repeat his cheesy statement.
"I hadn't really thought about it because I was so mad at her but I guess she wasn't trying to leave me." Diamond was still trying to catch up with her thoughts and what she'd just seen. "I didn't realize I was that scary when I was angry, if I was Silver Spoon, I might have left a long time ago." Now Diamond looked like the one about to cry.
"Y'know, I'd guess that Metallic Utensils isn't even angry at you anymore, my friends weren't mad at me for long, they were just disappointed. So you could go and try to make peace with her." Discord said looking very sympathetic.
"You think so? I don't know...Besides I don't think I want to change." Diamond Tiara said looking conflicted.
"Well, it seems you've learned your lesson, or at least you'll think on it more now, in that case I'll drop you off at Fluttershy's now. I'm sure she can take care of the rest." Discord snapped his fingers and Diamond was back on Fluttershy's couch and Discord was nowhere to be seen. Fluttershy came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of goodies in her mouth and Harry the bear was helping carry the cups.
"Here you go Diamond Tiara. Where's Discord?" Fluttershy asked while looking around and up making sure he wasn't on the ceiling.
"Oh, he said he had someplace he needed to be." Diamond answered coming to her senses.
"I see, Discord is pretty busy nowadays. Did you two have a good talk?" Fluttershy asked as she sat down in her chair taking her tea cup from Harry.
"Ummm....Yeah, I guess we actually did. I think I have some insight on how to settle things with Silver Spoon." She smiled.
"Really? Wow, what did you guys talk about?" Fluttershy looked quizzical.
"Discord showed me the meaning of empathy." Diamond answered, looking content, the opposite of when she arrived.

The End