55 - Regrets of the past
Diamond warmly smiled as she sat off to the side, observing her friends and loved ones while they ran about. The party was, as typical for a Pinkie Pie party, enormous and jam-packed with fun. In fact, it was the first moment she had alone in a few hours, considering it was her own birthday party. She had turned seventeen, by Equestrian standards, and the law, an adult mare, even if she still had four more months of school.
She glanced over at Pipsqueak, who stood conversing with Silver, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and… Scootaloo. Her ears folded down some as paining memories came back to her—her past, something that had been plaguing her thoughts too much lately. The things she had said to them, to Scootaloo especially. The pony she used to be had treated everyone of them like dirt, or worse. She had said things no pony should say to another.
Turning to look at the distant sunset, then at her surroundings, she slipped out through the back gate. She needed this time to ponder, she needed an ear that would not judge back, she knew who she needed to speak to.
She hoped no one would see her slip out. However, one pair of orchid-colored pupils followed her motion, a frown forming on the muzzle of the pony.
---
Head dipped as she lay on her belly, legs tucked under her, facing the cold gravestone, a tear ran down her cheek. The moon had risen just minutes prior, not that it mattered much. It was the weekend, no school tomorrow, and she doubted anyone missed her at the party... well, perhaps Pip by now.
“I know they all forgave me, I know you did, too... But, what if I fall again? What if I become my old self again? I mean, Canterlot, you know what it’s like there. I was an evil, uncaring pony Archer, what if I forget?”
She shut her eyes, tears raced down and she sniffled. A few stray notes slipped from her, remembering a heartsong that initiated her change, “There's something jagged in me, and I've made such mistakes I thought that diamonds were hard, though I feel I could break.”
From the shadows, a deep voice came, as a rather tall, dark form emerged. Her head turning at the voice, watching a night-blue alicorn step out of the shadows. They rippled around her, as if made of water.
“Thou carry a heavy weight, little one. A weight we have seen in thy dreams.”
Setting her hoof on the surprised pink filly to keep her from rising up. “May we join you?”
Diamond blinked, then gave a single nod. “O-of course, Princess Luna.”
Slowly lowering herself down to sit as the smaller filly was, on her belly legs tucked under, she turned and looked at the stone, the name, the carved-in badge.
“We had a hard time adjusting to life when we came back, then once again when we came to understand about the department and our words that spawned it.”
She paused, looking at the gravestone once more. “We have never felt such loss as this one,” shifting her gaze to look at Diamond again.
“Diamond Tiara, you have a strength inside you. A drive to do right, to do good. Yet, thou carries the weight of thy past like a stone chained to a yoke around thy neck. We,” she froze. “I too did such.”
Luna closed her eyes. “And yet, all of Ponyville came to my aid—thou included—and taught me, I deserved to be happy, not to punish myself for my past. Thou does not need carry that weight, none of thy friends would ever let thou fall to that old way”
Sniffling and looking away, back to the gravestone. “I-I am so afraid, Princess…”
Luna touched the younger fillies leg gently. “Luna, please. We are not in court, and I think of thou as someone special to me, as I do all of the ones who watch the night with me.”
A little surprised, A light blush on her cheeks as she gave a nod. “Luna, I just am afraid. I said words unforgivable. I said things to Scoots that,” sniffling once more.
In a tiny whisper of a voice, so unlike the strong-and-sure pony most saw. “Luna, I once told her she was useless, good for nothing. That her parents dumped her because she was a flightless blank-flank,” the tears racing down her face harder now.
“She forgave me, even after all that, but, I don’t know how to forgive myself... I don’t want to be my mother!” She sobbed. She felt a wing slip around her form and found herself pressed to the side of the princess of the night, sobbing into her neck.
Luna glanced down at the wailing pink filly, feeling the tears, the sorrow. Allowing Diamond to let it all out, the very contemplation she had kept bottled up for years now. Luna kept her wing over the smaller earth pony, keeping her pulled close. After a time, she heard the sniffling and slowing of the hitching sobs.
“Diamond Tiara, none of us are destined to be like our parents. We are each our own pony, and we all make mistakes. It is however, how you learn from them, that defines who we are. Some, like your mother ignore the lessons, and some.”
Reaching down and using a wing tip to lift the fillies head up, she used her feathers to wipe a few tears away, looking into Diamond’s glassy eyes.
“Some, rise up, find change and become better pony for it, like yourself.”
Again sniffling, using her leg to wipe away snot at her muzzle, Diamond looked up with red-rimmed eyes at the princess.
“How can you be so sure? How can you believe in me when, when I can’t even believe in myself?”
At that, a smile pursed the night princess’ muzzle. All she did was nod behind them with her head turned and said in a soft tone.
“Because you have friends who will stand by you no matter what. A pegasus to shield you from harm, a unicorn to light your way.”
Diamond turned and looked, seeing three best friends standing there. One pegasus, one unicorn, and one bow-wearing earth pony. She whispered very lightly.
“And an earth pony to shoulder my burdens.”
Luna nodded slowly. “You of all ponies know well how true that old saying really is.”
Diamond Tiara turned, and Luna found herself in a strong hug. “T-thank you for reminding me, Saint Luna.”
Luna attempted her hardest to hide the burning blush as she wrapped her hoof around the pink filly. “I will never get use to hearing all of you call me that, but...I am humbled and honored, and will never falter in my watch over my watchers”
Diamond broke the hug and found herself in the center of a Cutie Mark Crusader hug-sandwich. All of the fillies were on the cusp of adulthood now, just months away, in fact. It felt more right to her than things had for a long time.
“L-Luna, how did you know?”
As the lunar diarch rose up she smiled a bit. “I believe Scootaloo is best to explain. I must take leave now, my little pony.”
Walking for the shadow that fell from a nearby apple tree. One planted to forever cast shade over the gravestone. Luna spoke in a softer voice. “Captain, we return to Canterlot.”
All four fillies watched as the shadows again rippled, engulfing the blue alicorn, and then seeming to shrink as if it lost mass, smaller now than it was before.
Apple Bloom muttered. “Ah will never get use ta seein' that,” making note of the other three nodding in agreement.
Turning to Scootaloo, Diamond lifted her eyebrow. The orange filly smiled a bit and knew what the question was without it being voiced.
“I saw you slip out. I knew you were down, so... I kind of followed you, and then I ran back. I had Apple Bloom crank out a letter, and then Sweetie had Spike send it by dragonfire.”
Watching them all nod, Diamond sniffled and grabbed them in a second embrace. “I said it the day I stood up to my mother, and it is as true now as it was then. You are all amazing, I am lucky to have you as friends.”
Hugging back, the three fillies all said in unison. “So are you, Diamond.”
---
The true test of character, of heart, is the actions one takes in the face of fear and panic.
Words spoken by a stallion she had much respect for. Her teacher, her mentor in the Department, and the one who drove her to realize her dream to become a paramedic. They flashed through her mind as she held her hooves over the rag. That, in turn, pressed to the large wound along the rib cage of the mare she knelt over.
In the distance she could hear the sirens coming. She knew help was on its way, but would it be fast enough? Glancing up at her two friends, she spoke quickly yet clearly.
“Bloom, you just keep holding his leg. Don’t let him move it, no mater what. Sweetie, can you keep that wagon up?”
The white unicorn’s horn glowing bright, the body of a wagon being held in her magics touch, keeping the weight off the mare trapped under it in the wreckage. Allowing her pegasus friend to maintain the pressure on the gaping wound the poor mare suffered.
Her voice strained. “I got it, Scoot!” but said in a quieter tone. “I hope they hurry!”
She looked back over at the earth pony, just checking once more to be sure she was keeping the other victim from trying to move around.
How fast it had happened, one moment they were chatting, walking to school. Then, a terrified scream, then a crash of wood and metal. The three had run around the corner to find a large wagon crushed to the side of a building. A stallion was laying off to the side, and the leg of another pony sticking out from beneath the wreckage.
They did not panic, a response which was trained out of them by years of Explorer training and experience. They snapped into action, in moments already working in tandem to reach the pinned mare. Other ponies stood around in shock. It had taken a good shake by Bloom to get one mare to run off and hit the nearby call box button.
Looking down at the tan mare she was kneeling over, not even sure if she could hear her words. Scootaloo kept up her talking while she held the red-soaked rag to the injury.
“Help is on the way. You just lay here, don’t try to move. You are okay, I won’t leave your side.”
A voice nearby that she knew called out. “Hondo, help Sweetie, keep it steady,” it was Carrot. She spotted the lanky earth pony stallion out of the corner of her eye crawl into the wreckage next to her. She heard his rapid breathing, almost smell his fear, yet he faced it as they all did.
“If I leverage up with my back, is it safe to move her out from under this?”
She shook her head. “No, I can’t tell if she has spinal damage. We need the board and straps before we dare move her. As long as they can hold the weight off her, it’s best to keep her right here.
The stallion nodded, then rose up some, strain plastered all across his face, arching his back and neck into the bulk of the wagons wreckage to help keep the weight stable. He called out, “Can you two move it away?”
A low tone of the mustached stallion next to his daughter came, the effort clear in his voice.
“Too much, all we can do is hold the weight!”
The sirens were close now, winding down as both wagons zipped around the corner.
---
Sweetie Belle had her eyes closed, an ice pack pressed to her horn and forehead as she laid flat on her stomach. Bracketed in by her father to one side, and Apple Bloom on the other, Scootaloo sat across from them on another long bench in the waiting room. All four looked up at the sound of the doors opening and closing.
Rescue glanced over at the three young fillies. Somewhere in his mind, he took note of the fact they really were not far from adulthood. To be quite frank, Apple Bloom was almost as big as Applejack now, and the other two were not far behind. Walking over to where they rested, he gave a nod to Hondo.
“You three did good. Twinkleworks is going to be okay,” he spoke, sitting down.
“She has a few broken ribs, and she lost some blood, but your quick actions saved her life. I am proud of all three of you.”
Scootaloo looked up, Rescue let his stoic nature drop some, and he offered her a smile.
She smiled back then lay her ears down. “What about the other victim, the stallion? Also, does anyone know what caused it?”
Rescue gave the tangerine pegasus a nod. “Rivet, and yes, he will be just fine. Dislocated hip, a lot of scrapes and bruises but he will be okay.”
He laid his ears back, then lifted them again. "Best as anypony can figure right now. His wagon's brake failed. He tried to stop it, but it dragged him with it. Twinkleworks was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Now he turned his head to look at the father and daughter team. “You two did good work. You kept the bulk of the weight off the victim and gave Scoot room to work.”
Hondo looked over at the filly at his side, a thought traveled through his mind. When did she get to be so big? When did she grow up and stop being his little foal?
“Sweetie did most the work, Chief. I couldn’t be prouder than I am right now,” he said, giving his daughter a nuzzle.
Apple Bloom smiled some at that, then said. “Chief, y’all are gonna have t'write us an excuse note fer being late for school.”
He smiled a bit more at that. “That shouldn’t be a problem, Bo, your sister is already heading over there to talk to the office staff and your teachers.”
She smiled slightly at the nickname, sparing a moments thought about it. It had come from someone calling her ‘bow’ because of the ribbon she wore day in and day out in her mane. That then got shortened to Bo, and so it stuck.
Turning his head back to look at the pegasus filly, the big stallion leaned down some. “You were first responder, first on scene, I expect you to write it all up.”
Scootaloo looked back up with wide eyes. “I... I have never done an incident report on my own before.”
Rescue rested his hoof on her leg. “I know, I will help, but it’s high time you have your name to your first one... EMT Scootaloo.”
Her jaw dropped open, as the other two fillies gave a shocked look over.
“What?”
He gave a soft chuckle. “I got the report last night, you passed the written test with a ninety nine percent, and you passed the practical with one-hundred percent. As of this morning, you are the first certified Emergency Medical Technician the Ponyville Explorers have produced.”
Rescue suddenly found himself in a bone-and-lung crushing hug around his neck. He gave a smile at that, sure it might be a bit out of the norm for a professional setting but, she had earned it.
“I suspect Pinkie is already planning a party, you know how she gets. I will let you tell your mother and father before the official announcement goes out.”
All any of them heard was a choked up whisper from the purple-maned pegasus.
“I won’t let you down, Chief.”
Once again, he broke his norm, hooking his leg around her to return the hug. “I know you won’t, none of you could ever do that, Scootaloo.”
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Chills. The urgency and sense of panic by onlookers was like you were there. I'm honored to have contributed to this great story.
7894915 I am glad you like the adaptation man.
I have been a first responder, car Vs. bike. Not pretty, I was barking orders at people just standing there, and by the time EMT got there, I was covered in blood enough that they asked me if I was a victim too. I just remember how people stood there and did NOTHING.
7894944
Just like that guy saying nobody could get to the car because the mud was too deep. I always wear my steel toe boots from Afghanistan to work so it worked out.
7894915
7894944
I'm not gonna lie, this reminded me of something my mother experienced a few years ago. She was sitting at an intersection when a car ran a red light and got T-boned by a van, both passengers got ejected and thrown across the road. Both were covered in blood, my mom tried to help one of them because they were gurgling on their own blood, but the EMTs wouldn't let her and didn't turn them over, so they were practically choking on their own blood. Neither of them survived come to find out a few days later. Yes, marijuana was involved, too. I know it traumatized my mom though. Still to this day she's afraid to drive down the road where it happened.