//------------------------------// // Part 7: A Day out with Potion! (Edited Edition) // Story: Broken Diamond // by The Bricklayer //------------------------------// Script Residence A few days later, on another one of her visits Raindrops found Potion in his room and sat down next to him before asking "What's wrong? Go on, you know you can tell me anything." "I-I want to help Diamond... I really do but..." Potion trailed off. "So what's wrong?" Raindrops inquired. "It's... It's just I don't know why I'm feeling sorry for her. She's been at times from what I've heard just like the bullies at the orphanage." Potion whispered as he put his head into his hooves. "I don't know what the Tartarus is wrong with me..." Raindrops brought him into a hug and gave him a answer. "Nothing's wrong with you. You're just being a kind hearted pony. Now go on, and be her big brother." She said with a smile. Potion looked up at her and smiled back. After getting his much needed advice, Potion went and found Diamond in her room, where she was clutching a stuffed Daring Do plush to herself. "C'mon, we're going out for a day out on the town." Potion said cheerfully. Diamond raised a eyebrow. "Uh, why?" She asked, somewhat confused. "Dunno why. Just felt like it." Potion lied not wanting Diamond to know his real reasons. "N-Now, let's get moving and stop burning daylight. T-Time's a wasting!" Soon, they were outside and taking a walk through the streets of Ponyville. Even Diamond had to admit this was fun, with the sun shining and a nice breeze blowing. Potion smiled at her as if to say "See, things aren't so bad!" before he placed a leathery wing around her in a comforting manner. "Listen, if you ever need help I'm right here." Potion said kindly, but Diamond brushed him off. "I don't need help, I'm fine!" She snapped at him, but Potion didn't believe her words for a second. Shortly after, they were joined by Silver Spoon. Diamond as she, Silver and Potion walked felt everyone glaring at her and she wilted at the glares of pure venom from some ponies. It had always been like this, ever since the Gabby Gums incident where she'd helped to expose everypony's secrets and blackmailed the Crusaders into doing so. Each and every time she got glared at, she never knew why but some small part of her felt like she deserved it. To take her mind off these thoughts, she quickly changed the subject. "So, uh... What's with those teeth of yours Potion?" She asked, and Potion looked confused for a moment before he realized. "W-What's with... OH! Y-You mean mine?" He asked, and Diamond nodded as Silver looked rather interested as she was the more knowledge hungry of the twosome. "Well, every Bat-Pony, or Thestral if your prefer the old fashioned term has them. It's part of our distinct look." Potion said cheerfully, with a bit of pride in his tone. "So, do you drink b-blood with them?" Silver asked nervously. "Are you a vampire like in those books I read?" She said with a blush remembering what kind of books they were. Potion looked rather offended. "Those offences to good literature?" He scoffed. "Those... THINGS are half the reason everypony has so many misconceptions about us. Nah, I don't drink blood. I much rather prefer fruit!" Potion chirped before taking a apple out of his labcoat and biting into it as they walked. Eventually, they came across the CMC as they played a game of basketball, obviously in another attempt to earn their Cutie Marks. Potion gave a little wave, and Sweetie was about to give a wave back until she saw Diamond and her expression changed to a one of anger mixed with a bit of fear. Diamond noticed and shrank back behind Potion. "What's she doing here?" Sweetie hissed. It wasn't long before Scootaloo glared at her and hissed "Sweetie, be nice!" only to get a huff in response although Sweetie did look somewhat guilty for her actions. Apple Bloom looked apologetic for her friends. "Ah'm really sorry about them." She said, and Diamond said nothing. In her mind, she was still conflicted. Part of her didn't even want to talk to the Crusaders as she still viewed them as Blank Flanks, and the other part was rather shocked that Apple Bloom even wanted to apologize even after all she'd done to the farm pony and her friends. Unknowingly to anyone, Silver's mind was running along similar thoughts. To break up the arkward silence, Potion quickly changed the subject. "Scootaloo, c-can you do me a little favor?" Potion asked nervously, and Scootaloo tilted her head in confusion. "Do whatever you can, but get Rarity to come to my dad's house soon as you can would you? I'm tired of them having their heads up their you-know whats and... And I would love a mom to call my own." Potion Potion may have had many flaws, a few of them self given which in itself was another flaw but one thing he was almost certainly not was completely stupid. After a year with his father, he could tell when Script was lying to his face. Potion after helping assemble the bed in the so-called "Guest Room" for Raindrops to sleep on noted on how it was way too big for one pony. After that, and coupled with the fact that his dad always slept on the couch, he figured out fairly quickly on what the "Guest Room" used to be for. "On it!" Scootaloo saluted with her foreleg. "This going to be sweet!" The orange pegasus then exclaimed before turning to her two best friends and gathering them in a huddle. "You girls want to join in on this?" She asked before Sweetie and Apple Bloom nodded in unison. Potion, Silver and Diamond braced themselves for what they knew was to come next. "CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS MATCHMAKERS YAY!" The trio of fillies exclaimed in unison before giving the pony version of high fives to each other. Scootaloo then took off down the road on her scooter with her tiny wings buzzing while Apple Bloom and Sweetie ran off after her in pursuit. "Hey, can't you just wait for us?" Potion heard Sweetie Belle squeak in annoyance as he suddenly felt a distinct sense of doom creep over him. Why did he have the feeling he might have made a distinct err in judgement? Hay Burger Eventually, they all walked in Good Eat's diner, the Hay Burger. 50s style rock and roll played from a jukebox in the background as all three young ponies sat down at a table. Good Eats himself came over as the waiter. "So, I see you've taken these adorable little rascals out on the town." Good Eats smiled as he took in their orders. "Yep, a day out with Potion!" Said Bat-Pony replied cheerfully. Good Eats chuckled before his expression changed. "Oh, by the way tell your father if he doesn't stop stealing my tools he's going to get it and get it good." Eats muttered in annoyance. "War's heating up then?" Potion asked dryly as Diamond and Silver looked confused. Good Eats noticed. "Oh, me and his daddy dearest have been going at it for a while now. It all started with a feud over the property line, so Script poisoned my shrubs to cut them back. I stole his pruning shears, so he stole some of my tools in return. Fair's fair I guess." Eats shrugged. "Relax though, I'm not involving you two, this is between him and me alone." Diamond muttered "I feel so honored." as Eats walked off. Then, there came a very loud voice as another pony entered the diner. "Hey, where's my table!" Potion shrunk into his seat whispering "Oh sweet Luna, not him." as Diamond looked at the newcomer who'd noticed them and was making his way over. His fur was pure gold, with a bag of coins on his flank. This was Golden Coin, Potion's chief tormenter at the High School. "Hey, what are you doing at my table?" Coin snapped. "Don't you know it's reserved for me and me alone?" Potion was too frightened to respond. Diamond watched in horror as Golden grabbed him by his fur. For the first time, she was seeing what bullying was like from the other side of the mirror and she didn't like it one bit. Diamond shared a look with Silver. "Hey, let him go!" Silver cried. "He's done nothing to you!" "Oh really?" Coin drawled. "He stole my table! You're really sticking up for this coward?" "Your table?" Diamond drawled. "I don't see your name on it. Now let him go." Coin laughed even as he dropped Potion. "What are you going to do to me? Bite me in the nose?" Coin scoffed before he felt a presence behind him and looked to see Good Eats looming over him. "Nothing, but me on the other hoof..." Good Eats growled before he got in Coin's face. "Get out of my diner, and don't come back." "You can't make me, my dad's-" Coin complained even as Diamond watched. Here she was seeing what she could become and it frightened Diamond to no end. Here, somepony was pretty much a older her was tormenting a pony who'd been nothing but kind to her. "And I don't care one jot." Eats interrupted Coin. "Now get!" Coin whimpered in fear even as he ran for it right out the door. Outside a few moments later, Potion was in quite a state. "He... He always gets at me, and now you've been dragged into it." Potion whispered, barely holding back the flood of tears that were threatning to break loose. "It... it wasn't your fault. You had no idea Golden Coin would show up today, at the diner." Diamond told him, in a attempt at reassurance with Silver nodding at her words. But it didn't help Potion in any way whatsoever. "HE STILL SHOWED UP DIDN'T HE? THAT COMPLETE AND UTTER JACKASS!" Potion shouted in anger even if he didn't know who to be angry at, himself or Golden. "Look at me, I try to take you out on a fun day with your brother and all you end up seeing is how truly pathetic I am!" Potion said as he choked back a sob before he flew off into the sky to parts unknown. Diamond and Silver were shouting after him but to no avail as he was already long gone.