//------------------------------// // I: Apologies and New Friendships // Story: Trinity // by MythrilMoth //------------------------------// The entire town of Ponyville was caught up in the celebration of the Cutie Mark Crusaders' new Cutie Marks. Ponies were dancing and singing in the streets, Pinkie Pie was busy keeping the entire party stocked with punch, cake, cupcakes, and cookies, and the Crusaders' sisters were still gushing over their newfound marks. Despite all the chaos the three fillies had wrought over the years with their numerous ill-fated, ill-conceived misadventures, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were adored by one and all, and if there was one thing Ponyville loved, it was a big town-wide party. The guests of honor sat at a specially decorated table, decked out in the three colors of the shields that made up their matching Cutie Marks. Friends and family kept coming up to them and congratulating them. "Mah hoof's gittin' sore from hoofbumps an' hoofshakes," Apple Bloom said with a grin. "Yeah, me too," Scootaloo said, laughing. Sweetie Belle looked over at a nearby table and saw Diamond Tiara sitting alone, nursing a bottle of soda with a straw in it. "Hey girls? Diamond Tiara looks pretty bummed out." The Crusaders exchanged glances, then got up and trotted over to their new friend. "Hey, Diamond Tiara? Whut's up?" Apple Bloom asked. Diamond Tiara smiled and sighed. "It's...Silver Spoon," she said. "I thought you made up?" Sweetie Belle asked. Diamond Tiara shook her head. "She's still pretty ticked off at me." She looked down and sighed. "And I don't blame her. I've been a horrible friend." "Well...yeah, pretty much," Apple Bloom said. "Ah mean, no offense, but..." "I know," Diamond Tiara said, rolling her eyes. "One good deed and one song and giving my mother one good chewing-out is a good start, but it doesn't really make up for years of being...well...me." The Crusaders looked at each other. "Well," Scootaloo said, "have you tried apologizing to her?" Diamond Tiara glanced to the side. "I...I'm not very good at apologies," she said. "Yeah, you still really haven't given us one either," Sweetie Belle said. "I mean, we're totally happy to be your friends now and all, but—" Diamond Tiara gave her a sharp look...then scuffed her hoof on the floor. "Yeah," she said. She took a deep breath. "I...I'm sorry I called you three blank flanks and picked on you and...and everything. And tried to blackmail you, and that whole Gabby Gums thing, and..." She blinked, then looked down at the table. "Wow. I'm an awful little horseapple, huh?" "The important thing is that's all in the past now," Sweetie Belle said. "The old Diamond Tiara was the worst pony ever, but this new Diamond Tiara, that's nice and that helps other ponies? I think we could get to like this Diamond Tiara. Right, girls?" "Right!" Apple Bloom and Scootaloo agreed. Diamond Tiara sniffled. "Thanks, girls," she said. "I...I feel like I still have a lot to do to make up for the way I've acted..." "Start by makin' up with Silver Spoon," Apple Bloom suggested. "An' then all five of us can be friends an' hang out together!" Diamond Tiara smiled. "Y-yeah," she said. She stood up. "Excuse me." She trotted over to where Silver Spoon was eating cake and chatting with Pipsqueak and Button Mash. Seeing her approach, the two colts recoiled reflexively, which made Diamond Tiara grimace. Silver Spoon turned, raised an eyebrow, and pushed up her glasses. "Hello," she said guardedly. Diamond Tiara smiled weakly. "H-hey, Sil," she said. She looked at the two colts. "Could you please excuse us for just a minute? I...I need to talk to Silver Spoon." Pip and Button looked at each other, nodded, and wandered off. Silver Spoon crossed her hooves and watched Diamond Tiara silently. Diamond Tiara swallowed nervously. "Sil, I...I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry for the way I treated you, I'm sorry for ignoring your advice, I...I'm sorry for always..." She hung her head. "I'm sorry." Silver Spoon watched her for a long moment, then let out a sigh. "I'm sorry too," she said. Diamond Tiara blinked. "What for?" Sil toyed with the fork on her plate. "I...I've always thought you were...not the nicest pony," she said. "I've been your friend because..." She shrugged. "Because we grew up together and our dads are friends. My mom pretended to like your mom, but never really has..." She laughed. "We almost ended up just like them." She shook her head. "Anyway, there's lots of times I thought you went too far, but...I never said anything." She looked at Diamond Tiara, sadness in her eyes. "I can't help but think that if I'd said something sooner, it...it might've changed things." Diamond Tiara frowned and looked down. "It probably wouldn't have," she said. "I probably would've just yelled and screamed at you like I always do. It...it took the Cutie Mark Crusaders to really show me how to change..." Silver Spoon looked over at the three fillies. "You wanna know a secret?" Diamond Tiara looked up at her. "I've actually always liked those three. I made fun of them because, well..." "Because I did," Diamond Tiara supplied. "Yeah." Silver Spoon scuffed a hoof on the floor. "But there's just something about them, you know? They're good ponies. A little crazy, and they can act kinda dumb sometimes, but..." She looked up at Diamond Tiara. "Whenever I see them playing, I think, 'that's what real friends are supposed to look like.'" She chuckled. "The fact that Princess Twilight likes them so much but barely gave us the time of day says a lot, doesn't it?" "It really does," Diamond Tiara agreed. She sighed. "Can you forgive me?" Silver Spoon rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I can forgive you," she said. "But from now on, I'm not walking around with my nose up your butt, got it? I have my own opinions, and they matter." "Of course! I wouldn't have it any other way." "Yeah, right," Silver Spoon said teasingly, sticking out her tongue. She looked back over at the Crusaders. "So...we're friends with them now?" "Well, I am. You still have to actually talk to them and make friends with them. You're your own pony with your own opinions now, remember?" Silver Spoon giggled. "Now you're getting it!" She smiled broadly. "Come on, let's go hang out with the Cutie Mark Crusaders." * * * * * "Alright, everypony! Smile for the camera!" Princess Twilight Sparkle looked at the front row. "Girls, make sure those new Cutie Marks are right up front in the shot!" "Jes, JES!" Photo Finish said. The flash on her camera went off once, then a second time. "I haff keptchured...ze CUTIE MARK MAGICKS!" She tossed her short mane. "I GO!" "Remind me why we keep gittin' her t' do these big group photos again?" Applejack said. Once Photo Finish and her assistants had packed up and left, the afterparty got underway. This time, the Crusaders, their sisters and closest friends, and Miss Cheerilee were gathered in one of the banquet halls of Princess Twilight's castle. As the younger ponies chatted at one table, the grown-ups gathered around another. Spike the Dragon carted food and drink around to all the tables. "It's the most amazing thing I've ever seen, though!" Cheerilee said to the Princess. "Three fillies getting their Cutie Marks at the same time for the same thing certainly is unusual," Twilight agreed. "I'd have loved to have been there when it happened." "It wasn't just unusual though," Cheerilee said. "Here, let me call Diamond Tiara over." She stood up. "Diamond Tiara, could you come here a minute please?" Diamond Tiara glanced over from the fillies' table, looked curiously around at her friends, then trotted over to the adults' table. "Yes, Miss Cheerilee?" "I was just telling Princess Twilight about the moment the Crusaders got their Cutie Marks," she said. "Would you mind telling her what you saw?" Diamond Tiara nodded. "We all saw it," she said. "I mean, when I got my Cutie Mark, it was just a quick flash of light and it was there, but those three? There was like, this big magic explosion and it lifted all three of them into the air!" Twilight's eyes widened. "Really?" she said. "That's...definitely unusual." "Honestly, I thought they were about to explode or transform or something," Cheerilee said. With a chuckle, she added, "Or maybe even turn into alicorns!" Diamond Tiara giggled. "Those three, alicorns? They're nice ponies and all, but isn't that a bit much?" Twilight rubbed her muzzle with a hoof. "Still, the way you described their Cutie Marks showing up...that's very strange." She shook her head. "I think I'd like to write to Princess Celestia about this, to see if she's ever heard of anything like that before." She smiled. "I'm sure it's probably just because of the close bond between them and all three having the same special talent. Cutie Mark magic can behave strangely sometimes..." * * * * * Princess Celestia smiled as she read a letter that had just arrived. "Luna! Come here!" Luna approached the throne. "What is it, sister?" "The Cutie Mark Crusaders finally got their Cutie Marks!" Luna tilted her head. "All three of them? At the same time?" "Yes..." Celestia smiled. "There's even a...photo..." She blinked, then read Twilight's letter carefully. Her eyes widened. "Oh...oh my..." "Sister?" Luna took the letter from Celestia and read it, then studied the picture. Her muzzle crinkled in confusion. "That's...certainly strange..." "It's not just strange," Celestia said. "It's..." She shook her head. "I must go to Ponyville, quickly. Can you take over my afternoon appointments?" Without waiting for a reply, Celestia disappeared in a flash of light. On the floor of the throne room, dropped in Luna's surprise, lay the photo of three smiling fillies with nearly identical Cutie Marks.