Nights on Horlick's Hill

by RarityEQM

Night 22

The unprecedented magnificence of the stars demanded all but every last inch of Scootaloo's attention, prying her gaze relentlessly from one gleaming, shimmering jewel to another. Each was brighter than the last and each seemed to sing to her, to call to her, summoning her gaze across a vast, empty ocean of endless black, where the distant beacon of glimmering light pulled her in, only to be wrenched away by another distant shine, and again and again and again. A dazzling beauty she didn't dare try to describe burst before her in captivating ornate splendor, unopposed by anything else the universe had to offe-

"I need a bigger butt!"

Scootaloo clambered up from her languid position on the tree branch and blinked. Twice. Ever so slightly, she found her way to her hooves, balancing precariously on the wooden branch below her, and leaned back on her hind legs to gain the height necessary to breach the leafy canopy just above. She poked her head through, and quietly eyed the tiny silver filly who sat calmly on the branch adjacent from her.

"What?"

"My butt!" Diamond squeaked, shifting her hips left and right where she sat. Scootaloo stared quietly, ignoring the numerous sarcastic remarks that pelted her from inside her own head, and quickly widdled down her list of responses to something that seemed vaguely appropriate.

"As much as I try not to feed into your raging insanity, Diamond, I'm worried where this is going to go if I don't. Why do you need a bigger butt? Is Treasure picking on you again?" Scootaloo asked flatly. Diamond's glittering smile lit up the darkened canopy of the tree and she wiggled her hips again.

"Naw! Listen, I think I got it! Ok, so, the ways I see it, Scoots, I can't control my 'star power' so good, right? So, I figure maybe it has somethin' to do with my cutie-mark. 'Sa shootin' star, see? So, I get myself a bigger butt, I get a bigger cutie-mark, I get a bigger cutie-mark, I increase the control of my star-power. Pure, brilliance!" Diamond squeaked with a smug smile cast over her lips. Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. For all of Diamond's crazy schemes and poor thought out plans, this one at least paved a path Scootaloo felt she could follow along logically. It almost made sense. Almost.

"Yeah, but no," Scootaloo groaned. "That is a horrible idea, Diamond," She added. As expected, Diamond scrunched up her muzzle and gave an angry little huff, narrowing her eyes at the orange pegasus peering through the leaves.

"Whadda mean it's a horrible idea?! No it ain't! It's a fantastic idea! All I gotta do is gorge myself on cupcakes and sweets and stuff, and presto-chango I got bam-in-da-booty! Cinchy!" The tiny filly squeaked. Scootaloo frowned, opened her mouth, closed it, opened her mouth again, winced, and then simply shook her head. Diamond scowled quietly and rose up from her position on the tree branch. With Scootaloo craning her neck up through the layer of leaves below, and Diamond on the branch above, she practically towered Scootaloo, and the angry features of Diamond's black and glittery muzzle was all Scootaloo could see.

"Well, uh, it's just that..." Scootaloo stammered, chewing on her lip. This was a mine field. This was a mine field she wanted nothing to do with. She knew better than to venture into this mine field, but Diamond had a clever way of setting up traps, and Scootaloo always managed to wander in before she noticed. She sighed. This was going to be one of those nights...

"Spit it out? What? You'se is jus dismayed by my genius is all! I'm gonna be a fat flank in no time! I'm goin' to Sugar Cube Corner tomorrow and Imma ask Pinkie Pie to-" Diamond babbled, but Scootaloo cut her off with a grim sigh.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, D, I don't, I don't think this is gonna work out so well. First of all, you hardly ever eat. Heck, you need Bardigan to remind you to eat," Scootaloo began, but Diamond held up a hoof and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'll just leave myself some sticky notes to remind me! Extra sticky notes! They'll say : Dear Diamond! You need more junk in the trunk! Eat a cuppity-cake today!' Problem: solved!" Diamond squeaked. Scootaloo sighed.

"Ok. Barring extensive use of sticky notes, you're kinda the smallest filly...um...like...ever? I mean, you're bones and feathers, D. There are flag poles at my school thicker than you are. I don't think gorging on cupcakes is gonna help you get any bigger, and even if it does, what makes you think it'll go to your butt? What if you just get really fat?" Scootaloo asked. Diamond leaned back on her haunches and stole a glance at the star on her flanks and gave a snort.

"No way that could happen! I mean, if I just keep eating, eventually some will go to my flanks! I can't be a fat pony with a tiny hiney, that doesn't exist! I'm gonna be feather-flippin' huge! I'll do a lot of exercises, and like, not exercise my butt! From now on no butt exercises!" Diamond proclaimed. Scootaloo bit at her lower lip again and at this point, she wished this was one of the stranger plans she'd gone to lengths to talk Diamond out of.

It was not.

"And what if a big butt doesn't help you control your powers any better? What if it just makes your wish disasters even worse?" Scootaloo asked. Again, Diamond shook her head and gave a rough snort that rippled through the canopy. She rolled her eyes and gestured with an empty black and silver hoof.

"Psssssht. I don't...I don't, make 'wish disasters' I... I um... I create 'strategic learning opportunities'" Diamond chuckled sheepishly, letting her hoof drift up to rub the back of her head. Scootaloo drew in another breath through her teeth...

"And...I mean, I though you said you didn't grow anymore because of that curse on you?" Scootaloo stammered hesitantly. She sighed immediately, watching the gleaming spark of excitement in Diamond's eyes die with that single sentence, and the filly's shoulder's slouched forward.

"Oh. Yeah. Right," Diamond sputtered. She tumbled back into her favorite position against the tree: laying with her back against the trunk, her forelegs tucked under her head while her hindlegs were crossed. Her sad gaze peeled away from Scootaloo and drifted back towards the stars. Scootaloo instantly scrambled for something to say. Anything. Anything at all, to quell the deafening roar of the silence between them, but nothing came to mind.

"Aheh...right. I got so excited about the idea of me controllin' my star power by gettin' bigger, I kinda forgot I couldn't there for a second," Diamond mumbled. Scootaloo watched for a few moments longer, not sure if she should clamber back down to her original position on the tree, or climb up the branch to give Diamond a hug. The creature that had cursed the crystal filly had allegedly given Diamond an impossible longevity with the prominent prospect of never growing another inch in her size, or gaining another minute of time. The filly had been trapped in a failing body as long as Scootaloo had known her and it was a concept that never failed to send ice racing down Scootaloo's spine. She idly wondered if there was something she should say. After all, it was her who had so cruelly ripped Diamond from her blissful ignorance of her fate and dropped her back into reality. The orange pegasus gave a glum sigh and settled back down on her branch. Above her, she could hear shifting and movement.

"It ain't so bad." Diamond's voice floated down loftily. "Dyin'. I mean. I ain't scared of that. But, never gettin' the chance to live? That right there. That's the real kick in the tail," Diamond groaned. "Bardy takes me to the hospital some times. I ask 'em if they've found any new break-throughs to cure Icarus Syndrome. They ain't never got any, but they offer me all the ice cream I can eat. That's the best part. The worst part is that's all they can do for me. The worst part is knowing that's it. That's ALL. A little cup of ice cream. Nothing more. All the tests don't do nothin. All the pills in the world can't help. You know it's comin' but you'se can't do nothin' bout it, cept eat ice cream and wait. And everybody else just watches. The only weapon you have is to forget. Just long enough to be happy, until something comes along and reminds you. Star power. Wishes. That's my only shot. There's gotta be a wish out there that can fix all this. Fix...me, ya know? The star is the answer. I know it, Scoots. I can feel it. I just don't know how to make it do what I want and all I want it to do is to save me."

The tree was silent again. The night, was silent again. Diamond gave another sigh, alternating her glances between the stars above her, and the glimmering jewel dangling from her collar. She peeked up through the canopy, catching the glint of stars shining in the sky and wondered how something so distant and tiny could possibly be her salvation.

"I really don't think your butt is the answer to this problem, D." Came the voice underneath her. Diamond gave a quiet snort.

"It is my only hope, Scootaloo. The best thing that will ever come out of it.

"I am not putting my faith in that.

"Heh, I don't blame you. But me...it ain't like I got a lot of options here. If I don't have my star power, what else is gonna get me through this?"

"Not sure. But, I'll help you find it, whatever it is,"

"What if it turns out to be my butt after all?!"

"That would be the worst end to this."

"Correction, that would be 'my' end to this!" Diamond giggled. Scootaloo rolled her eyes, but it was nice to hear the tiny filly laugh again, even if the conversation was juvenile.

"Say, Scoots. You think Princess Twilight would have an answer, or would she just spout off about the power of 'Friendship' or somethin?" Diamond asked. Scootaloo raised an ear and cocked her head to one side. Now, say, that was an idea.

"I don't know, D, but it might be worth askin' her. I mean, the power of friendship is pretty strong. I heard she used it to beat up monsters that were attacking town."

"Yeah? I mean, I guess. You uh...will you, maybe come with me to ask her? I don't know her all too good, and you'se uh, take classes with her or somethin' doncha?"

"Sure I can! I can take you to the school to talk with her tomorrow!"

"Aww., thank's Scoots! You'se a real great pal! You'se really think there's somethin' to this 'friendship' power thing?"

"Well, I hear it's magic,"

"Har, har, ain't you'se a card,"

Comments

[Olden Bronie]

Scoots and Diamond are definitely the best of friends. Only best friends can talk to you about any idea you come up with and care enough to talk you out of it. But you know they always have your back!

I'm glad you're writing again and write about my favorite filly, Diamond!

[RoyalBardofCanterlot]

That was nice. Went from insanely hilarious to serious to heartwarming. Loving Scoot's support of Diamond.

[ilubatar nuctemeron]

Wow! Lovely chapter <3!!!

[ilubatar nuctemeron]

The unprecedented magnificence of the stars demanded all but every last inch of Scootaloo's attention, prying her gaze relentlessly from one gleaming, shimmering jewel to another. Each was brighter than the last and each seemed to sing to her, to call to her, summoning her gaze across a vast, empty ocean of endless black, where the distant beacon of glimmering light pulled her in, only to be wrenched away by another distant shine, and again and again and again. A dazzling beauty she didn't dare try to describe burst before her in captivating ornate splendor, unopposed by anything else the universe had to offe-

Speachless <3