Even though, in the grand scheme of things, it was only a matter of minutes, the trio of fillies encircling Diamond Tiara hugged, and cried with her for what seemed like an eternity.
They all needed this release, in one way or another. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were feeling incredibly guilty for triggering an emotionally fragile Tiara that morning, the pink filly in question still harboured major hang-ups about her mother, and Apple Bloom...
Well, let's just say she was a very empathetic little pony.
Their touching little rendezvous eventually came to an end, not because they ran out of tears or even a growing urgency they needed to be in class...
But down to the sound of an impatient, snobbish voice which said bluntly "Excuse me".
This sudden interruption to their mutual bonding was enough to make the puffy-eyed Crusaders look up in surprise, whereas Tiara had not recovered enough yet to stop her onslaught of moisture.
There stood a few feet away, a posh looking grey stallion and a yellow mare who were obviously a couple, judging by their close proximity. The stallion wore glasses, the mare was adorned with a purple necklace and neither looked particularly impressed at the nauseating display in front of them.
"You there..." Huffed the stallion, his nose held high in the air. "Ragamuffin children. Could you please take your caterwauling elsewhere. My wife and I must return to Canterlot today on the first train out, and we heard this place is a passable eatery, for a small hick town such as this anyway. You are blocking our route. Step aside, so we may gain entrance to the establishment."
"Honestly, Jet Set." The yellow mare rudely giggled underneath her hoof. "The way the lower classes raise their children these days, I'm surprised we haven't been mugged yet. Places like this just aren't safe for wealthy, successful ponies such as us. Shall we just head back to the hotel and pack? We can order something on our return journey...
"Nonsense,Upper Crust." The stallion was determined to get his way. "Our porter said this cafe, as downmarket as it looks, has the best eclairs this side of Equestria. He was probably just a shill trying to drum up business for the local economy, but I wish to see for myself. I am most certainly not going to be put off by these teary eyed little munchkins."
Upper Crust rolled her eyes at her husband's stubbornness... "Very well, dear. I'll take care of it." The yellow mare reached into her designer bag, and pulled out four bits.
"Here you go, darlings." She stated, in a syrupy, patronising tone. "If you make way for the grown-ups, there's a special reward in it for you. One bit each!! All you have to do is move. Go get 'em!!"
And with that, Upper Crust threw the coins a few yards away from where the Crusaders and Diamond Tiara were cloistered, an expectant smile on her face.
Jet Set just harrumphed at the senseless waste of money, before getting ready to barge past these penniless peasants when they inevitably made a break for the cash.
Nothing happened.
Well, something did happen, but it wasn't quite what the two older ponies were expecting.
Apple Bloom got up and glared at the two interloper's interruption to their private 'moment', positioning herself in front of a still crying Tiara protectively.
Sweetie Belle also removed herself from the embrace, but she seemed to be in a more thoughtful mood, as if trying to recall something.
Scootaloo... Well, she reacted as you'd expect. She jumped off her spot, and got right in the faces of the rich ponies.
"Who do you think you are?!" She raged. "We are not some kind of worthless charity case who need to be bribed with a few measly coins just to let you walk past! A simple 'excuse me'. would have sufficed. But I suppose in your little world, where ponies are commodities and everypony can be bought off, you never thought that, did you? You might have all the bits in Equestria, but to me your sort are the true 'lower classes'."
She buzzed her wings angrily, before trotting over to where Upper Crust's bits had been arbitrarily tossed away. Picking them up, she returned to the now shocked looking married couple, while Apple Bloom continued to guard Tiara, and Sweetie Belle was still deep in contemplation.
"Here, have your money back..." She snarled, stuffing it back in Upper Crust's posh bag "Perhaps you can buy some manners with it. Me and my friends have to be on our way to school now, Because some of us actually need an education to get by, without having to rely on Daddy or Mommy's fortune."
Scootaloo then did a great impression of Jet Set's snooty nose-in-the-air walk, as she sauntered off.
An impressed Apple Bloom had watched all of this play out, and couldn't help but think 'Wow, way to go, Scoots'. She nudged Tiara, who was crying less now, and half watching the action unfold.
" Do you think you're ready to make a move now, Diamond...?" Bloom tenderly asked her new roommate.
"Y-yes, I t-think s-so." the pink filly sniffed. "W-who a-are t-those t-two p-ponies S-Scootaloo i-is t-talking t-to?"
"Nopony important, apart from in their own heads" Bloom helped up her new friend. " Come on, let's get out of here. Sweetie Belle, are you coming?"
The white unicorn in question began to walk over to her companions, but she wasn't really paying attention. Something was on her mind...
"Oh Celestia, I hope Luna isn't paying her a daytime visit..." Bloom shook her head at Sweetie, before realising that was impossible. The farm filly began to follow Scootaloo, while propping up a still ailing Tiara.
Behind them, the surprise factor of the orange pegasus standing up to the stuck-up snobs was beginning to wear off, and was replaced by bitterness and anger. In Jet Set, especially.
The stallion galloped in front of the disparate group, or more specifically, right in front of Scootaloo. He was going to teach this ignorant little upstart that she couldn't speak to a member of society like that, no matter how rough her upbringing was.
And, by the looks of her, it was probably rougher than sandpaper.
"How dare you!" He roared, a few inches from her ear. "My wife puts on a very nice gesture for you urchins, gives you some free spending money, and what do you do in return? Insult us in the middle of the street! I suppose I shouldn't expect any better from the undesirables that live around here, but I'm still not going to let you get away with it! Guardsman,guardsman... Oh, where's a guardsman when you need one..."
In a flash, his wife was next to him, massaging his scalp and telling him in a soothing voice. "Just forget it dear, they're not worth it. They'll grow up poor in this pathetic little backwater, and they'll die poor in this pathetic little backwater. They'll never experience the wonders of Canterlot, or the majesty of uptown Manehattan. The only thing they'll have to look forward to in their miserable futures is the daily graft, probably on some kind of farm. Let's leave them, we can import the eclairs, if we so desire. After all, we can afford it..."
Jet Set felt the calming touch of his wife's hoof and sighed in defeat. "You're right of course, dear. Poor children, cursed to a life of sweat and toil, with parents who don't even know how to raise them properly. We should forgive them, only because we know what dead-end futures lie in wait for them all. Come on, let's head back to where we belong..."
This made two of the Crusaders even madder, and as the couple turned to leave, Apple Bloom could not help but yell out "And don't you come back, ya hear?"
This bristled the pair for a second, but that would have been nothing compared to their faces if they heard some of the language Scootaloo was about to use. Let's just say, she would have turned the air bluer than her idol, Rainbow Dash.
Fortunately, the orange pegasus was stopped mid-profanity by her friend Sweetie Belle.
The cogs were whirling. The wheels were turning. Everything was operational.
In other words, she'd FINALLY managed to access the deepest depths of her memory.
"Jet Set and Upper Crust!" The unicorn filly squeaked. "Now I remember where I've heard those names before. When my sister went away to Canterlot on the invitation of Princess Celestia, she came back with all kinds of stories. How she celebrated Twilight's birthday party there. The great time she had with Fancy Pants, Hoity Toity and Sapphire Shores. And then there were these two..." she pointed at the couple, who all of a sudden began to look a little uneasy.
"... Who weren't very nice to her, or her friends." Sweetie scowled, recalling how her sister had told her about the arrogant duo's sniffy dismissal of the fashionista's designs and small-town lifestyle.
The change in mood in the pair was so quick, it could have given them whiplash. "Y-you m-mean t-to s-say..." Stammered Jet Set nervously "y-you're R-Rarity's l-little s-sister?!"
Sweetie paused for a moment to absorb their discomfort. "That's right"!
"Y-yes, I c-can s-see t-the r-resemblance n-now." Upper Crust was just as jittery as her husband. "A-and h-how i-is t-the d-darling t-these d-days? S-still g-got t-that q-quaint l-little s-shop i-in t-town?"
"Yup, AND a new one that's just opened in Canterlot!" Sweetie huffed her chest with pride. " I'm surprised you haven't heard of it... Business is booming, apparently! You should go in sometime and say hello to Sassy Saddles while you're there, you might just learn a thing or two about being humble. Did you also know, Rarity's the exclusive designer for the Plaza in Manehattan, best friends with a princess, has helped save the world once... Twice... No, I think three times now..."
At each new revelation, Jet Set and Upper Crust visibly paled, until they both looked as white as Rarity herself. "R-r-r-really?!" Was all they could muster, their mouths flapping in the wind.
"Uh-huh. R-r-r-really." Sweetie mimicked their impediment. "Next time you want to brag, perhaps you ought to make sure you have more to boast about than the other pony. And remember, looks can be deceptive. As a token of generosity, what with it being my sister's element and all, I'll tell Pinkie to give you both a one-time discount on anything you order. Yes, including eclairs. She works at Sugarcube Corner you know, and has also helped save Equestria thrice. Isn't it amazing how well-connected a 'ragamuffin' like me can be?"
"T-thank y-you, M-miss..." Jet Set struggled for a name.
"I'm Sweetie Belle. This is Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. Perhaps you can brag about us to the next important pony you want to impress. Because we all know somepony very famous. We've met the entire royal family, for instance. Oh, and did you attend the wedding? Wasn't it great? Wait a second... You weren't there! What a shame, you missed a treat! I was a flower girl..." The white unicorn just couldn't help but rub it in.
Deciding that the now humiliated aristocrats had suffered enough, Apple Bloom decided to put an end to it. She pulled away from Tiara for a minute with a reassuring pat, to address the older ponies.
"Okay Sweetie, you've had your fun." She mock-chastised her friend."Sorry about her, she does tend to get a bit carried away sometimes. We're already late for school, and you probably have a train to catch. But, just to show there are no hard feelings, take one of our cards! If you ever need help identifying a Cutie Mark, or helping somepony get their's, The CMC are here to help!"
The farm filly then passed a small piece of paper to each of the bemused snobs, and printed on there was a hoof-drawn representation of the trio's Cutie Marks, along with their mission statement and clubhouse address.
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo shot Apple Bloom a surprised look at this juncture, since they had no idea the farm filly had even got these done. Their friend responded with a slight shrug, before returning to the couple.
"So, yeah. Tell all your wealt... I mean, friends about us, we pride ourselves on our work. Why, Diamond Tiara here is just as well-off as you two are, and we helped her find her special place in life! Spread the word, we're an expanding business, and we'd love you to be a part of it!" Bloom finished her pitch, looking as pleased as punch with her unrehearsed speech.
Aside from a slight flicker of recognition in Upper Crust's eyes at the mention of Tiara's name which none of the fillies managed to catch, the rich duo continued to stare ahead glassy-eyed, struggling to cram the business cards in among their belongings.
"E-er, t-thank y-you M-miss A-Apple B-Bloom." Jet Set was desperate to get out of there. "I-it w-was n-nice m-meeting y-you a-all. C-cheerio. M-mind h-how y-you g-go..." And with that brief send-off, he grabbed his wife and half-galloped it away.
As soon as they were out of sight, Sweetie Belle found herself on the bottom of a heap of jubilant Crusaders.
"Sweetie, that was amazing." Gushed Bloom, grinning widely.
"You sure put those toffee-nosed creeps in their place!" Scootaloo was impressed.
"Get off, girls! You're crushing my horn!" Sweetie chortled.
While the trio were celebrating their unicorn friend's chutzpah, Diamond just continued to stand where she was, a wistful expression on her weary face.
Bloom was the first to pick up on this of course, and moved to join her while her two other friends were still celebrating. "What's the matter, Di?" she asked, while putting a hoof around the pink filly's neck.
Snapping out of her meditation, Tiara turned to the farm filly in surprise. "You called me Di... Only Silver Spoon has ever called me that."
Bloom put her hoof to her mouth. "Oh, I guess I did. Sorry, does that make you feel uncomfortable? I don't have to..."
Tiara cut her off. "No, it's fine. We're living together. We share a room. We're friends now. It seems a bit silly to have a nickname, and not share it." She went back to staring at the sky.
Bloom nodded in affirmation "...Okay, good, Di. Now, about that thing that's bothering you..."
Diamond hesitated for a second, but then realised she could confide in the farm filly with no regrets. "Well, it's just, those grown-ups you three were talking to..."
"Yes?" Bloom replied, flatly.
"They sort of reminded me..." Tiara paused briefly. "Of the kind of pony I would probably have grown up to be, if not for you and your dorky friends. Don't get me wrong, I was always very appreciative what you Crusaders did for me that day after the election, but until now I didn't realise just how..."
"Now hush." Bloom gently put her hoof over Diamond's lips. "It was no trouble at all, what me, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo did for you. It was reward enough now that you and Silver Spoon are now our friends, and we even earned our Cutie Marks in the process. Now, we can help other ponies like you discover their special talents..."
"Yeah, speaking of that..." Sweetie's voice suddenly made both Tiara and Bloom jump.
"When exactly were you going to tell us you were having business cards printed?!" Scootaloo had also finished horsing around, and was now searching for answers.
Apple Bloom looked blankly at her fellow Crusaders for a minute, before replying. "Well... Since our cute cenera, I've been thinking. Maybe, we should try expanding our services, after all, there are only so many fillies and colts that need assistance with their cutie marks in Ponyville. Featherweight owed me a few favours, so I got the cards printed for free, and I when I saw those two, I figured, why not start with the obscenely rich? We don't have to like them, just take their bits, and Applejack could really do with a new shed..."
The farm filly continued to drone on about her ambitious business plan, as she strolled alongside Diamond on their long-delayed route to school, with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle taking up the rear, wondering if this was actually going to work and if it did, what they could do with their share.
Clue: Not being as philanthropic as Apple Bloom, Scootaloo was thinking about a rocket powered vehicle, and Sweetie had her heart set on professional singing lessons.
So, now you know.
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"I can't believe it! Shown up like that, in public! By brats!" Jet Set couldn't remove the poorly-drawn, tacky bit of cardboard from his luggage quickly enough.
"You know, it's funny..." Upper Crust wasn't really listening to her husband's moaning.
"What?!" Demanded Jet Set. "Exactly what part of that thoroughly unpleasant experience did you consider 'funny'? Was it when we found out that little unicorn knows all the princesses personally? Or, when it was revealed to us her sister now has the hottest new store in Canterlot? Well...?"
Upper Crust rolled her eyes at the stallion's complaints. "Don't be silly, dear. I was just thinking, do you remember that ghastly garden party for charity we attended the other day? You know, the sole reason we set hoof in this grotty little dump of a town? Well, while there I got talking to a charming mare. Spoiled B...Rich I believe her name was? She's head of the education board, and married to the owner of Barnyard Bargains, don't you know. A rough place if ever I saw one, but the riff-raff seem to go for it. It's made her millions".
"Oh?" Jet Set raised an eyebrow, marginally interested.
"Anyway, she was telling me about this daughter of hers, who was proving to be a massive disappointment. Apparently, she'd just lost a class election, failed at representing Ponyville during the ceremony of the Crystal Empire Games and she couldn't even hold onto a job as editor of a local newspaper! The poor mare was beside herself with worry, she was this close to sending the little Miss to St Whinniean's boarding school for young fillies who have lost their way. You've heard of that place, haven't you?" Upper Crust inquired of her husband.
"Er... Maybe?" Jet Set gave a non-committal answer.
"Well, I almost got sent there as a child... Until my parents found out about a local filly who got horsewhipped while going there, just for talking at the dinner table! Of course, in most cases, that would result in the building being shut down, but because it's privately owned, they're free from most rules and regulations, so no chance of any prosecution. Needless to say, as soon as my mother and father heard about this scandal, the application was thrown in the bin, and I was off scot-free." Upper Crust finished her tale.
"Hmm, yes, a ripping yarn indeed..."Jet Set adjusted his glasses. "But what has that got to with our public humiliation?"
"The daughter's name was Diamond Tiara." Upper Crust grinned wickedly. "And I bet the mother would just love to know the kind of ponies that she's hanging out with, during school hours as well. Dear, could you reschedule a later train? I have somepony I need to go and see...