//------------------------------// // Part 14: A Little Slip Up // Story: A Mother's 'Love' // by deadpansnarker //------------------------------// The non-stop procession of questions continued, as Diamond Tiara, now not looking quite as regal as her name would imply, was getting a little upset. To say the least. Legend says that if you stood close enough to her that day, you could actually see her eyebrows simmer. Not receiving satisfactory answers to their inquisition, with Diamond silently shaking with rage, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle decided to probe further... By actually conducting a physical examination. Now, there's being innocently insensitive... And then there's throwing yourself into the path of a volcano. For whatever reason on that fine morning in Ponyville, Apple Bloom's friends had a death wish. Having a little more common sense then her fellow crusaders, the farm filly wisely decided to stay out of it... Yet, she was too much of a coward to risk the burgeoning relationship she had with her new roommate to get directly involved. She thought Tiara, used to dealing with the idiosyncrasies of her companions in the past, would be able to handle things on her own. It was a choice that would return to bite her in the flank. Scootaloo began poking Tiara's bandaged foot. "Wow, this thing looks real. She's not trying to get out of gym class..." Sweetie Belle examined the bow on Diamond's head, where a jeweled headpiece once stood. "I gotta say, the ribbon scarily suits her... Scootaloo gave Tiara's mucky coat a cursory once-over. "She looks like me after I've braked too quickly on one of my hairpin turns. Those dirt naps sure are fun!" Sweetie Belle studied Diamond's mane. "Get this, I don't even think she's put any beauty products on this morning..." Upon hearing this last revelation, both of the pink filly's examiners stared at each other in fear. They took an abrupt step back. "Er... A-apple B-bloom..." Stammered Sweetie, her eyes glancing from left to right with uncertainty. "A-are y-you s-sure t-this i-is t-the r-real D-Diamond T-tiara? Scootaloo, not usually one to show any outlying signs of fright, had almost turned as pale as her unicorn friend. "Y-yeah, w-where d-did y-you m-meet h-her?" Bloom rolled her eyes at her friends paranoia. They were acting like a couple of foals on Nightmare Night, and she knew what they were getting at. Time to switch to 'long explanation' mode. "Look, she's NOT a changeling! I know Diamond Tiara might not look like herself at the moment, but if you'll just listen to me..." The farm filly started. "Have you been hanging around the Everfree Forest again?" Sweetie Belle interrupted her fellow Crusader, nervously. "We told you not to go there alone. Is that where you found this... Thing?" She knew her sister Rarity had been practicing her magic of late. The older mare thought that, as much as she loved her passion for fashion, she was losing touch with her unicorn roots. One of the spells she'd been rehearsing was an enchantment that could instantly reveal the presence of a changeling in disguise, just in case Equestria was ever targeted again by those 'heinous brutes'. Sweetie had been taking a casual interest in her sister's incantations, but the older pony's over-elaborate and time consuming preparation to master these skills didn't seem worth the effort. The young unicorn had turned down overtures to become her older sibling's sparring partner for the day, preferring instead to stick to traditional spellcasting, like picking up brooms. Now, she was beginning to wish she'd paid more attention to Rarity's iterations, particularly the whole 'changeling spell' segment. Scootaloo however, wasn't so sure this was necessary. "Changelings don't live in the Everfree, you doofus. Have YOU ever encountered one there before?" Sweetie thought over all the times she'd been loitering near the dangerous forest, without adult supervision and always without permission. "Well, no, but there's a first time for everything. That place is so dark and spooky and full of nasty things already, would it really be much of a stretch for a new batch of changelings to colonise the area?" That made Scootaloo think for a minute, and she realised her friend could very well be right. Her pupils turned into pinpricks in their sockets, and despite it's value to her, she began swinging her scooter at the strange Diamond-Tiara-shaped figure in a defensive manner. "Sweetie Belle, get Apple Bloom to safety. I'll hold off this thing for as long as it takes the guards to get here. If I don't survive, tell Rainbow Dash I'm still her number one fan, winning the Sisterhooves Social with her was a blast, and I'm sorry I left the mayonnaise out of the fridge last time I was round." The orange pegasus carefully eyed the form in front of her, as if expecting an attack. "Will do, Scoots. Come on, Apple Bloom. We have to alert the soldiers we have an imposter in our midst and find out what it's done with the real Diamond Tiara!" Sweetie's voice cracked with a mixture of exhilaration and urgency. "Look, you girls don't understand." Bloom pleaded "If you'll just take five minutes to..." "Uh Oh..." Scootaloo remarked, with a shake of the head "I was afraid of this". "Afraid? Of what...?" Sweetie Belle was confused. No change there, then. "Those sneaky changelings. Not only are they highly adaptable, but they're also always developing new powers. It said so in 'The National Hayquirer' last week. So, we know it's fact. Why would they be willing to put their license at risk by publishing lies? " Scootaloo was one-hundred percent sure of her source. "What are you getting at?" Sweetie was starting to develop a migraine. "It means... Our friend Apple Bloom here, has most likely been hypnotized." Scootaloo said that last word, as if it was the most dire thing to ever befall ponykind. "WHAT?! That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. If you'd just hear me out for a second..." Apple Bloom protested vehemently. Sweetie Belle though had caught Scooterloo-itis. Symptoms included: Recklessness, jumping to wild conclusions and ignoring all forms of logic. It was a highly contagious disorder, and one which was very hard to cure once delirium sets in. The white unicorn was starting to feel the full effects. "Oh no, what do we do...?" She wailed. "Take her away yourself, by force if necessary. I'll keep the creature at bay until help arrives..." Scootaloo's initial fear had been firmly replaced with a real sense of duty now. She felt strong, resilient...This was her purpose now. To keep Ponyville safe from this new strain of changeling, she set the scene in her head. The crowds chanting her name during the parade. Standing on that pumpkin float, waving. Rainbow Dash wandering over to pin a medal on her chest. "You did good, kid..." She'd whisper. "You did good." She could even become a superhero like the ones Spike read about in his comic books. 'The Avenger On Wheels...' 'The Too Cool For School Bruiser..." "The Scooting Rooting Tooting..." Hmm... That last one could do with some work. Still ANY alias was better than 'The Mysterious Mare Do Well.' Whatever happened to that pony, anyway? While the orange pegasus was lost in her fantasy of fame, glory and bad secret identity titles, Sweetie was trying to pull Bloom away from the scene. The farm filly, thanks to years of farm labour, was stronger than her unicorn friend, but Sweetie had one distinct advantage over her fellow Crusader. And, seeing as how exerting physical pressure wasn't having much effect, the unicorn filly decided to utilise her trump card there and then. "Hey!" Apple Bloom found herself surrounded by a strange green aura, and felt herself being dragged away from her standing position. She looked up, and saw Sweetie's horn a-glow. This could only mean... Despite her frustrated frame of mind, Bloom couldn't help but be impressed. Picking up Pipsqueak was one thing, but to be able to transport a larger filly her size, against her will... That was impressive. Still, it didn't change the fact that the white unicorn's magical breakthrough was coming at the expense of her putting her friends right about their huge misunderstanding. She'd congratulate Sweetie later, now, it was time to put them right on a few things. " Stop!! Just pay attention to me for a darn second. I haven't been brainwashed... That is Diamond Tiara over there... You two have got completely the wrong end of the stick. If you'd just put me down, and give me an opportunity to explain..." Bloom's exasperation was really getting the better of her now. Sweetie, still holding the farm filly in her magical grasp, and Scootaloo, still edging towards a now highly irate Tiara, took a moment to glance at each other, before falling into spontaneous laughter. "Wow, those changelings sure scrambled your brains good, Apple Bloom!" Scootaloo snorted, while still keeping an eye on her prey. "When you wake up later on after all this is over, you're going to feel so silly!" "Yeah, I mean... How can that thing possibly be Diamond Tiara?!" Sweetie pointed a hoof at the alleged changeling. "I mean, just look at it..." "It's got no tiara..." Scootaloo started the list of inaccuracies. " It's stolen one of your spare bows..." Sweetie Belle continued. "I bet it injured itself during it's initial assault!" Scootaloo observed the bandage. "It doesn't have a single trace of shampoo or conditioner on." Remarked Sweetie. "And you want to know what the REAL deciding factor was?" Scootaloo announced, smugly, sounding like Prancy Drew. " The thing that REALLY told us we were dealing with a doppelganger and not the bona fide article?" "...Huh? No?" Sweetie was a little dazed, both at what this 'deciding factor' could be, and what all those weird sounding words meant. "Well here it is..." Scootaloo was ready for her big moment. "Would Diamond Tiara, the prissiest, vainest, most self absorbed filly in all of Ponyville, be seen in public looking so dirty and smelly? I mean, I know she's turned over a new leaf now, and we're friends. But come on. Ponies don't change that much..." "Oh yeah, when you put it like that, I guess it all does make sense..." Sweetie was swayed by the orange pegasus's 'brilliant' detective work. Apple Bloom was unable to move her legs due to the constraints of her magical field, but if she could she'd have given herself the mother of all facehooves. There would be no reasoning with this pair of dunderheads now. Lost in their delusions as they were, she was just going to have to hope that events transpired in a way which would teach them a lesson... And, as it turned out, they did. You see, all throughout this farce, Diamond Tiara had been like a kettle full of water. First, she was tepid during the initial questioning. Then, as they manhandled her person, she became lukewarm. When they compared her to one of those awful monsters, she was hot. Finally, when Scootaloo called her all those horrible names... And Sweetie Belle tried to take Apple Bloom away... Her new emotional crutch... It happened. Boiling Point. Streams of lava devastating the landscape. Evacuate all survivors. Mares, fillies and colts first. "SHUT UP!! SHUT UP!! YOU NINCAMPOOPS!" That was the first time anyone had heard a peep out of Diamond Tiara in a good five minutes, and so shocked were Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle that respectively, they dropped their scooter and equine loads in surprise. "I'M NOT A CHANGELING! I'M A PONY! MY NAME IS DIAMOND DAZZLE TIARA!! THE REASON I'M NOT WEARING MY TIARA IS BECAUSE I LEFT IT AT HOME!!! I'VE GOT A BOW ON BECAUSE APPLE BLOOM, THE ONLY ONE OF YOU WITH ANY BRAINS IN THOSE EMPTY VACUUMS YOU CALL SKULLS BY THE WAY, HAS LOANED ME ONE!! I HAVEN'T PUT ANY PRODUCTS ON IS BECAUSE I WAS IN A HURRY THIS MORNING!! AS TO WHY I'M SO 'FILTHY AND SMELLY' NOW..." She yelled at the top of her voice, even outdoing her tantum from earlier that morning. "Is because you..." She stabbed a hoof at Scootaloo, who'd now retreated to huddle alongside Sweetie in the face of this verbal onslaught "ARE THE WORST DRIVER EVER!! HONESTLY, ISN'T IT BAD ENOUGH YOU CAN'T EVEN FLY... YOU USELESS FEATHER BRAINED..." "DIAMOND!!" A loud voice was heard above the parapets, one that was so rarely raised that when it was, everypony took notice. Including Tiara, in the middle of her seemingly unstoppable tirade. It was Apple Bloom. The pink filly took a moment to turn away from the two targets of her aggression. "What?" She snarled. "What... What did you just say?" Bloom seemed slightly morose, her tone a mixture of disappointment and sadness. What did she just say, indeed. Tiara really wasn't keeping track. In her rage, she just kind of let her mouth run. She tried to recap her words. Nincompoops. That was a good one! Not a changeling. That was true. Reasons for my current appearance. Dead straight! Vacuums in skulls. I'll have to write that down! Scootaloo not being able to drive. HA! Don't I know it. Scootaloo not being able to fl... All at once, the world came to a standstill. Every ounce of anger, bitterness and resentment left Diamond Tiara's system. Oh, no... What had she... Her eyes instantly flashed to the orange pegasus. Scootaloo was just standing stock still... Over her fallen scooter... Being hugged by Sweetie Belle... A single rivulet of water rolling down her cheek. In Tiara's peripheral vision... She also caught Apple Bloom looking at her... What was that strange expression in her eyes? Hatred? Sympathy? Regret? She had no idea. One thing WAS for certain, though. She'd just burned all her bridges... By repeating... The worst thing she'd ever done. Losing her temper was no excuse. She'd made a promise to Applejack. The mare who was more like a mother to her... Then her real one ever was... And she'd blown it. Blown her second chance. Nopony would want her now... Her old life was gone... Her new life had just come to an end. She was a disgrace. A lost cause. Irredeemable. The CMC were wrong.. She couldn't be 'Somepony Else'. She would always be rotten, nasty, spoiled old Diamond Tiara. They'd tried so hard... And she'd failed them. She didn't deserve to be in their presence. She had to get out of there. Right now. And, so... Through a curtain of tears... The pink filly fled the scene... Leaving behind three former friends... And two barely heard words. "I'm sorry."