Diamond Tiara saves Scootaloo's Life

by lytlethelemur

Chapter 5_ Pardon me, Mad'am

After the Carousel Boutique fitting, the fillies made their way into Ponyville proper. While it was late afternoon, there was still a bustle of activity in the town center. Farmers and merchants were still selling goods from tents and carts that dominated the main square.

“ ...It would be wiser for these merchants to expand their businesses and increase efficiency to save costs, rather than sell their wares at the highest price by the cheapest means possible,“ she remarked to her friends.

“Agreed.” Silver Spoon started, “If some of these merchants would invest in capital beyond the stagnating agricultural based markets of Ponyville, much like the illustrious Rarity, they would find themselves in a much better position...

‘They keep mentioning capital, but what capital are they talking about?’, thought Scootaloo with another tongue jab at the all too stubborn cabbage leaf. Geography, followed by economics, were among Scootaloo’s weaker academic subjects. Honestly she wasn’t keeping up at all with their conversations, though this was hardly a new development.

It was not so long ago that Scootaloo would frequent Ponyville town square, towing her friends in a red rider wagon with her scooter at full speed in search of their cutie marks. They’d save their bits to buy a filly sized bouncy ball and try to pass it to one another through the busy crowds until a fed up shop keep, often Applejack, would confiscate it. On hot days the fillies would get ice cream and try to swim in the fountain until the mayor herself came out to ‘shoo’ them away. They’d hang out beneath the Ponyville bridges to wade in the cool mud pretending to be pirates.

‘Sure, we haven't done much of any of that since we got our cutie marks, but still! We know how to have fun! Seriously, these two need to crack a joke, tell a funny story, something!’ Scootaloo daydreamed that at any moment Diamond Tiara would swat her nose with her tail exclaiming, ‘Tag! Your it, Scoots! Catch me if you can!’

But none of that happened. They just walked around, tails bobbing with the forward motion of their bodies, no sign of an impending game of tag or excitement. Further compounding the lack of fun and the aimless perusing about the shops was the horrifically dull conversation. At the berry cart, Scootaloo could care less about what species of cranberry the vendor specialized in, unlike Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara.

The two rich ponies were going on about cranberries and the different variants that could be used for snacks that sounded just as disgusting as the cabbage treat from before. Grumbling at the reminder, she took another jab at the obstinate leaf with her tongue. At the same time, she decided to sneak away for a moment's respite before she became as numb as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon’s conversations. Consequently the thoughts were commanding much of her focus causing her to bump into a hairless pink creature just outside.

“ Oh Pardon, me ma’am,” it said in an eerily familiar, low and drawn out voice.

Scootaloo did a double take and recoiled not used to the unusual sight in the market place and sudden title.

“Ma’am?” She said a little too loud, the color flushed from her perfect, camera ready face.

The creature before her was none other than her fellow classmate, Snails. They awkwardly locked eyes at one another, and Scootaloo could see the colt had not fared well from yesterday’s field trip. Covered in bee stings along with a balding coat and an unsalvageable mane, he was a stark contrast to Scootaloo with her clean new look.

“Something wrong Ma’am?…Wait, Scootaloo Is that you?” said Snails with a deadpan stare, mouth agape, which was his signature expression when the clot came across any puzzlement Which was frequent.

“Ma’am?” Scootaloo repeated, unable to even think of another word. As if Snails horrifying appearance wasn’t enough, she’d never been called ‘Ma’am’ by anypony before. It felt wrong, in an incredibly weird way that she did not like.

“Snails.” piped up a familiar high pitched voice.

An equally disheveled Snips coming just in time to make the situation all the more awkward and uncomfortable.Just slightly worse for wear, his tail had lost all but a few long strands of hair that wisped in the wind as he walked. “What’s the hold up?!” he gruffly inquired, apparently on a tight schedule.

Strangely, Snip’s bushy eyebrows were the only follicles to survive yesterday’s disaster. Scootaloo struggled to keep focus on the colts who, in contrast to her, had no qualms on their compromised appearance. She remained frozen, and she discovered that it was a surprising struggle for her to not repeat ‘Ma’am’ a third time. Jabbing with her tongue at the cabbage leaf was the only act that felt natural.

“Oh hey Snips, just talk’n to Scootaloo here, beginning to realize just how grown up she is. Really makes ya think about how many birthdays have gone by, and I lost count after about four.’

Scootaloo saw a change in Snip’s demeanor, from mild annoyance to admiration.

“Oh wow Scootaloo,” replied Snips, “I must say you look rather sharp today. Miss Cheerilee better watch out! You look old enough to teach our class.”

Snips couldn’t help but chukle at his own mild teasing, he nudged Snails with his knee. It still took a moment for Snails to get the hint.

“ Oh yeah!” Snails piped up upon partial realization “but between you and me,” with genuine emphasis he leaned forward to Scootaloo, “... we could do with a lot less homework.”

“Nice to see you guys, but I gotta go,” was all the blushing Scootaloo could manage as she hurriedly walked away from her classmates.

Scootaloo felt a weird sensation all over her, as if she was suddenly aware of everypony's wandering eyes, and she was the focal point. As if colts couldn’t get any weirder, much like her cabbage leaf she struggled to dislodge the feeling, and she could hear...giggling? Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were right behind her, and they had apparently witnessed the whole encounter. The two were giggling playfully without malice, however Scootaloo knew it had something to do with what she was feeling.

“Wha… what’s so funny? Didn’t you see how Snips and Snails compared me to our teacher? Isn’t that, you know, weird?!” exclaimed Scootaloo raising her hoof in the air for emphasis.

“Well it’s obvious,” said Diamond Tiara “We’re elites, we’re mature, and ponies look up to us.“ She flicked her mane beaming with pride.

“We can be overwhelming to some.” Silver Spoon piped in, “They say the first silly things that come to their mind. It’s harmless, and sometimes charming really,'' she finished with a giggle.

The pegasus just shivered at the thought as they walked on. It began occurring to Scootaloo that Diamond Tiara and Silverspoon were not walking around aimlessly. Instead, they were taking every opportunity to show off their dresses talking to any stranger who would listen about how they would bring Feather Bangs to Ponyville. Scootaloo could only roll her eyes and this revelation.

Her spirit was dampened even further as she spotted another classmate. Button Mash was playing with a cheap toy airplane by himself, his appearance compromised much like his other classmates. It hurt Scootaloo in a strange way when he stopped focusing on his plane as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon walked by. Button Mash promptly waved hello with a stupefied look of wonder on his face as the filly’s past. What was worse, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon cocked their heads higher as they strode by, revealing the attention as they waved ‘hello’ back. It was one thing to greet one another, but Scootaloo hated the spectacle of it. The thought that she was an adult, an elite, an example of what is assumed to be the best of ponies without magical aid, was making her sick to her stomach. While they were no elements of harmony, no peaceful knights of Celestia and Luna’s monarchy, the elites were the pillars of equestrian society’s day to day. Ponies used their products, worked the shops they owned, carried out their directives, and executed their grand plans. She tongued her cabbage in frustration. The idea of the class gentry trotting around, ‘gracing’ their presence to the lower, assumingly more childish classes that served and looked up to them was revolting to her. All she could think about was playing tag in the street or even spending a bit or two for the cheap amusement of a paper plane rather than be the object of artificial importance.

Nonetheless, Scootaloo only sighed and waved back to the star struck Button Mash. The colt recoiled his head a bit, unaccustomed to seeing Scootaloo in such distinction, he quickly shot up his hoof to greet her as well. However, his limb had the misfortune of being in the flight path of the toy airplane which collided unspectacularly into his waving hoof. The fillies, ponyville’s junior elite, passed by as Button Mash looked a bit crestfallen at his broken toy. Scootaloo could only give a sad glance his way, sharing in the moment of their unsalvageable Saturday.

Author's Note:

Again sorry for the infrequent updates, its been a busy start to the year and editing has been slow.

Comments

[Munro]

and the realization comes ? ^^
short and nice chapter