//------------------------------// // Grateful Guest // Story: The One Where Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo Have A Sleepover // by SuperPinkBrony12 //------------------------------// Despite the fact that her mother had said yes, Diamond Tiara couldn't help but feel nervous as she packed up her things, and set off for Scootaloo's house. This was the first sleepover she was attending now that she was no longer a bully, and although that meant she didn't have any sort of act to keep up, she still couldn't help but dwell on the thought that she really didn't know Scootaloo all that much. Even if Diamond Tiara didn't want to admit it to herself, her mother was right about one thing, she and Scootaloo had very little in common with each other. She had felt this way since becoming friends with Scootaloo, yet she had never dwelled on it much until now. Despite this troubling thought, Diamond Tiara was hopeful that her weekend with Scootaloo would be peaceful and free from worry. It didn't take Diamond Tiara long to find Scootaloo's house, it was a typical two story house that rested near the outskirts of Ponyville. It was the kind of house a middle class family might have, not bad but not anything to really write home about. Dizzy Twister was waiting at the front door, when Diamond Tiara arrived. "Hello, Diamond Tiara," she greeted with a friendly smile "Scootaloo has been expecting you." "Sorry if I made her wait," Diamond Tiara apologized, as she struggled with the weight of her hot pink colored sleeping bag with silver trim "I had a little trouble deciding what to bring with me." "Oh, there's no need to apologize. You're right on time," Dizzy Twister replied, as she kindly ushered Diamond Tiara inside "Before you get settled in, since you are in my house there are a few rules I believe you should be aware of." "What rules?" Diamond Tiara asked. "They're pretty basic rules, but I want to make sure you know what they are, so there are no misunderstandings," Dizzy Twister explained "First, I expect you to behave yourself for the duration of this sleepover. That means I'd better not catch you picking fights with my daughter, or touching my things without permission. This leads me to the second rule, my room is off limits during the daytime. At night, if you need to ask me something, then you may enter. Third, you are allowed to have a snack after breakfast, before and after lunch, and before dinner, but you are NOT allowed to raid the fridge before breakfast, or after dinner. And most importantly, just relax and enjoy yourself. I know how things are with you and your mother, but you needn't worry yourself about them while you're here." "Thank you, Miss. Twister." Diamond Tiara said with a smile. Dizzy Twister smiled back at Diamond Tiara "You're more than welcome. Now, do you want a hoof carrying your sleeping bag to my daughter's room? It's just up the stairs." "No thank you, Miss. Twister, I can manage." Diamond Tiara insisted, and reluctantly picked up her sleeping bag and began to make the journey to Scootaloo's room, taking slow steps to avoid falling down. Diamond Tiara was relieved when she could finally set her sleeping bag down on the floor of Scootaloo's bedroom and unzip it, she then began to take out all the "necessities" she could stuff into the bag. In addition to things like a toothbrush, a pair of pajamas, and a brush for her mane, Diamond Tiara had stuffed in some of her less stylish dresses, her own mane and tail shampoo bottles, and even a mane dryer. "Geez, Diamond, it's like you were going to jail or something." Scootaloo teased. "Very funny, Scootaloo," Diamond Tiara replied with a hint of frustration "Just because I'm spending a weekend at your house doesn't mean I can't still bring some of my luxuries with me. I'd always bring a lot more than this whenever I had sleepovers with Silver Spoon. You try going without a few of these things for a while and see how you do." "Whatever," Scootaloo shrugged "Just don't be thinking about giving me a makeover, I HATE makeovers! I'll never understand why Sweetie Belle always wants to do them at our sleepovers." "I wouldn't dream of giving you a makeover, Scootaloo," Diamond Tiara said teasingly "But I think your room could really use one." Everywhere Diamond Tiara looked, she saw posters of either Rainbow Dash, or The Wonderbolts, which was hardly a surprise considering this was Scootaloo. "Touch any of those posters, and you'll live to regret it," Scootaloo warned "The Wonderbolts are the most awesome flyers in Equestria, except for Rainbow Dash, you can't get anymore awesome than that! Besides, how I decorate is my business! You don't see me going over to your house and complaining about how you decorate your room." "Point made." Diamond Tiara replied, as she set said her supplies, and fully unzipped her sleeping bag. Once it was opened all the way, she set down a good distance from the foot of Scootaloo's bed, opting for the corner of the room opposite where Scootaloo's scooter was parked. Dizzy Twister came into the room shortly afterward, and smiled at what she saw. "Glad to see you've settled in," she said to Diamond Tiara "Dinner will be served in half an hour. Your butler informed me of your bed time, so don't think you can pull a fast one on me to stay up later than you're supposed to. Since it's the weekend you can stay up for an hour later than usual, but you're to be in bed by 10 o'clock, do you understand?" "Yes, Miss Twister," Diamond Tiara nodded "So, what's for dinner?" "Homemade macaroni and cheese," Dizzy Twister told Diamond Tiara "You'll love it!" "She's not kidding," Scootaloo said eagerly "My mom's an awesome cook! I hope that someday I'll be able to become as good of a cook as she is!" Dizzy Twister smiled at Scootaloo's statement, and left the room. Diamond Tiara looked all around Scootaloo's bedroom, but everywhere she looked she saw nothing but Rainbow Dash or Wonderbolts themed merchandise. It wasn't just posters, there were also Wonderbolts figurines and plushies, an alarm clock that looked like it had been sloppily painted the same shade of cyan as Rainbow Dash's coat, and bedsheets with clouds and rainbows printed on them. Now, Diamond Tiara had nothing against Rainbow Dash, or The Wonderbolts. But she certainly didn't see why Scootaloo was so in love with them, it was ridiculous. "Like what you see?" Scootaloo asked Diamond Tiara. "It's... alright," Diamond Tiara shrugged, as if trying to think how to best phrase what she wanted to say "But don't you have anything that isn't styled after Rainbow Dash, or The Wonderbolts?" Scootaloo beamed a bright smile at Diamond Tiara "I thought you'd never ask!" she said eagerly, as she dove under her bed, and emerged with a book that Diamond Tiara was certain she'd seen before. The book had a red colored hard cover, and it depicted a familiar looking pegasus with a pith helmet. But what really attracted Diamond Tiara's attention, was the pegasus pony hovering next to the pegasus with the pit helmet. Diamond Tiara was certain that pegasus was none other than Rainbow Dash, the cyan coat and rainbow mane were a dead giveaway. "It's one of my favorite Daring Do books ever," Scootaloo said to Diamond Tiara "It's the one where Rainbow Dash gets to team up with Daring Do and save the day!" "You read Daring Do?" Diamond Tiara asked, as if she were surprised Scootaloo liked something besides Rainbow Dash and The Wonderbolts, even if the book Scootaloo had shown her featured Rainbow Dash on the cover. "Yeah, all the time!" Scootaloo replied "I've read the entire series at least three times, and I always look forward to when the next book comes out! Since Rainbow Dash is friends with the author, she gets a copy of the latest book a week before anypony else does, and when she's done reading it she gives it to me!" "You're really lucky," Diamond Tiara commented "Mother and Father could never get A. K. Yearling to give them an advance copy of her books, I always have to camp out at the bookstore the day the newest installment is released." "I guess it pays to know A. K. Yearling on a personal level," Scootaloo boasted "And you want to know something really interesting about A. K. Yearling that Rainbow Dash told me?" "There is nothing you could tell me about A. K. Yearling that I don't already know," Diamond Tiara claimed "I know everything about her, I'm as much of a die hard fan as Princess Twilight is." "But what if I told you, Rainbow Dash says A. K. Yearling is actually Daring Do herself?" Scootaloo asked. Diamond Tiara was speechless for a moment, then she threw back her head and laughed "That has got to be the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard from anypony. A. K. Yearling as Daring Do? That would make way too much sense." "My thoughts exactly," Scootaloo agreed, joining in on the laughter "I think Rainbow Dash is lying to protect the truth. I think A. K. Yearling and Daring Do are friends. Daring Do tells Yearling about her adventures, and in return Yearling protects Daring Do from Ahuizotl and his goons." "That is even more ridiculous than A. K. Yearling being Daring Do herself." Diamond Tiara chuckled. "Yeah, that probably sounds too crazy. But hey, it's a possibility." Scootaloo insisted. "I guess so." Diamond Tiara replied, still snickering a little bit. Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara continued to laugh for a couple more seconds, then the laughter gradually died down. Once it did, Diamond Tiara looked at Scootaloo and asked "Don't you have some sort of bookcase to store all these Daring Do books in?" "I do, but I love reading them so much that I like having them close by so that I can read them whenever I want to," Scootaloo explained "My mom even occasionally reads me one of those stories if I have trouble falling asleep." "My mother and father have never done that for me," Diamond Tiara said unhappily "The only pony who's ever read to me at all is Randolph, and even then he doesn't read that often." "Well, why don't you tell what your favorite Daring Do book is, and I'll get it for you to read?" Scootaloo suggested "You can even put it by your sleeping bag, in case you have trouble falling asleep later." "You don't have to do that, I can probably find the book I want for myself," Diamond Tiara insisted "It can't be that hard to search beneath your bed." "But you've never even been in my room before." Scootaloo protested. "So, that doesn't mean I'll have no idea where to look." Diamond Tiara replied. But before Diamond Tiara had a chance to start searching, Dizzy Twister called from downstairs "Scootaloo, Diamond Tiara, dinner is ready! Come and get it before it gets cold." "Oh boy!" Scootaloo said excitedly "Come on, Diamond! Last one downstairs is a rotten egg!" And she raced out of the bedroom. "No fair, wait for me!" Diamond Tiara protested, as she chased after Scootaloo. "Catch me if you can!" Scootaloo taunted. "Scootaloo, what have I told you about running in the house?" Dizzy Twister scolded. Scootaloo frowned, but reluctantly slowed down, Diamond Tiara did so as well. "Sorry, Mom." Scootaloo apologized. Diamond Tiara soon learned that Scootaloo wasn't exaggerating when she said her mother was an excellent cook. The macaroni and cheese tasted so good, that Diamond Tiara nearly forgot about her table manners in her rush to eat everything that was on her plate. However, even when she tried her best not to eat sloppily, Diamond Tiara still ended up getting bits of cheese on her face. But Dizzy Twister didn't seem to get upset about it, she simply offered Diamond Tiara a rag when dinner was over. After dinner, Scootaloo led Diamond Tiara back up to her room, and allowed Diamond Tiara to borrow her copy of Daring Do And The Griffon's Goblet for the weekend. Time flew by faster than it had ever seemed to move before, and it wasn't long before Dizzy Twister came upstairs to say "Alright, my little ponies, it's time for bed." "Aw, but Mom, we're not tired." Scootaloo protested lightly, even though she yawned a bit. Dizzy Twister giggled slightly at her daughter's statement "Well, even if you don't feel tired, you still need to go to bed when you're told. After all, you want to grow up to be big and strong, right?" "Right, just like Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo replied, as she climbed into bed, and allowed her mom to tuck her in. Diamond Tiara couldn't help but feel slightly jealous as she observed the scene. "Mother never tucks me in," she thought to herself "And Father is always too busy to do so. I know he loves me, but would it kill him to take some time off every once and a while to be with me?" "Sweet dreams to you both," Dizzy Twister said kindly "Remember, if you need anything, my room is just down the hall. Goodnight." And she turned off the light, and closed the door. Once the door was closed, Diamond Tiara shut her eyes, and tried to go to sleep. But only seconds passed before she heard the sound of rustling bed sheets. "Hey, Diamond Tiara, are you awake?" Scootaloo whispered. "Of course I am, Scootaloo," Diamond Tiara whispered back "What is it?" "Wanna have a pillow fight?" Scootaloo asked softly. "A what?" Diamond Tiara replied, surely she had misheard. "A pillow fight," Scootaloo said quietly "Don't tell me you've never had pillow fights at any of your other sleepovers?" "Of course I've had pillow fights," Diamond Tiara insisted "But never when I'm supposed to be sleeping." "Well, there's a first time for everything," Scootaloo said eagerly, and tossed a pillow to Diamond Tiara "Here, you can use one of the extra pillows from my bed. I don't need it." "Scootaloo, I..." Diamond Tiara began. "You can't have a pillow fight when only one pony has a pillow," Scootaloo told Diamond Tiara "That's the first rule of pillow fighting." "And what's the second?" Diamond Tiara asked. Scootaloo smirked "There are no rules, we go until there's only one pony left standing!" And she hurled her pillow at Diamond Tiara, hitting her square in the face. "That's for making fun of my wings!" "Hey, I said I was sorry!" Diamond Tiara apologized. "I know you did, but you had this coming for a long time!" Scootaloo exclaimed "Finally, I'm going to get my revenge!" "Alright, Scootaloo," Diamond Tiara said, a look of serious determination came into her eyes "If it's a pillow fight you want, it's a pillow fight you'll get!" She proceeded to toss the pillow Scootaloo had given to her at where she thought Scootaloo was. Her eyes hadn't yet adjusted fully to the dark, so she couldn't tell for sure. There was a faint thud, but Diamond Tiara didn't hear any sort of reply from Scootaloo. But just when Diamond Tiara thought she had won the pillow fight already, she was hit from behind with another pillow. By this point, her eyes had managed to adjust to the dark of the room, so she could see where Scootaloo was. Scootaloo had jumped down from her bed, taking a couple of pillows with her. She stood in the corner opposite of the one where Diamond Tiara's sleeping bag was, and stuck out her tongue "Nice try, Diamond Tiara!" she taunted "But I'm a pillow fighting champion! You'll never beat me!" "We'll just see about that, Scootaloo!" Diamond Tiara smirked "Hit with me your best shot!" "You're gonna regret asking that." Scootaloo said, as she hurled another pillow at Diamond Tiara, who dodged it at the last second. "If that's the best you've got, I'm going to win for sure!" Diamond Tiara boasted, and threw her pillow towards Scootaloo's location. Scootaloo expertly dodged it by slightly moving to the left. "I'm just getting warmed up, Diamond Tiara!" Scootaloo insisted "You haven't seen anything yet!" But before either Diamond Tiara or Scootaloo could make another move, the light suddenly flickered on. The two fillies turned around, and gasped. There stood Dizzy Twister, a noticeable scowl on her face. "I thought I told you two that it was time for bed," she scolded "What are you still doing up?" "Don't look at me, Scootaloo was the one who wanted to have a pillow fight!" Diamond Tiara said, pointing a hoof accusingly at Scootaloo. Dizzy Twister approached Scootaloo and asked "Is this true, Scootaloo?" Scootaloo gulped, a cold sweat poured down her body "Well, yeah. I couldn't sleep, and neither could Diamond Tiara. I thought a pillow fight would help tire us out." "Well, I must say I'm disappointed in you, Scootaloo," Dizzy Twister scolded lightly, before her scowl was replaced with a smile "If you wanted a pillow fight so badly, all you had to do was ask. And I hope you realize who the REAL pillow fight champion is in this household!" Diamond Tiara could not believe what she had just heard "What?!" she asked, her mouth hanging open in shock. "You heard me," Dizzy Twister chuckled "If you two are going to have a pillow fight, then why don't you try your luck against me?" "Better yet, why don't we make it a free for all?" Scootaloo suggested. "If you're sure that's what you really want," Dizzy Twister smiled "But be warned, I won't hold back!" "Wouldn't want you to," Scootaloo replied "What about you, Diamond Tiara? Wanna join in the fun?" "A pillow fight to the finish between you, me, and your mom?" Diamond Tiara asked, sounding extremely confused "I don't know." "What's the matter? Afraid you'll lose?!" Scootaloo taunted "If so, then I don't blame you. Nopony's ever been able to defeat my mom in a pillow fight, not even my dad. And my mom is the only pony I've ever lost a pillow fight against. I'll bet every time you and Silver Spoon had pillow fights, she whooped your sorry rump." Those words set off a powder keg inside Diamond Tiara. If there was one thing she hated more than anything, it was anypony implying she was afraid to lose. Grabbing a pillow, she shouted "I'm not afraid! I accept your challenge! You two are going down!" "We'll just see who defeats whom!" Dizzy Twister said with a chuckle "Good luck to the both of you, because you're going to need it!" Soon, pillows were whizzing through the air at lightning speed. Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo quickly forgot about trying to defeat each other, and focused all their attention on trying to beat Dizzy Twister. They ran all around the room trying to take her down, while taking great care not to bump or break anything. But Dizzy Twister proved to be more than a match for them. Minutes ticked by, during which Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara began to tire out. Their bodies had burned up all the energy that had been keeping them awake, so it was of little surprise to Dizzy Twister when they stopped in their tracks, and gave up on throwing pillows. "So, do you two give up?" Dizzy Twister asked, when she saw the exhausted looks on the faces of the two fillies "If so, then I'll let you two off easily and we can call it a draw." "No, we're not... done yet." Scootaloo panted. "We'll never... surrender... to the likes of you." Diamond Tiara added, also panting. Dizzy Twister simply shook her head "Oh well, I guess I have no choice. Prepare to lose." And in one swift motion, she launched two pillows. One at Scootaloo, and one at Diamond Tiara. Both fillies were too tired to dodge the attack, and were knocked down like bowling pins. Dizzy Twister remained the undefeated pillow fighting champion. When the pillow fight was over, Dizzy Twister helped Scootaloo back into her bed, and Diamond Tiara back into her sleeping bag. "There, I let you two have your fun," she said softly to them "Now it's time for you two to go to sleep, no ifs, ands, or buts." Neither Diamond Tiara or Scootaloo said anything, as Dizzy Twister kissed them sweetly on their foreheads, turned off the light, and closed the bedroom door. Diamond Tiara tended to not be a heavy sleeper, so she woke up the next morning the instant she felt the warm rays of Celestia's sun shining down on her face. She quickly discovered that Scootaloo was already wide awake, and was now grinning eagerly at her. "Good morning, sleepyhead." Scootaloo giggled. Diamond Tiara was curious as to why Scootaloo was giggling so hard, but as soon as she sat up and looked at herself in a mirror, she found out why. Her mane and tail were all messed up, as if they had been in contact with a huge bunch of balloons. "I knew that comb was going to come in handy." Diamond Tiara grumbled, as she stumbled into the bathroom to retrieve it. Just seconds after Diamond Tiara had managed to comb her mane and tail back into shape, and returned to Scootaloo's bedroom, Dizzy Twister appeared. "Good, you're both awake," she greeted warmly "I'll start breakfast shortly, does oatmeal sound good?" "You bet, Mom!" Scootaloo cheered. "Well, I guess that's fine with me." Diamond Tiara replied. "Alright then, oatmeal it is." Dizzy Twister smiled, as she left the room and headed downstairs. Diamond Tiara decided she would pass the time until breakfast by reading more of Daring Do and The Griffon's Goblet, and went to retrieve it from its resting place next to her sleeping bag. But to Diamond Tiara's surprise, Scootaloo immediately spoke up and asked "Wanna see my comic book collection?" "You have a comic book collection?" Diamond Tiara asked in reply, to which Scootaloo nodded affirmatively "Where is it? It better not be under your bed, like those Daring Do books!" "Don't be ridiculous," Scootaloo said in a frustrated tone "They're stored in my closet. Not that I mean to brag, but I've got quite the collection, including a few hard to obtain ones." "I'll be the judge of that." Diamond Tiara said doubtfully, there was no way a pony like Scootaloo could get her hooves on rare comics. That required a lot of bits, and a great deal of connections in the comic book industry. Scootaloo trotted over to her closet, and opened it. A huge collection of dresses greeted Diamond Tiara's eyes, in all sorts of designs and colors. Some of them looked like they came from various dress shops all over Equestria, but most of them seemed to have been designed by Rarity. "Sorry about the clutter," Scootaloo apologized, blushing slightly "I don't really like dresses, but I keep getting a whole bunch of them as gifts from my cousins. Sometimes, Mom makes me wear them for special occasions," Scootaloo carefully pushed the dresses aside, and pulled out a large cardboard box that had been hidden behind the dress collection. She proceeded to open it up, revealing a huge stack of comic books covering a variety of different fictional characters "I've got 'Power Ponies', 'Captain Equestria', 'Super Stallion', 'Golem The Griffon', and even the entire brief run of 'Daring Do' in comics." she said, as she showed off each of the various comics. All of them displaying flashy and eye catching comic covers that were lush with detail. One comic in particular caught Diamond Tiara's eyes "No way! I don't believe it!" she exclaimed, as she dug into the book, and pulled out the comic that attracted her attention. It was part of the Power Ponies series, specifically their rarest and most popular issue of all. "'Power Ponies: Revenge of The Mane-iac'?!" Diamond Tiara said, barely able to contain her excitement "How did you obtain a copy?! All the comic book stores have been sold out of this issue for months!" "I traded a couple of my old 'Super Stallion' and 'Captain Equestria' comics to Spike for it," Scootaloo told Diamond Tiara "He's a diehard 'Power Ponies' fan. He especially loves Radiance, though I think that's just because she reminds him of Rarity so much. He drives a hard bargain, but for this issue it was worth trading with him." "Does he have any more copies of this particular issue?" Diamond Tiara asked Scootaloo "If so, I've got to see if there's anything he'd be willing to trade it for." "You'll have to ask Spike about that." Scootaloo replied. Just then, Dizzy Twister called out "Breakfast is ready!". Without hesitation, Scootaloo dashed out of her bedroom. Diamond Tiara was about to do the same, but that was when she noticed something on Scootaloo's bed stand. Upon closer inspection, it was a picture featuring Scootaloo with two ponies standing to both sides of her. The mare on the left was obviously Dizzy Twister, her amber coat and rose colored eyes were unmistakable. But it was the stallion on the right that stood out to Diamond Tiara, he looked almost completely identical to Scootaloo, except his eyes and coat were a slightly darker color compared to her eyes and coat. "Could that stallion be her father?" Diamond Tiara wondered "Scootaloo hasn't really said much about her father, and now that I think about, I haven't seen Mr. Twister at all since I got here." "Hey, Diamond Tiara! Are you coming, or I am gonna have to eat your oatmeal as well as my own?" Scootaloo called from downstairs. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" Diamond Tiara shouted back, and turned around and headed out of Scootaloo's bedroom. She decided to ask Scootaloo about the picture later on. Shortly after breakfast was finished, Scootaloo went upstairs, and came back down with a huge stack of games. Diamond Tiara was actually amazed that Scootaloo could carry so much weight, even if the games themselves didn't weigh that much. "Go ahead and pick your favorite game from the stack," Scootaloo instructed "I've got all the classics." Diamond Tiara wasn't sure which game to pick first, all of them sounded good. At last, she selected the one she felt Scootaloo would like, since it was themed after pegasi and cloud busting. With some help from Dizzy Twister, the game was quickly assembled, and Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo sat down in chairs at opposite ends of the living room table. They spent a little time thinking about where to place their pieces (or at least Diamond Tiara did, Scootaloo seemed to hastily put her pieces down wherever she felt like it), and then the game began. "You make the first move," Scootaloo offered to Diamond Tiara "Good luck, I'm pretty good at this game." "We'll just see about that," Diamond Tiara said with a grin "If you play as well as you pillow fight, I'll be beat you in less than ten turns." "My record is fifteen turns," Scootaloo boasted "Think you can beat that?!" "Oh, I don't think so, I know so!" Diamond Tiara said seriously, and made her call "Cloud Nine." She prepared to place down the mark that symbolized she'd found one of Scootaloo's pieces. But Scootaloo replied "Nope, there's nothing there. Sorry, Diamond Tiara," she then took her turn with the call "Air Five." "Darn it, you stung my bumblebee!" Diamond Tiara exclaimed. "Guess that means I get to go again," Scootaloo said eagerly, then called out "Wind Eight." "Now you found my seagull!" Diamond Tiara growled "Are you sure you're not peaking?!" "Of course I'm not peaking, I would never do that," Scootaloo said honestly "This is the first time I've ever found two pieces back to back, usually it takes me a while.' Diamond Tiara snorted a bit "Whatever, you get to move again, so make your call. You'll probably find one of my other pieces, and beat your record, but I guess that's just my luck." "Hey, if you want to take another turn first, go ahead," Scootaloo offered "I doubt I'll actually find another piece, but maybe you'll at least find one of my pieces so it's not a perfect victory for me." "No, the rules say that if you find a piece, you get to go again," Diamond Tiara replied "Everypony knows that. Just make your call, and get it over with already." "Sky Three!" Scootaloo called. Diamond Tiara did not reply at first, she just looked at her screen as if she were seeing things. Then, with a smile on her face she said "Nope, nothing there." "Oh well," Scootaloo said in an unconcerned tone "Now you get to have another turn. Maybe you'll find all of my pieces at once?" "That's never happened to anypony, it's impossible!" Diamond Tiara said with a shake of her head. "Then you can be the first pony to do the impossible, if you feel lucky." Scootaloo replied. "Guess we'll find out," Diamond Tiara said to Scootaloo, before she called out "Storm Seven." "You zapped my weatherpony!" Scootaloo exclaimed "Go again." "Alright, how about Lightning Ten?" Diamond Tiara asked, as she made another call. "Nope, that's a miss." Scootaloo declared, and took her turn. The game quickly became more intense, as Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo took turns making calls, and finding more pieces. It got to the point where they both had only one piece left to be discovered. A few turns passed, without either of them being able to find their opponent's last piece. Diamond Tiara looked at her screen for what felt like the 100th time since starting the game. "There's only three places I can think of where Scootaloo's last piece might be," she thought to herself "But which one should I call? I fear this may be my last turn, before Scootaloo finds my last piece." "Hey, Diamond Tiara! Equestria to Diamond Tiara! Are you there?" Scootaloo called, breaking Diamond Tiara's chain of thought. "I was just doing some thinking, Scootaloo," Diamond Tiara replied, making sure to express how angry she was for being interrupted "Give me some time to think." "Sorry," Scootaloo apologized "It's just that, you've been thinking for a long time. This game can't last forever." "Don't rush me," Diamond Tiara snorted "I'll make my move when I'm darn good and ready!" "Alright, alright. No need to get all pushy." Scootaloo replied, and said nothing else. After another minute or two of thinking, Diamond Tiara called out uncertainly "Pegasus Four." Diamond Tiara almost couldn't believe it when Scootaloo said in response "You rained on my cumulus! You've beaten me in exactly fifteen turns!" "What?! Are you pulling my leg?!" Diamond Tiara asked. There was no way that game had only lasted for fifteen turns, it had felt much longer than that. "It's true, I've been keeping score." Dizzy Twister said with a nod, showing off a notepad that listed the number of moves Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo had made. Scootaloo's moves covered eight turns, and Diamond Tiara's moves (including her final call) covered seven turns. The pencil lines, though a bit crude, conveyed this in no uncertain terms. "Best two out of three?" Scootaloo offered to Diamond Tiara. "You're on!" Diamond Tiara replied, and quickly cleared off her screen so that she could start again. "You won't win this time, Diamond Tiara!" Scootaloo boasted "You just got lucky last time!" "Well, let's see if my luck holds," Diamond Tiara grinned "The first move is all yours, Scootaloo." The rest of the day passed quickly for Diamond Tiara, who was challenged to a variety of games by Scootaloo. Dizzy Twister even joined in on some of them, even managing to win the board game involving all those properties that you could buy, trade, and put buildings on. As a result, Diamond Tiara forgot all about asking Scootaloo about the picture on her bed stand, until it was time for her and Scootaloo to go to bed. "But Mom," Scootaloo protested, as she was tucked into bed "Can't we stay up again, like we did last night?" "I don't think so, Scootaloo," Dizzy Twister said softly but seriously "It's not good to stay up past your bedtime too often. Once in a great while is okay, but bedtime exists for a reason. Just close your eyes, and go to sleep." "Okay," Scootaloo said in a defeated tone of voice "Goodnight, Mom." "Goodnight, Scootaloo," Dizzy Twister replied, kissing her daughter lightly on the forehead "See you in the morning." Scootaloo did not reply, she had already drifted off to sleep, and was snoring loudly. "Goodnight, Miss. Twister." Diamond Tiara whispered lightly. "Goodnight, Diamond Tiara." Dizzy Twister answered, as she tip hoofed to the door. "Miss. Twister?" Diamond Tiara asked in a tone barely above a whisper. "What is it, Diamond Tiara?" Dizzy Twister whispered back, stopping her hoof just before it reached the doorknob. "Who is that stallion in the picture on Scootaloo's bed stand?" Diamond Tiara asked "Is he your husband?" Dizzy Twister nodded (which was hard for Diamond Tiara to see in the dark) "Yes, and I love him very much." she answered. "What is his name?" Diamond Tiara asked Dizzy Twister. "His name is Quick Shot Twister," Dizzy Twister replied "And he's not called that for nothing. I'd love for you to meet him, someday." Diamond Tiara wanted to ask more, but before she could do so, she yawned and went to sleep. She would have to until tomorrow to ask for more details. When next morning came, Diamond Tiara made sure that the first thing she did upon waking up, was head to the bathroom to brush her mane and tail back to their naturally curly state, before Scootaloo could say anything. But by the time she had finished doing so, she had forgotten all about the photo on the bed stand, and didn't remember to ask Scootaloo about it. Despite what she had learned from Dizzy Twister, there was still much about Scootaloo's father that Diamond Tiara didn't know. After a delicious breakfast of homemade pancakes and hay bacon strips, Dizzy Twister ushered Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo outside to play in the backyard "It's a lovely day," she said to them "Far too lovely to spend cooped up inside." Diamond Tiara was actually amazed at how big Scootaloo's backyard was, especially considering the house she lived in. But then, perhaps that was one of the perks of living in a house that was on the outskirts of Ponyville. Almost immediately after stepping hoof outside, Scootaloo lightly tapped Diamond Tiara on the shoulder with a hoof, then ran off. "Tag, you're it!" she shouted "Catch me if you can!" "Oh, I will! And you'll be sorry!" Diamond Tiara replied. Had anypony been looking, they would've seen what a determined filly was like when provoked, as Diamond Tiara chased after Scootaloo not unlike the way a timberwolf would chase after its prey. In only a matter of seconds, Diamond Tiara caught up to Scootaloo, and tapped her on the shoulder. "Tag, you're it, Scootaloo!" she said, panting slightly "You won't catch me as easily I caught you. And don't even think about using your wings for a speed boost, that's cheating." "I won't need my wings to catch up to you, Diamond Tiara!" Scootaloo boasted, as she chased the filly all around the backyard. The two fillies soon became locked in a game of cat and mouse, running every which way around the backyard, all the while laughing and giggling as if there were no tomorrow. The fun didn't end, until Dizzy Twister came outside, and cleared her throat to attract Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo's attention. "Are you two having fun?" she asked them. "You bet we are!" Scootaloo said eagerly. Dizzy Twister smiled the biggest smile she had ever smiled "Good, because I have a surprise for the two of you. How would you both like to go to Sugarcube Corner for a treat? You can get whatever you want." "Do you mean it?!" Scootaloo asked, to which Dizzy Twister nodded affirmatively "Oh boy, I LOVE going to Sugarcube Corner!" Scootaloo grinned and leaped into the air as her wings buzzed in excitement. "When do we leave?" Diamond Tiara asked Dizzy Twister. "How about right now?" Dizzy Twister suggested "If we go now, we can probably beat the lunch rush crowd." "That's a great idea!" Scootaloo cheered "Right, Diamond Tiara?" Diamond Tiara didn't say anything, she just nodded in approval. This was just as unexpected as the pillow fight two nights ago, not that she was complaining. "Alright then, to Sugarcube Corner we go!" Dizzy Twister said cheerfully "Just make sure you both stay close to me at all times, and don't wander off." And after briefly trotting inside to retrieve a saddle bag, Dizzy Twister led Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara around to the front, and the three of them headed into town. When the trio arrived at Sugarcube Corner, both Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo were relieved to see that there was no line of ponies waiting to be served. A couple of the tables were occupied, and Pinkie Pie was bouncing to and from them while carrying trays of delicious eateries such as cupcakes, cookies, pies, and even the occasional cinnamon roll. The sweet scent of the goodies nearly made the fillies mouths water from the moment said scent reached their nostrils. "So, do you two know what you want to get?" Dizzy Twister asked Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo "If not, I can get you some menus." "Oh, I know what I'm getting," Scootaloo said eagerly, licking her lips "Those cinnamon rolls look so delicious! I get them every time they're available!" "Good," Dizzy Twister smiled, then turned her attention to Diamond Tiara "And what about you?" Diamond Tiara was not sure how to reply. She had a pretty good idea of what she wanted, but something in her mind made her weary of the idea that Dizzy Twister would let her get anything she wanted with no strings attached "There is one thing I want more than anything," she said nervously "But I don't think you'll let me get. It's kind of expensive, it's more than what I'd ever get in allowance." "So, why is that a problem?" Scootaloo asked innocently "You've probably been able to get everything you wanted whenever your mom brings you here." "Actually, Mother has never given me any kind of treats, not even once!" Diamond Tiara revealed "Father's always been the one to take me out for ice cream, or for something else, and even he doesn't do that stuff very often. Mother claims that if she were to give me treats, I'd only end up spoiled and lazy. She says rich ponies don't beg, because it's foolish to ask for something if you can't get it yourself." "Well, I can see why your mother would think such a thing is true." Dizzy Twister said to Diamond Tiara, which made the filly brace herself for the inevitable disappointing 'No.' that she was bound to hear. This sort of thing always happened with her mother, and she saw no reason why Scootaloo's mother would be any different. But much to Diamond Tiara's surprise, Dizzy Twister responded by saying "However, that doesn't mean I have to agree with it. Giving a child a treat every once in awhile is fine. The key is knowing where to set limits. I don't do this often, usually only once every couple of months. But if there's something you really want to get from here, you can go ahead and get it. This is a treat, and I want you to enjoy it as best you can." "You really mean it?" Diamond Tiara asked, to which Dizzy Twister nodded happily. Diamond Tiara (after taking a moment to let this conformation sink in) then said to Dizzy Twister "I want a slice of The MMM. If it was good enough to be combined with other entries for a dessert competition and win first place, then it's got to be truly amazing!" "Very well then, cinnamon rolls for Scootaloo, and a slice of The MMM for Diamond Tiara," Dizzy Twister confirmed "A little bit pricey, but some very good choices none the less." "What about you, Miss. Twister?" Diamond Tiara asked "Aren't you going to get something here?" "No, I'm not much of a dessert pony," Dizzy Twister replied "Plus, I've been trying to watch my figure a bit more closely for a while now." She then led Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo up to the counter so they could make their purchases, and pulled out her wallet to prepare for payment. Once purchased and delivered, Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara devoured their desserts almost as soon as they were on the table. In fact, the slice of The MMM was so delicious, that Diamond Tiara almost forgot about her table manners, and Dizzy Twister had to remind her of them. It didn't take long for the two fillies to finish their treats, and just as quickly as they had arrived at Sugarcube Corner, they left. "Thanks for taking us to Sugarcube Corner, Mom." Scootaloo said with a smile. "Yeah, thanks. You really didn't have to do that." Diamond Tiara added. She was really starting to warm up to Dizzy Twister, and couldn't help but wish her own mother could be a little bit more like Dizzy Twister. "It would be nice if I had a mother who didn't yell at me every single day." Diamond Tiara thought to herself, even though she knew there was little she could do to make that possible. "Well, I'm glad you both enjoyed it," Dizzy Twister replied "But that means lunch will be served a little later, and the option of a pre-lunch snack is now off the table." "That's okay, it's an acceptable cost for your amazing treat!" Scootaloo said honestly, as her home came into view. "I'll call you two when lunch is ready," Dizzy Twister informed the fillies, once they arrived home "But until then, I would like you both to play outside, okay?" "Okay." Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara replied, as Dizzy Twister went inside and locked the door. "Why don't we play hide and seek?" Scootaloo asked Diamond Tiara "I know some really good hiding places." "In that case, Scootaloo, you can be the seeker," Diamond Tiara declared "Cover your eyes and count to 100. You can do that, right?" "Of course I can." Scootaloo replied. "Just making sure," Diamond Tiara teased "Just try and find me, I can be pretty good at hiding, when I wanna be." "Maybe, but you're overlooking something," Scootaloo said with a grin, as she covered her eyes with her hooves "You're in my backyard, which I know like the back of my hoof. There's no place you can hide that I won't think of." "Perhaps, or perhaps I'll prove you wrong and find a hiding spot so clever even you've never thought of it!" Diamond Tiara boasted, and ran away. Of course, she was certain Scootaloo would see through her bluff, but reformed or not Diamond Tiara was never the kind of pony to show weakness without at least some reluctance. And she was certainly not fond of the idea of admitting Scootaloo had a point, no matter how obvious it might be. It was of little surprise to Diamond Tiara when Scootaloo found her. And it was of little surprise when she struggled to find Scootaloo when the roles were swapped. But eventually, as Diamond Tiara became more familiar with the layout of Scootaloo's backyard, she started to find better hiding places. But in the end, she was still unable to keep hidden from Scootaloo long enough to make her give up. Once the sun began to set, Dizzy Twister called Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara back inside, while she worked on dinner for the two of them. It was at this point that Diamond Tiara realized she would finally have a chance to ask Scootaloo more about the picture on her bed stand. But when Diamond Tiara came back from washing her hooves (Dizzy Twister had insisted that Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara do so after playing outside all day, and getting dirty and sweaty), she was surprised to see that Scootaloo had taken the picture off of the bed stand, and was holding it carefully in her hooves. Feigning ignorance about the picture in the frame, Diamond Tiara approached Scootaloo and asked "What are you looking at, Scootaloo?" "It's nothing, just an old family photo from a few years back," Scootaloo told Diamond Tiara "You know, before I got my cutie mark, and before you and I ever became friends. Heck, I think this photo was taken before I'd even met Sweetie Belle." "Really? I didn't think it was that old," Diamond Tiara said innocently "Your mother told me last night that she would love for me to meet your dad someday. She even told me what his name is." "What?! She told you about him?!" Scootaloo asked, nearly jumping up in surprise. She suddenly sounded rather angry, as if she were a cat whose tail had just been stepped on. "Just a little bit," Diamond Tiara admitted "Why is that such a big deal?" Then an awful thought struck her "Your father's not like my mother, is he?" Scootaloo shook her head "No, no, of course not. He's a wonderful stalion, he's just not around very much these days. He's very busy." "Busy with what?" Diamond Tiara asked. "Have you ever heard of the Cloudsdale Windigos?" Scootaloo asked in response "It wouldn't surprise me if you haven't, it was kind of hard to get a city like Cloudsdale to have any kind of team for a sport that's played on the ground." "I think I overheard the name Cloudsdale Windigos being mentioned once," Diamond Tiara said, although her attempt to rack her brain for the exact mention of the team didn't work "Does your dad work for them?" "He owns them!" Scootaloo boasted "He used to be a goalie for them, back when they were just a small team trying to become Cloudsdale's official ice hockey team. He was actually part of the reason why my family moved to Ponyville from Cloudsdale, he figured it would be easier to organize and run the team from here." Diamond Tiara was surprised at this statement of facts "You and your family used to live in Cloudsdale?" Scootaloo nodded "All of those Wonderbolts posters from my old room in Cloudsdale, though everything else I got after moving here. Sweetie Belle was the first friend I made in Ponyville, we bonded over our lack of cutie marks." "Let me guess, you were the only blank flank in your class when you lived in Cloudsdale?" Diamond Tiara concluded. "Right again," Scootaloo said, nodding more "But shortly after I met Sweetie Belle, Dad was able to get Cloudsdale to adopt the Windigos as their official ice hockey team, and they quickly appointed him to oversee it. Because of that, he's away almost all the time. He only tends to come home for my birthday, for Hearth's Warming, or for special occasions." "Now that I think about it, I don't recall seeing your parents at your cute-ceañera celebration," Diamond Tiara realized "Then again, I wasn't really looking for specific ponies." "Well, Mom showed up after a while," Scootaloo told Diamond Tiara "Dad couldn't exactly get off work since the celebration was held just hours after I got my mark. He came home as soon as he heard the news though, and I don't think I'd ever seen him so happy before!" "Do you have a photo that proves this?" Diamond Tiara asked Scootaloo. She was pretty sure Scootaloo wasn't lying, at least not completely, but without any sort of proof she had no way of knowing this. "Sure, I've actually got that photo stored in the top drawer of my dresser," Scootaloo replied, racing over to said dresser (which was colored a cyan blue) "Give me a second or two!" and she proceeded to dig the top drawer at a speed that could rival Rainbow Dash. Quick as a flash, Scootaloo found what she was looking for, pulled it out, and showed it to Diamond Tiara. Sure enough, in the center of the photo stood Scootaloo, who was proudly showing off her new cutie mark. Dizzy Twister stood off to the left side, smiling happily, while Quick Shot looked like he was going to leap out of the photo because of how high he was flying. And yet, he still somehow managed to have a hoof wrapped around his daughter. "Is that proof enough for you, Diamond Tiara?" Scootaloo asked "I've got at least one other photo I can show you if you still have any doubts." But the one photo Diamond Tiara saw was all the proof she needed. It was still somewhat possible the photo was edited, but that didn't seem likely to Diamond Tiara at this point. Dizzy Twister hadn't reacted with scorn or sadness when asked about her husband, or anything remotely resembling hesitation. "You know something, Scootaloo?" Diamond Tiara spoke up "You and I, we actually have more in common than I might have originally thought." "And what makes you say that?" Scootaloo asked Diamond Tiara. "Well, we both have fathers who love us dearly, but are always busy and don't spend as much time with us as they would like," Diamond Tiara told Scootaloo "And that means we both end up spending more time with our mothers, though I think we can agree that your mother is a lot different from my mother. In all the right ways no less." "And what else do we have in common?" Scootaloo asked impatiently. "We're both Daring Do fans, and comic book collectors," Diamond Tiara went on "If I'd know how much of a comic book fan you were, I'd have brought over some of my collection to share with you. But above all else, we both ran into trouble for being blank flanks." "Since when was being a blank flank so bad for a pony like you?" Scootaloo replied. "Mother put a lot of pressure on me to earn my mark as soon as possible, and Father actually started to grow concerned as well when I lagged behind my other classmates in getting my cutie mark," Diamond Tiara explained with a frown "When I got my cutie mark, I thought I my troubles were over, but you know how that turned out. Even now, I still have to put up with Mother's behavior." Before Diamond Tiara could say anything else, Scootaloo put a hoof around Diamond Tiara as she said "Well, now you can add to the list that we're both Cutie Mark Crusaders! And no matter what, you can count on me to be there for you if you ever need my help again. Maybe we could even arrange for a sleepover at your place with the other crusaders, and perhaps even Babs Seed! If your mother said 'Yes' to this, so maybe we'll get lucky and find a way to get her to say yes again?" Diamond Tiara's response was to throw back her head and laugh long and hard. Scootaloo quickly joined her. "Let's not get crazy, Scootaloo!" Diamond Tiara said, in between fits of laughter "It was a fluke that Mother said 'Yes' this time. I'd rather not press my luck a second time." "It was just a joke," Scootaloo told Diamond Tiara "Guess it wasn't a very well thought out one." "I'll say," Diamond Tiara chuckled, and she and Scootaloo continued to laugh for a little bit longer. But once the laughter died down, an idea came into Diamond Tiara's mind "I know there's no way I can ever thank you and your mother enough for doing this," she said to Scootaloo "But I think I have something in mind that can at least come somewhat close. How would you and your mother like to see Countess Coloratura when she performs in Manehattan a month from now?" Scootaloo's response was to open her mouth, and have her jaw drop to the point where it nearly hit the floor "No way! You can actually do that?! Tickets to Coloratura's performances have been sold out for months!" "When you've got a father that knows the right connections, it's as easy as pie," Diamond Tiara boasted "I was thinking about giving one of them to Silver Spoon, and then seeing about inviting you or one of our fellow crusaders, but Silver Spoon's not much of a pop music fan." "Oh, Diamond Tiara, you didn't have to do that!" Scootaloo said eagerly, embracing Diamond Tiara in a huh "But I'm glad you did! Wait until I tell Mom the good news, she's a HUGE Coloratura fan!"