Diamond Tiara saves Scootaloo's Life

by lytlethelemur

Chapter 11_ Runaway Service Cart

The Canterlot Amphitheater was a modern facility, being designed for the needs of the extensively choreographed acts and spectacles typical of current performers. An extensive network of makeup rooms, equipment storage, and even sound stages were incorporated into the facilities behind the main stage. Added bonus, the facility ran on a slope to the stage due to the terrain. As long as Scootaloo could keep the service cart in motion she could exit to the stage with no problem.

“Gang way!” she yelled dodging a herd of startled backup dancers as she shifted the cart to turn the corner of a hallway.

Just narrowly missing one, whizzing by so close she could taste the glitter and hairspray. The typically agile dancers were a bit clumsy getting out of the way, encumbered by their sparkling bumble bees suits with matching beehive mane-dos. Diamond Tiara noted that the next song would be ‘Honey, Honey, Honey…You’re so sweet, won’t you be my honey bee?. She acquired a leaked single of the song, not an easy feat, it was good aside from a seven minute chorus of Feather Bangs repeatedly singing ‘Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz,buzz, buzz,buzz... buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz just Beecuze.’ But this time Diamond Tiara found it easier not to fawn over his music as she had in the past, additionally she had more pressing concerns. Her friend Scootaloo had gone mad and Silver Spoon was waving like a flag off the corner railing of a careening service cart. Her gorgeous dress fluttering, causing an unnecessary drag on their commandeered vehicle. Poor Silver Spoon was never one for thrill seeking, Diamond Tiara braced herself on the cart and helped pull her friend on to the lower level by the pasterns.

“Come back here girls, I promise I won’t eat it all!” shouted out Feather Bangs, as he vaulted over a very confused dancer.

“I just want a nibble or two, or three...!”

He was closing in fast. Still Diamond Tiara could spare a few seconds for Silver Spoon, fanning her with her monogrammed handkerchief. Diamond Tiara came prepared, but found her efforts fruitless. There was plenty of wind generated from their momentum blowing into her friend’s exacerbated face. She had to leave Silver Spoon to mind herself as she braved the head winds, fuming.

“SCOOTALOO!” she cried from beneath the cart, “What in Celestia’s caked filled gullet has gotten into you!”

Her demanding voice startled Scootaloo just a bit, her head bowed down, her tinys wings still beating so furiously she was losing tiny, dow feathers.

“What has gotten into!?” repeated Diamond Tiara, her stern, hurting eyes locking with Scootaloo’s.

“I’m sorry! I just wanna get out of here!” Scootaloo frantically yelled, too many things were happening at once, she could hear the galloping hooves of Feather Bangs and a half dozen security ponies closing the gap behind them.

“This was our night Scootaloo, this was a night for YOU!” ,yelled a pained Diamond Tiara

Bump! Bump! Bump! Bump!

The service cart descending a brief flight of stairs, Scootaloo’s shifted her weight to keep the service cart from tipping over, as it violently rocked its way down. It caused her to bob her head up and down repeatedly as Diamond Tiara proceeded to speak to her.

“ I gave you everything, I made snacks for you, I had a dress made for you, I brought you to this concert, and you go crazy on Silver Spoon and I!?” ,Diamond Tiara continued unfazed save for a few stray tears.

Silver Spoon let out a little shriek at the sudden turbulence of the stairs. Scootaloo‘s exacerbated face and bobbing head did not help matters. It was a very unpleasant twenty seconds or so, an irritating, and painful eternity for Diamond Tiara.

“I’m trying to repay you Scootaloo! Bring you in! We opened up to you! Why are you so distant!? Why are you so uncomfortable?”

“I don’t know!” Scootaloo’s head inadvertently swung dynamically beneath the service cart as she cleared the stairs.

Diamond Tiara didn’t flinch despite being nearly headbutted by her. Scootaloo panted, catching her breath in the strain of piloting the cart. Not designed for speed and maneuver, the service cart took all of Scootaloo’s strength to control it.

“I can’t do it Diamond Tiara! The dress, the calorie counting, the growing up, being an elite pony, talking about capital… I can’t stand it!”

“Look out!” unexpectedly shouted Silver Spoon,

Instinctively Scootaloo, lifted her head and not a moment too soon.

Bam!

The cart hit a concrete column and fish tailed suddenly, reorienting backwards at full speed, all the fillies let out a shriek at the impact. Only Scootaloo’s balance and years of scootering, kept the service cart from capsizing. She cursed it under her breath, it was hard maneuvering this junk. The watery ice cube snacks splashed her underside. Stinging her and soaking the sandwich she still held onto, mostly out of habit now. Diamond Tiara was apparently not phased at all by the collision. She stuck her head out again from the lower level, her accusing eyes braving her whipping, glorious mane, staring right through Scootaloo. Scootaloo had to jerk her head back and forth to focus on Diamond Tiara and try to navigate the now backward service cart. A random stage hand jump out of the way of the on coming cart.

“ Okay maybe you’re not used to those things and yes, perhaps you needed to be eased into this friendship with us;but that gives you no right to ruin our whole evening like this!”,said Diamond Tiara

“Feather Bangs is a Jerk!” blurted Scootaloo, and almost on que he was right on top of the snack cart.

His torso shoving Diamond Tiara down beneath the service cart, she made an adorable little “oof,” as she was knocked back in. Her signature Tiara fell off her head and rolled on to the top of the service cart. Feather Bangs hung on and licked his muzzle with a chuckle.

“Now hand over the sandwich and I’ll autograph your forehead. Fair trade?... “

“ I don’t have an older sister!” was all Scootaloo could manage to yell at this point, snot and tears flowing.

She clutched the sandwich ever tighter to her body its shape contorting to her being, noodles and cheese spilled out. Giving it up at this point felt like surrender but Scootaloo was effectively paralyzed. With Scootaloo’s difficulty of maneuvering the cart, Feather Bangs had the upper hoof. His weight was slowing the cart down, if they didn’t pick up speed soon, he’d have the sandwich, and Scootaloo was in for a very awkward train ride home. The cart popped a wheelie, with Feather Bangs shifting his bulk back, apparently in an effort to drop the sandwich into his wanting maul.

“Remain calm Feather Bangs!” yelled Solar Shield with half a dozen security ponies in tow close behind.

“Back up is right behind you, Be advise your on stage in 10 minutes, please avoid staining your face and remember to chew your food!”

“I didn’t want an autograph!” whined Silver Spoon who wrapped herself tightly around the right hand railing of the Service cart, now facing the action head on.

“I’m so sorry, our friend isn’t feeling well!” she managed to warn a startled intern causing them to drop their coffee cups and flatten themselves against a wall on hind hooves to avoid the careening cart.

“Feather Bangs did you get my song Idea?!”, the intern yelled after the cart as it banked left around a corner straining on one wheel.

Scootaloo’s leg and wing muscles burned to keep the cart upright. She felt the sandwich slipping. Feather Bang’s muzzle opened wide revealing pearly white teeth ready to ravage a stale sandwich,this was it…

Diamond Tiara griped the bottom of the service cart and cocked her hindlegs toward the upper level.

WHAMM!

A sizable dent emerged from underneath the service cart. It flung Scootaloo on to her back and withers, but at least the cart was rushing forward again. No longer riding high on its back wheels, sandwich still plastered to her chest. Feather Bangs made an adorable little filly’s shriek in fright as he released the service cart, landing hard on his rump to the floor. Diamond Tiara’s head emerged from the lower level of the service cart, her mane flowing majestically along with a glaring, narrow gaze at Feather Bangs. Diamond Tiara’s completed her ‘back off’ expression by nonchalantly retrieving her Tiara caught in the corner of cart. She delicately placed it back upon her head with a cute little shake. She turned her glower to Scootaloo, she meant business.

“Scootaloo, get us to safety”, was all she said before ducking back down.

While Feather Bangs was neutralized for the time being, his security staff was still in hot pursuit. Scootaloo was acting more on instinct than intuition, understating the tone of Diamond Tiara’s directive more than her words. It was all the little filly needed to spring into action. Her feathers and back were splashed with water, soggy cabbage leaves, and kumquats squashed beneath. All that remained of the frozen snacks was a slurry of half melted ice cubes with the aforementioned fruits and vegetables, bobbing around in a large tray. Scootaloo wasted one second on a curt little smile, and another using her undersized wings to propel her body momentum to make a double corkscrew kick. She flawlessly kicked the tray off in one revolution, with the second revolution she righted herself forward helping pick up speed. The tray frisbeed a spray of water at the security ponies, ice cubes, kumquats and cabbage leaves scattered along the floor as slippery land mines.

“I’m slipping, getting dizzy! May day! May day!” yelled Solar Shields through his ear piece.

In his hurry all four hooves contacted with ice cubes and kumquats, his legs splayed out wildly, and he spun helplessly in place much like a little colt learning how to ice skate.The rest of the security staff fared no better. On top of that two of them were needed to hold Feather Bangs still, a makeup artist braved the chaos to powder the scuffed fur on his rump.

“I almost had it! I could taste it!” Feather Bangs yelled his frustration as he struggled to keep his balance in the slippery, edible quagmire beneath his hooves.

A disheveled Sven Gallop was reduced to holding Feather Bang’s tail in his muzzle in a desperate effort to help keep the strong and hungry pop star still.

“MPFPTH YWMML MRMMMPL YWMMLL MMMMKCKMPF!” He proclaimed through clamped teeth warning Feather Bangs not to ruin his makeup.

It didn’t look good for the security detail. The hero of the hour was a forgotten janitor, who heroically braved the spill to emplace a wet floor sign and dutifully begin mopping up. Backup security, unable to cross, huddled and began debating protocol on how best to requisition the runaway service cart.

­ “This is a lot to unload Scootaloo” said Diamond Tiara, as they raced down the remaining hallways.

It was hard enough for Scootaloo to try and remember the way out of the facility and back to the stage, even more so with Diamond Tiara. Making her presence known, head still sticking out from the lower level of the cart. Her wisping mane still not fazing her in the slightest.

“You don’t have to like the things I do, but can you at least respect them,'' she said with sadness still in her throat.

Even thought Scootaloo was glad to have some distance between them and Feather Bangs she felt terrible and awkward, piloting a service cart didn’t help matters either. She strained to keep her focus between Diamond Tiara and the path ahead.

“Look I wanted to give you an out!” said a flustered Scootaloo

“An out?”

“Yes D.T., you think I saved your life, even though the whole class was stung by bees except you and me. I planned on giving you an opportunity to save my life, so we wouldn’t have to go through this whole ordeal, this ceremony where you have to show your gratitude. Where we have to be friends due to circumstances, even though we have nothing in common. I wanted to give you an out too, so we can leave ‘even steven’ our lives intact! Free! No debts of gratitude owed.”

“This is some sort of agreement to you?…” said a hurt Diamond Tiara

Scootaloo was taken aback looking at the crestfallen Diamond Tiara, but before anything else could be said.

“I know your all in the middle of a very heartfelt talk, but eyes up! Eyes up!” yelled Silver Spoon, content on keeping her self-wrapped around the railing.

They were finally back on the stage, out in the open air, the crispness of the night surrounding them, the bright lights nearly blinding the fillies. The stage crew were within the last preparations for the premier of Feather Bang’s new song ‘Honey, Honey, Honey…You’re so sweet, won’t you be my honey bee?’, and they had erected an enormous beehive platform. The ziggurat-like structure was raised and lowered through an enormous trap door through a mix of unicorn magic and earth pony engineering. A wonder of Equestrian entertainment, it was a brilliant yellow behemoth, with a glittery foam texture that shimmered like fire on the stage, the light casting hexagonal reflections as it rotated. A ramp corkscrewed from its base to the very top of the beehive, intended for Feather Bangs and his dancers to conga line their way to top going,

‘buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz… buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz, just becuzz.’

The stage was flurry of activity with stage hands and gaffers getting everything prepared for the show behind the enormous curtains. A speeding service cart was the last thing they expected for despite preparations for the better part of a year.

“Excuse us!”

“Out of the way!”

“Coming through!”

The fillies called to the dumbfounded stage hands not wanting to injure them. The problem that Scootaloo had not anticipated was where she would take her service cart once she escaped. To avoid any collision she took the only feasible option, with all her weight, wings flapping furiously, she banked the cart hard onto the beehive’s ramp the only place free of scattering ponies. Scootaloo broke a sweat from the effort, cracks formed in the sandwich from the gripping strain, her teeth ached from grinding, as she pushed the service cart to its limit. Fortunately Diamond Tiara was on the same page, she could feel the back and forth motion of the cart and by this point knew that Scootaloo was shifting its weight to steer it. She whistled to Silver Spoon to hop the right side railing enabling Scootaloo to bank hard to make the ramp. No pony else could have convinced Silver Spoon to shift rails, she suppressed a scream, to hurl herself over to the next railing. Diamond Tiara could never ask for a more loyal friend.

“Have you ever considered that I may have wanted to connect with you all these years, Scootaloo?” Diamond Tiara continued as the cart sped up the ramp.

Scootaloo’s heart sank, the half congealed cheese of the sandwich squished against her body.

“I wanted to connect too…’, said Scootaloo “but it’s so hard!” she felt so ashamed in how she tried to recuse herself from Diamond Tiara, but instead created a disaster.

The cart was slowing down on its way to the top, a good thing, Scootaloo wouldn’t have to work so hard to control it. However, the unicorns and mechanics operating the beehive stage,were apparently unaware of events or it was too late to change anything. As the beehive continued to rotate at a speed that maintained some inertia, while the cart was slowing down due to the incline it was still moving and running out of ramp as it approached the top.

“ It is hard,” agreed Diamond Tiara “It’s hard to be friends when you have nothing in common, yet have shared so much together.”

Scootaloo’s eyes teared, realizations were coming at her from everywhere. She began to see her selfishness, how foolish and horrendously elaborate the plan to sever their relationships was. The truth was that Scootaloo did not respect Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon’s gestures even though they missed the mark more often than not. Worst still, as the top of the beehive approached they were still going too fast to stop but not fast enough to land safely.

“ I was so selfish… I didn’t see you two as peers… and you did so much for me… saying ‘no’ at the time seem so mean… ” Scootaloo said, she went numb.

It was a moment she was familiar with. It came with failed attempts in scootering, years of practice had honed her body to the feeling. That feeling were she knew she was going to fall, the pain of experience informed her to let her body go limp, if she was relaxed she’d avoid injury. That night under the scalding stage lights she felt like she was coming in for a painful landing, both figuratively and literally. Feeling began to dissipate from her body like a balloon losing air, she messed up and she knew it. The cart went into a full on nosedive after gaining a pitiful amount of air from clearing the beehive. Scootaloo was jettisoned out of the cart, she tumbled down helplessly, the world now a blur . She lifted up a hoof from her still clasped Sandwich now as messy as her situation, crumbs and noodles ran in cheesy streams up and down her legs. A desperate gesture, the only thing she could think of to add emphasis to her words. Helpless to the mercy of gravity.

“… I’m sorry Diamond Tiara, I’m sorry Silver Spoon. I didn’t give you the consideration you two deservered”. Scootaloo said tears streaming droplets from her eyes, in free fall, everything was happening so quickly that she spoke to open air rushing quickly by her.

Scootaloo just wanted to voice how she felt, to ebb the emptiness and shame. On her outward stretch hoof she felt a jarring jerk, below her she saw the dining cart break to pieces on the stage floor, still behind the curtain. The sound was drowned out by the chanting and cheering of the crowd out of view behind the deep purple curtain, growing impatient for the second half of the concert. Scootaloo stared down in disbelief.

“How I am I still alive?” she thought, she glanced back to her wings.

Had they granted her flight, disproving her doctors? Nope her two diminutive wings, remained in place burning from the exertion of the night’s events. She then looked up to see Diamond Tiara and Silverspoon floating above her.

“ Am I dead?” asked Scootaloo.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon just giggled, though Silver Spoon giggled more nervously, her eyes darting every which way scanning the horizon.

“No, silly blank flank” said Diamond Tiara wiping a tear on her shoulder, both her hooves were clasped tightly holding Scootaloo’s outstretched leg as was Silver Spoon.

Silver Spoon bracketed Diamond Tiara, their hind hooves bracing each other, while Scootaloo and her sandwich provided a counter weight, The fillies dresses had deployed into elegant, stylish parachutes. A testament to Rarity’s skill with a needle and thread, a lesser designer would’ve meant a trip to the hospital for all fillies involved. Scootaloo just hung their in amazement, as the awfully cute filly parachute gradually descended, it offered a spectacular view. She could see the thousands of ponies and creatures who crammed the stadium to see Feather Bangs, along with flickering lights of the surrounding buildings and towers. Caterlot’s spires towered like giants from the rock face above them. Green, yellow and blue lights from the palace gardens illuminated the pearly white turrets. The sky was sprinkled with lustrous stars in the deep purple night sky, Luna’s crescent moon hung large in the Sky adding to the magical moment. In that brief amount of time that always too short, but so, so worth it. The beauty of their surroundings made even the most anxious fillies at ease as they drifted, letting go. Some in the enormous crowd probably mistook a glimpse of this odd parachute as the start of the second part of the performance. Shouts of “Feather Bangs, Feather Bangs!”, “We love you Feather Bangs!” , “Marry me Feather Bangs!” and “Play the music already !” began echoing from the crowd. Some unruly, teenage griffins were already throwing refuse at the curtains before security noticed, they already had their hooves full with a wet floor and run away fillies. There were even a few young dragons, perched along the cliff sides who in jest belched streams of fluorescent flame in anticipation of the show.

‘Lottering hooligans, I wagered no pony had the muster to check if they bought tickets for this... freeloaders.’, though Diamond Tiara with a tiny huff, right after she stopped focusing on landing on the light girders and catwalk that ran above the curtain.

The landing was on the rough side but the fillies were safe at last. Just as she finished her though Diamond Tiara found herself embraced by a sobbing Scootaloo. Scootaloo tried to emote words between her blubbering, but could only sob. The sandwich she’d had clung to so tightly was now plastered to her body and she smelled heavily of cheese. Diamond Tiara just laid her hoofs around Scootaloo with her cheek on her quivering head. Silver Spoon, nearly in tears herself, wrapped her tiny frame around her friends as best she could. It was just what Scootaloo need, still sorrowful she wiped her sniffly muzzle with her noodle covered cannon. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon smiled warmly the life long friends cocked a glance at each other. No words were needed, just a nod, they were on the same page as always.

Comments

[Munro]

nothing like a little freak adventure to bond right