Sequel to "Hidden Voices". After Sweetie Belle wins the Talent Competition against Diamond Tiara, the two fillies face off once more to gain a part in the school play.
After winning the Talent Competition, Sweetie has become more confident in her singing and has even begun to muster up the courage to audition for a part in the upcoming school play. Of course, it turns out that she isn't the only filly in the class to be interested in show tunes and Bridleway classics.
Now stuck competing against each other, Sweetie and Diamond will face off to gain a part in a play. But, what will come of the fight between the two fillies when their friends begin to doubt them?
ButtonBelle is a couple in this fic, though it is not the main focus of it.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders typically start their meetings with a bang; sometimes literally, if that time they tried to earn their pyrotechnic cutie marks was any correlation (Applejack had their tails for nearly setting the clubhouse aflame). Somepony would always make a grand suggestion of how to get their cutie marks, although it almost always ended in disaster by that suggester' s lead. That never stopped them from going at it, though.
That is, unless some members are missing from the bunch.
"Anypony know what time it is?" Apple Bloom asked lazily, looking up from the craft table with a frown.
Scootaloo glanced at the clock on the wall, briefly wondering why Apple Bloom didn't remember it, then laid back in her chair once more. "Way past when Sweetie was supposed to show up, that's for sure."
Apple Bloom groaned. "Is she out with Button again?"
Scootaloo frowned. "Probably not... She's probably at home, listening to her Bridleway albums."
They both sighed collectively, their eyes rolling in simultaneous annoyance and agreement. Ever since her victory at the school talent show a couple months back and a public performance at one of their adult friends' wedding, Sweetie had begun spending less time with the Crusaders and more of it by herself, though she seemed to spend more time with Button than Scootaloo and Apple Bloom to begin with.
"Yeesh, when was the last time she hung with us?" Apple Bloom asked.
Scootaloo paused to think about it. "Well, she talked with us at school today."
"Ah meant outside of school," Apple Bloom added, a tad more annoyed.
Scootaloo frowned. "Good point. I mean, it's been awhile, hasn't it?"
Apple Bloom nodded. "Yep, it has. Think we should say somethin' when she gets here?"
Suddenly, the door to the clubhouse opened, revealing a frazzle-maned Sweetie Belle. She darted in, grinning and skipping with excitement. "Did you guys hear?!"
Scootaloo arched a brow, hoping that Sweetie didn't hear them talking about her. "Uh, hear what?"
Sweetie faltered a bit, but she was still eccentric nonetheless. "About the play! The school's doing a play!" She pulled a flier out from her saddlebags. "They announced it after school!"
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo got up and looked at the paper, their eyes scanning over it as they read over the information out loud. "'Ponyville Elementary presents a rendition of the Bridleway classic, Eclipse, showing the tale of Princess Luna's descent into Nightmare Moon through--'"
"Music!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, hopping up in excitement. "Isn't that awesome?"
Suddenly, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo's excitement faded into annoyance. "You're here to show us something for a musical?" Scootaloo droned out.
Sweetie gaped at them, then frowned as she glared at them. "An awesome musical that earned three of the ten Pony Awards they were nominated for and won the six out of eleven nominations for the Drama Desk Awards!" She held up a hoof. "And then there's the fact that the leading actress in the original cast won a Pony Award, too! The day you besmirch the great name of Wicked Talent is the day you make an enemy of me!"
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "OK, getting over how incredibly nerdy you sound, why are you showing us this?"
Sweetie perked up in excitement. "Because how cool would it be if we got to perform in this? I mean, it'd be so totally awesome!" She looked up dramatically. "We'd be telling the story of Princess Luna, all through music and dancing!" She turned towards them with bright eyes. "What's not to love?"
"Uh, other than the fact it has a bunch of singing in it?" Apple Bloom commented.
Sweetie frowned at her. "We literally sang an entire song the other day. Don't give me that 'musicals are lame because of how much singing there is' excuse like Rainbow Dash."
Scootaloo rolled her eyes at the mention of Rainbow, who she knew was a huge musical dork like Sweetie was. "Yeah, well, I don't think I wanna get up and sing an aria over the super depressing stuff Luna went through."
Sweetie frowned. "But, it has a happy ending! Luna ends up good at the end and we get to see her returning with Celestia, even though she lost Clover the Clever and Princess Platinum during her thousand year imprisonment. Plus, there's that awesome song 'The Night Will Last Forever'! I can't wait to sing it!"
"Doesn't sound very happy to me," Apple Bloom commented.
Sweetie sighed. "You guys do get that in order for us to see Luna turn good, the Elements of Harmony are gonna have to be in the play, right? Meaning that--"
Scootaloo's jaw dropped and she leaped towards Sweetie. "Rainbow Dash is in the play?!"
"Well, the part of her, yes, but--"
"When's the audition?!" Scootaloo exclaimed, grabbing Sweetie and shaking her excessively. "When's the audition?!"
"Ne-ext wee-eek!" Sweetie cried out, her words jerking with her body.
Scootaloo dropped her to the ground, her eyes widening. "Next week? How am I supposed to make myself so undeniably awesome for the part in that amount of time?" She put on a determined face. "With Luna as my witness, I vow to hold up to Rainbow Dash's caliber of awesomeness by that time!"
Apple Bloom frowned at her friend's display as she helped up Sweetie Belle. "Y'know, you don't have to be so dramatic about it. It's not that big a deal."
Sweetie sighed once more. "Yeah, well, I guess Scoots and I can be in the play while you do tech stuff. Besides, you might not be up for it."
Apple Bloom arched a brow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Sweetie waved a hoof. "Oh, nothing. I guess you're not up for performing since that talent show a couple years back, huh? I mean, who'd expect you to try out? I mean, especially since I heard so many other ponies were going to..."
Apple Bloom "hmmph"ed. "Nice try, but Ah ain't goin' for none of that reverse psychology nonsense."
Sweetie frowned, then shrugged. "Eh, worth a shot."
Scootaloo held up a hoof. "Anypony thinking what I'm thinking?"
Sweetie grinned. "You know it!"
The two fillies smacked hooves. "Cutie Mark Crusaders: Bridleway Actors!"
Apple Bloom shook her head. "Good luck, you two. Yer gonna need it."
* * *
"Silver Spoon, did you hear?" Diamond Tiara asked, a little more excited than usual. Her usual resting face of meanness and anger dissipated into nothingness as she trotted alongside Silver Spoon, who wasn't sure what to make of Diamond's sudden mood change.
Silver Spoon shook her head, trying not to appear clueless. Diamond didn't like it when she was clueless. "Hear what?"
Diamond frowned, returning to her original sullenness. "Uh, about the play the school's having? You were there with me when I got the flier, remember?"
Silver blinked in remembrance, the memory brushing over her mind. "Oh, yeah. What about it?"
Diamond gawked at her. "What about it? You mean, other than the fact that this is one of the greatest Bridleway classics of all time?"
"Uh, what?" Silver blurted out, confused.
Diamond sighed in annoyance and she stopped her trot to put a hoof over her face. "Ugh, all these ponies and their ridiculous mediocrity!" She glared at Silver disapprovingly. "You know, I expect it from those Cutie Mark Lame-os, but from you?" She scoffed. "You know better than that."
Silver resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I'm not a big Bridleway fan. Or a musical fan. Or even a Princess Luna fan."
Diamond glared at her. "There are so many things about what you just said that made me want to hit you, but due to my ladylike behavior, I must abstain from doing so." She put on a smile. "Besides, this is a big chance for me to gain revenge on that stupid Sweetie Belle!"
"Uh, how? She doesn't seem like a Bridleway fan," Silver observed aloud.
Diamond scoffed. "Duh! But, she's still gonna want to try out because she thinks she's this big shot now that she can sing in public!" She smirked evilly. "I can't wait to knock her off that pedestal when I get up there and rock 'The Night Will Last Forever'!"
Silver, this time, did roll her eyes, though Diamond didn't see it. "And how do you think things are gonna go down after you beat Sweetie? You think Button's just gonna ditch her?"
'Besides, that didn't work out so well last time, Miss Comedy Award,' Silver thought, careful not to air it out loud.
Diamond rolled her eyes. "Please. Like I need him anymore! I am so over that high-pitched ball of annoyance!" She rose her brows expressively. "Plus, knowing her, she'll get him to try out to be Clover the Clever so that way they can kiss onstage!" She grinned. "And by the time I'm done with my audition, I'll be the one to steal a kiss from Button and it'll just tear her to bits knowing that I got the part and got to kiss Button!"
Silver frowned. She had been a witness to Sweetie Belle's singing abilities on not one, but two occasions, and she wasn't exactly sure if Diamond was capable of reaching her range. Granted, Diamond, like lots of ponies, could sing very well, but it was still going to be hard to envision her singing as a lead, let alone a likable one. "I don't know... What if she gets the part?"
Diamond narrowed her eyes. "Oh, believe me... She won't." She perked up. "Now, let's head to my place! We got a lot of practicing to do!"
"Huh?" Silver blurted out. "Why?"
Diamond frowned. "What? Someone needs to play Princess Platinum!" She flipped her mane. "She's just a supporting character, it's not that too big for you to handle."
Silver frowned a bit. 'No, but I think this might be a bit too big for you to handle.'
Chapter 2: No One Mourns the Audition... OK, That's A Lie
"And nopony in Equestria, not even dear Celes-- Scoots, will you stop with that wing flapping?!" Sweetie exclaimed, stopping her singing. "I'm trying to practice!"
"So am I!" Scootaloo protested. "I'm trying to get Rainbowed up for my audition!" She put on a fierce face and struck a pose. "Awesome!" She struck another pose. "20% cooler!" Yet another pose was struck. "Bogus!"
"Saying 'awesome' ain't gonna get ya the part, Scoots," Apple Bloom commented, a bit annoyed at her friends' antics. "Besides, Ah don't know if y'all remember or not, but we're kinda out in public, too..."
"Yeah," Button commented, a bit wary of the stares they were getting. "We kinda are."
They were all standing outside, in front of the stage where the auditions would be taking place. A lot of the ponies in school had signed up and were working on their lines together. Snips and Snails were arguing over who was who, mostly because they couldn't remember; Twist was fighting against her lisp, trying to hit a note without it holding her back, but failing to do so; Rumble and Pip were mirroring each other in perfect unison, hitting their lines perfectly, causing a stir with Snips and Snails; Cheerilee was overseeing everything, watching for conflict and making sure that everypony was present.
Sweetie felt a pinch of worry as she looked over at the group of fillies wearing Luna merchandise and costume accessories, each of them reciting their lines to each other.
"Besides, Sweets, you've been practicing all week." Button put a hoof on her shoulder. "Heck, I've been practicing with you. We could sing our songs in our sleep if we wanted!"
Sweetie sighed. "I know, but I'm worried. Luna is the lead, and I know lots of other fillies are auditioning, too..." She looked at the other fillies again. "I just don't know if I'll make it or not."
"Pfft, you'll be fine!" Button told her. "You're totally right for the part!"
A loud laugh broke through the air. "Yeah, right!"
Sweetie, knowing the high pitched laugh from anywhere, frowned as she turned to face her. "What do you want Diamond Tiara?" She narrowed her eyes. "Came to show off some stupid outfit of yours and hope that it'll get the part for you?"
"Yeah, you actually have to have talent to get the part!" Scootaloo snapped.
Diamond snickered. "Oh, I just find it a bit funny that someone as uncouth and uncultured as you could ever aspire to get the part of Princess Luna." She grinned in her usual sinister manner. Suddenly, she seemed wonderfully right to play the Nightmare. "You won't make it past the first measure, Squeaky Wheel! That 'voice' of yours would crack before you even could!"
Sweetie growled, and she took a step forward to give Diamond a piece of her mind, but was stopped by Button. He gave her a frown and shook his head as a warning before turning to Diamond. "Sweetie's got as much of a chance as you do, Diamond! So get off that pedestal and buzz off!"
Diamond didn't even flinch. "Pfft, whatever." She grinned at Sweetie. "Can't wait to see your audition, Sweetie! I'm sure it'll be... Wicked."
Sweetie Belle let out a feral growl, but was once again held back by her coltfriend. She huffed through her nose with a glare, then turned to Button. "Why'd you do that? She was being totally mean and nasty!"
"I didn't want you hitting her!" Button protested. "Seriously, I've been on the other side of those things and they hurt a lot! I mean, she may be mean, but I wouldn't wish that on her." He held up a hoof when Sweetie continued to glare at him. "Also, you would've gotten kicked out if you gave her a black eye."
Sweetie groaned and fell on her bottom as she crossed her forelegs. "But she's such a jerk!"
"Hey! You think I don't know that? She broke my Legend of Zelda game, tried to make me her lapdog, and she was a total butt to us at the wedding a couple weeks ago!"
Sweetie put her muzzle on her forelegs, which rested on her knees. "She's so lucky that the groom is still on his honeymoon... Otherwise, she'd get totally roasted.
"That, to be honest, would be a win," Scootaloo said.
Apple Bloom frowned at Diamond from afar as she grouped together with Silver Spoon, both sharing a snide giggle and their ridiculous butt bump of snootiness and exclusion. "Y'know, if Ah had known that she was going to try out, Ah probably would've gotten somethin' prepared." She held up a hoof. "Probably! That doesn't mean Ah'm about to do some tap dancing and do a little song for y'all... Ah still ain't over that Cutie Pox incident." She shrugged. "Eh, it's fine. Ah'll be fine workin' behind the scenes."
Scootaloo cheered. "Heck yeah! That'll be awesome!" She pulled Apple Bloom into a hug, smushing the farm pony against her chest and stuffing her wings into her face. "Cutie Mark Crusaders: Bridleway cast and crew!"
Apple Bloom spat out the feathers that snuck into her mouth, then rolled her eyes as her ears flattened against her head. "Yippee."
Sweetie ignored Apple Bloom and Scootaloo (who were now arguing over Apple Bloom's spit being on Scootaloo's feathers) to focus on Button. "Are you sure you can do this? We have to do our auditions separately, and we haven't done them without each other yet..."
Button nodded. "I'll be fine! Seriously, I swear." He held up a hoof and crossed it over his heart, then put it over his eye. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!"
* * *
Somewhere in Equestria, a pair of pink ears pricked up, almost as if it were on instinct. A head arose from it's pillow, revealing a head of magenta hair that was unaffected by it's presence on the pillow. Blue eyes flickered left to right repeatedly, then narrowed suspiciously.
"Hmm..." Pinkie murmured. "I feel like somepony made a Pinkie Promise... Though, I can't be sure who..."
"Pinks, go back to bed," said the pony on the other side of the bed. A sparkle of red magical aura overtook the covers and put them back over Pinkie's form, then lazily fluffed the pillows where Pinkie's head had been. "Seriously, it's our honeymoon."
Pinkie paused, looked left to right with wariness once more, then slowly pulled the covers over herself while peering over them. "Forever..."
"Bed. Now."
Pinkie plopped against the pillows. "Okie dokie lokie!"
* * *
Button paused for a brief moment. "I feel like that's going to have serious repercussions in the further future..."
"What?" Sweetie asked.
Button waved a hoof. "Nothing. Listen, you're gonna do great out there! You'll beat Diamond no problem!"
Sweetie smiled. "Thanks, Button."
"Alright, little ponies!" Cheerilee called out. "Time for the auditions! Starting up, we have Rumble!"
Scootaloo turned to the rest of her friends. "I didn't think he was gonna try out for anything. I wonder what he's gonna end up with...?"
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom exchanged knowing looks with one another, then rolled their eyes. They were both aware of the odd friendship that Rumble and Scootaloo had together, especially since they both became close after they found out about Applejack and Thunderlane dating. Apparently, Rumble had a couple concerns about Thunderlane keeping it a secret and Scootaloo had been there for him during it. What had happened, however, was something they had yet to know.
As Rumble acted out a scene, then began singing out clearly and nicely, he ended the song with a solid note. The crowd applauded, amazed at his voice.
"Whoa... Didn't know he could sing..." Scootaloo blushed lightly, prompting a sigh from Button and giggles from Sweetie and AB.
As Cheerilee called out more names, Sweetie began to ponder what she was capable of doing in her performance. She knew that since she was doing a solo cut, she wasn't going to be able to depend on another voice to help her out with her performance. Then, she also had to hit that crazy high note at the end, after it had been prefaced by several other high notes. She frowned. Why had she chosen such a hard song?
'Because I'm silly, that's why,' she mused, annoyed at herself. 'Plus, to shove it in Diamond's face when I hit that note.' She looked down worryingly. 'If I hit that note...'
"Sweetie, she's about to call out another name," Button said, nudging her. He paused when he saw her worried expression. "You OK?'
"Y-Yeah..." She replied, knowing she didn't sound sure.
"Next up, we have..." Cheerilee paused, then looked at the clipboard with more scrutiny than before. "Uh-oh."
Sweetie froze. 'Uh-oh?'
Cheerilee looked up from her clipboard awkwardly. "It would appear that two fillies are singing the same song for the same part."
Sweetie's breath hitched. 'Who could it be?'
Cheerilee frowned. "Uh, Sweetie Belle and Diamond Tiara? Could you both come here?"
Sweetie gasped and she turned to Diamond, who appeared to be just as shocked as she was. They exchanged glares before going to Cheerilee, then proceeded to send mean sideways looks to each other. When they stood in front of Cheerilee, both of them were steaming.
"Uh, girls, I know that since you both want the part, and that it's only fair of me to let you sing your songs..." Cheerilee shifted awkwardly under the hard gazes of the fillies. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to let you two sing together?"
"Absolutely not!" Diamond exclaimed, stamping a hoof. "I refuse to waste my time singing with her!"
"Diamond Tiara!" Cheerilee snapped. "Listen, I know you two aren't fond of one another, but I want this to be as fair as possible. So, if you two would please take turns with the song, then perhaps we can get on with the audition?"
Sweetie frowned. "But, how will we know when to start and when to end?"
Cheerilee sighed. "That's up to you two." She gestured towards the stage. "Go on ahead."
Sweetie and Diamond exchanged a mean glare towards one another before going up the stairs, and they didn't let it up even when they were on the stage together. Sweetie recalled a song from the musical about former Princess Platinum and Princess Luna's instant dislike of another, claiming to spend the rest of their lives loathing each other. Of course, they ended up friends in the end, but it didn't deter from the fact that Sweetie instantly understood how Luna must have felt: unadulterated loathing.
Diamond turned to the crowd. "For my audition, I will be singing my rendition of, 'The Night Will Last Forever.'" She sent Sweetie a sideways glance. "And Sweetie Belle, too, I guess."
Sweetie fumed silently. 'You're not gonna be like that when I knock you off the stage...' She wasn't sure if she meant figuratively or literally.
Diamond stepped forward, and then took a deep breath. She put a hoof on her chest, then closed her eyes in a vulnerable manner, her ears flattening against her head, almost as if she were afraid. Then, the words came spilling out of her.
Something has changed within me Something is not the same I'm through with playing by the rules of Celestia's game
Sweetie froze, unsure what to make of Diamond's voice. It was so clear and strong, Sweetie observed, and she could feel the emotion that she was letting out.
Too late for excuses Too late for any forgiveness It's time to trust my instincts, Take my place... as Princess
Sweetie, getting over her shock, jumped in. She stepped in front of Diamond, ensuring that the attention was on her.
The night will last forever It's time, the night will last forever And I won't bring it down!
Diamond, angry with Sweetie's interruption, leaped back into the song with vigor. She held her head up proudly, much like Sweetie had seen the Princesses do during royal visits. As she continued on with her song, she held out a hoof theatrically and grinned maliciously like the nightmare that visited their town all those years ago.
I'm through accepting the Sun Because Celestia says it's so
Sweetie leaned in a bit aggressively towards Diamond, then sang out a bit louder. She narrowed her eyes at Diamond, smiling in the same malevolence that Diamond showed.
Some things I cannot change But this she'll never have to know!
Diamond mimicked Sweetie Belle, though this time, she bumped into her. She smirked as she sang, matching Sweetie's intensity and even going over it as she went. To appear vulnerable, she put a hoof over her heart and put on a look of painful remembrance, though Sweetie knew it was an act.
Too long I've been afraid of Losing time I've already lost Well, if it's not mine, then it comes at much too high a cost!
Sweetie bumped back into Diamond, then stepped forward as Diamond tried to recover from her fall. She put on the same look of defenselessness, though she held a more confident air about it and even sent Diamond a sideways glare to show she meant her words.
The night will last forever Kiss the sun goodbye The night will last forever And you won't bring it down!
Diamond leaped back up, and this time, she shoved Sweetie back and took to where she once was. She resumed a powerful position and looked to the heavens with a proud grin on her face as she sang out.
So if you care to find me, Look to the moon above! As the Sun you used to worship, you shall give it all your love!
Sweetie jumped back up and shoved into Diamond, though not enough to knock her over. She glared at her and put on a fierce stance, her eyes flaming with passion and rage.
And if I'm ruling alone, At least I'm ruling free! To my dear sister, Take a message back from me!
Diamond joined in this time, not bothering to hit Sweetie Belle away or anything of the sort. They both sang in resonance, their eyes glaring into each other with fierce anger and competition.
Tell her the night will last forever! I'm flying high, the moon rising before her! And soon I'll match her in renown!
Their noses were pressed together in anger, their eyes boring into the other's as their song reached their peak.
And nopony, in Equestria, Not even dear Celestia, Is ever gonna bring me down!
They both stood on their hind legs, hoping to stand over the other, but failing due to their matched height.
Bring me down!
Then, as if they were one mind, they slammed their forehooves down together, and sang out their last, defining note.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
The song ended, but the quarrel between the two fillies didn't. Their eyes continued to flare with indignation, and as the audience watched in silent awe of their singing, they both took a step back from each other.
"Nice job," Diamond commented, nodding in acknowledgement. "I almost thought you knew what singing was for a moment there."
Sweetie returned the nod. "Thanks. You did good, too. I could almost forget that annoying hoof waving you were doing like a over-dramatic thespian."
Diamond smirked. "See you at the cast listing."
Sweetie frowned as Diamond stalked off the stage, and sighed as she went off on the opposite side. 'I got an awful lot more competition than I thought...'
* * *
Sweetie tapped her hooves awkwardly as she looked towards the school doors, her eyes flickering from them to the ground. It had been a good couple of days since the auditions, and now that she was sitting outside for the cast list, she suddenly didn't feel so confident like in why she came.
"Ugh, what's taking her?" Diamond groaned. She stood on the opposite end of where Sweetie was sitting, and she looked more bored than concerned. "How long does this thing take?"
Sweetie, deciding not to engage her, rolled her eyes. She glanced towards Scootaloo, who was frantically flapping her wings in anticipation as she looked towards the doors with wide, anxious eyes. Apple Bloom remained indifferent and chewed on a piece of wheat she must have picked before coming with the group. Button was beside Sweetie, smiling in support, though obviously tense and awkward about it all.
"Maybe she's checking it again?" Silver Spoon added on, then flinched as Diamond glared at her.
Diamond rolled her eyes. "Well, maybe she's just making sure that Squeaky Wheel doesn't get the part. It'd be such a shame if Princess Luna was going to be played by such a commoner!"
Button stepped up, ready to say something back, but Sweetie held him back with a foreleg. "Just ignore her, Button. Besides, it's not like we both didn't do a good job."
"Yeah, what she-- Wait, huh?" Diamond blurted out. She didn't have time to question Sweetie's words as Cheerilee stepped out, prompting everypony around it to stand at attention collectively.
"I have the cast list!" Cheerilee stated, holding it up.
Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes in annoyance, then looked to Sweetie with a mean smirk. "Well, I guess it's safe to say that Princess Luna is obviously going to be played by--"
"Sweetie Belle!" Cheerilee called out. "Sweetie Belle will be the one playing the part of Princess Luna!"
Sweetie's jaw dropped along with Diamond's, and they both gawked at their teacher. "Huh?"
"This is an outrage!" Diamond called out, stamping a hoof. "I should be the one to play Luna, not her!"
Cheerilee frowned at her. "Diamond, you have a lead part, too. You'll be playing Princess Platinum!"
"What?" Diamond shouted, mortified. "I tried out to be Luna!"
"I know, but so did Sweetie Belle. Besides, you two were both too good to not give lead parts!" She turned to the rest of the ponies waiting for their parts. "And for the male lead, we have Rumble playing Clover the Clever!"
Button, who was smiling at the announcement of Sweetie's part, dropped his jaw. "Wait, what? But--"
"And, for the part of Rainbow Dash, we have Scootaloo!"
"Whoooooo!" Scootaloo cheered, rising over the ground with excitement as her wings flapped excessively. "I got the part!"
"Rumble got the part?" Button exclaimed, too shocked to notice anything else. "But, I worked so hard on that audition!"
"And for the part of Starswirl the Bearded, Clover's mentor, we have Button!"
"Noooooooooo!" Button cried, collapsing onto the ground. "This is a nightmare!"
Diamond growled angrily. "No..." She turned to Sweetie Belle with a glare that reminded her of Fluttershy's infamous stare, only more icy and frightening. "But it will be."
Sweetie cowered a bit, her ears flopping down on her head in fear. "Oh, dear Luna, please help me."
"I can't believe this!" Button cried out, collapsing into his chair. "I got cast as an old dude! This is the..." He paused, then counted to himself for a moment before resuming his dramatic behavior. "Third most embarrassing thing to ever happen to me!"
"Third?" Apple Bloom asked, looking up from the craft table where she was painting a couple of stars for the set. "Ya mean to say that there's not one, but two more embarrassing things than this for you?" Her eyes widened and she shuddered a bit before shaking her head. "Never mind, Ah don't wanna know..."
"Yeah, I'm not surprised," Scootaloo commented, though she didn't seem to care. "Besides, it's not that big a deal. At least you still got a big part!"
"But, now I'm not gonna be paired with Sweetie!" Button protested. "And Rumble gets to-- Ugh!" He crossed his forelegs in anger and pouted. "I can't believe Cheerilee is gonna let him kiss Sweetie!"
Sweetie didn't seem to hear him. "Diamond Tiara's gonna kill me... She's gonna kill me, and she's gonna get to play Luna for the play... And then she's gonna dance on my grave to rub it in my face. She'll probably do a parody of 'The Night Will Last Forever' while she's at it."
Button frowned. "Sweetie! Are you even listening to me?"
Sweetie blinked, then turned towards him with a blank look on her face. "Uh, sorry, did you say something?"
He groaned. "I can't believe you're not freaking out about this! Rumble and you are going to kiss! Why aren't you up and hooves over it like I am?!"
Sweetie frowned at him. "Because, it's kinda not a big deal...? We're just acting, and I don't think Cheerilee's gonna let us kiss anyway. That's for big productions, not school productions." She paused. "I think."
"But, you two are still romantic interests!" Button exclaimed, glaring at her. "Why aren't you upset over that?"
Sweetie huffed angrily. "Because I have bigger things to worry about! I'm going to be stuck practicing with Diamond for two hours a day for the next couple of weeks! Do you have any idea how terrible it's going to be for me to sit there and watch her show off?"
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom rolled their eyes. "Yeah, she's showing off," Scootaloo commented, though Sweetie didn't hear her.
"Alright, everypony, time to get into places!" Cheerilee called out, breaking through the group. "Now, let's get to into the storytelling!"
Sweetie Belle sighed in annoyance as she trotted onstage, where Diamond Tiara stood. She rolled her eyes at the other filly's "hmmph" of annoyance, and she walked to a respectable distance.
"Alright, now, let's get on with the song in which Platinum and Luna meet for the first time! And... action!"
As the music started, the two fillies turned from each other, then recited their lines.
(Diamond Tiara) Dear darling-est and wonderful Princess Celestia...
(Sweetie Belle) My dear sister...
(Both) There's been some confusion over rooming in the castle
(Sweetie Belle) But of course I'll keep to my duties
(Diamond Tiara) But of course, it won't be a hassle!
(Both) For I know that's how I must respond, yes. There's been some confusion, for you see my neighbor is...
(Diamond Tiara) Unusually and distinctively personal And all together quite impossible to say...?
(Sweetie Belle) ...Blonde.
Then, both fillies turned to each other, as if noticing each other for the first time. Diamond blinked in surprise, as did Sweetie, and both stared at each other in silence for a long moment.
(Diamond Tiara) What is this feeling, So sudden and new?
(Sweetie Belle) I felt the moment, my eyes fell on you
They began circling the stage, their eyes never leaving each other as they did.
(Diamond Tiara) My heart is pulsing
(Sweetie Belle) My hooves are numbing
(Diamond Tiara) Good Lord, I'm repulsing!
(Both) What is this feeling? The feeling seems to burn But does it have a term?
Their circling became closer and the two of them were suddenly very close to each other.
(Both) Yes!
They stopped right in front of each other simultaneously.
(Both) Hating! Unadulterated hating!
(Diamond Tiara) For your dress!
(Sweetie Belle) Your horn.
(Diamond Tiara) So grating!
(Both) Let's just say that...
They looked each other up and down, then frowned in digust.
(Both) I hate it all! Every little detail, no matter size Makes me want to groan and sigh
With simple, utter hating There's an acceleration With each conversation It's pure, so wrong!
Though I do admit it came on quick, It keeps on sucking like a tick! And I will be hating, hating you My whole life!
Then, a crowd of schoolkids came in, including Twist, Snips, Snails, and all the other ponies who didn't get a big part.
(Crowd) Dear Platinum, you are just too kind! This sort of thing boggles the mind! She's a monster, she's a terror! We don't mean to show any bias, But, Platinum, you're our sharer!
(Diamond Tiara) Well... These things are meant to try us!
(Crowd) Poor Platinum, forced to reside Next to someone so awful inside! We just want to show you That we're all on your side!
The crowd glared at Sweetie collectively, and she wasn't sure if it was genuine or not.
(Crowd) We share your hating!
Diamond and Sweetie began to circle each other again, this time more predatory than the first.
(Both) What is this feeling, So sudden and new?
(Crowd) Unadulterated hating! For her dress, her horn, so grating!
(Both) I felt the moment, My eyes fell on you!
(Crowd) Let's just say...
(Both) My heart is pulsing! My hooves are numbing!
(Crowd) We hate it all!
(Both) Oh, what is this feeling?
(Crowd) Every little trait no matter size...
(Both) Does it have a term?
(Crowd) Makes us want to groan and sigh!
(All) Yes, aaaaaaaah!
(Crowd) Hating!
(Both) Hating!
(Crowd) Hating!
(Both) There's a strange acceleration
(Crowd) Hating!
(Both) With every conversation! It's pure, so wrong!
(Crowd) So wrong!
(Both) Though I do admit it came on quick, It keeps on sucking like a tick!
(Crowd) Hating!
(Both) And I will be hating you for forever!
(Crowd) Hating, hating, hating you!
(Both) Loathing, truly, deeply, loathing you--!
(Crowd) Hating you our whole life long!
(Both) My whole life long!
As the two stood in front of each other, glaring, Sweetie smirked and jumped up. "Boo!"
"Ahh!" Diamond shrieked, before reverting to a glare as Sweetie laughed.
"Cut!" Cheerilee called out. She sighed. "Sweetie, you can't scare Diamond like that."
Sweetie frowned. "But, that's what happened in the play!"
"Well, yes, but you can't actually scare her," Cheerilee said. "It's a bit mean spirited.
Sweetie sighed. "Yes, Miss Cheerilee..."
Diamond grinned, but ceased when Cheerilee spoke to her. "Also, Diamond? Perhaps you shouldn't sing so loudly... I could barely hear Sweetie Belle."
Diamond frowned, then rolled her eyes. "Yes, Miss Cheerilee..." She cut a glare to Sweetie Belle. "Try not to outshine me next time, Sweetie Belle. You wouldn't want anything to go badly for you, right?"
Sweetie gritted her teeth in annoyance as Diamond stalked off the stage, but she didn't have time to really dwell in her anger when Cheerilee called out for the next scene.
"Alright, so how about we skip over 'Something Dark', and go straight to 'Going Through Life'?"
Suddenly, Diamond was back onstage next to Sweetie in a millisecond. "Wait, what?"
"But, that scene's so important!" Sweetie protested, the scene milling through her mind.
"It's supposed to be when Luna speaks with Starswirl and begins to question her place as princess!" Diamond shouted, mortified and shocked.
"And it's supposed to be the moment where she begins to show her doubt--" Sweetie added.
"And her true character, which--"
"--foreshadows her transformation in 'The Night Will Last Forever' where she turns into Nightmare Moon!" they finished together. They both looked to each other in shock, then began to glare as they got over their surprise.
"Just what do you know about Luna's characterization?" Diamond sneered.
"I could say the same thing to you," Sweetie growled, leaning in aggressively.
Cheerilee stepped between them. "You know, if you two are so keen on practicing your songs, then maybe you could practice together outside of rehearsal?"
Sweetie and Diamond backed away from each other. "Ugh, as if!"
Cheerilee frowned. "I see... Well, on with the next scene, then."
* * *
Button fumed silently as he watched Rumble sing onstage with the rest of the cast, and he crossed his forelegs angrily. "Stupid Rumble and his stupid singing voice... I can't believe I'm stuck back here while he gets to have all the fun out there."
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "Dude, let it go. We both know that Sweetie isn't gonna go for him because she likes you too much. Besides, I don't think he likes her that way."
"Probably 'cause he likes you instead?" Apple Bloom suggested, waggling her brows.
Scootaloo glared at her. "No!" She turned away with a huffy expression, then looked back in interest. "You think so?"
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She turned her attention back to the stage, then frowned as she watched Sweetie and Diamond sing together. "I'm a bit worried about Sweetie... Y'all don't think that this is goin' to her head, do ya?"
Button "hmmph"ed. "Doesn't matter to me. Oh, or to her, because she obviously doesn't understand what I'm going through! I'm suffering and she doesn't care!" He collapsed onto the floor. "Agony!"
Scootaloo rose her brows. "Or maybe she's just a bit swept up in the play? I mean, you saw how aggressive she got when she got up there."
Apple Bloom nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's kinda freakin' me out. Especially at how they were agreein' about the songs and stuff."
Button sat up instantly. "What?! She's making nice with the enemy?!"
"Yeah, scarily enough," Scootaloo said, looking at the two fillies. She sighed a bit in relief when they sent each other mean glares and stalked away from each other to continue on with a another song. "Well, I guess it's not too bad. Besides, it's not like they're friends or anything, right?"
"Yeah, outside the play," Apple Bloom commented. "Remember how she said that Platinum and Luna become friends or somethin'?"
"Yeah, but that's just acting!" Scootaloo said, looking over at the stage. She frowned a bit as she saw Rumble and Sweetie talking to each other, then shook her head. "Yeah... Just acting..."
Chapter 4: This Ain't A Scene, It's A... Wait, Never Mind
"Nope!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, dropping her script. "I'm not doing it!"
Cheerilee frowned at her. "Sweetie Belle, come on. We have to get this scene down for the play, and we're not getting anywhere with rehearsal."
"I am not going to kiss Rumble!" she exclaimed. She paused, then spared him an apologetic look. "No offense."
He shrugged. "None taken. Besides, I don't wanna do it either."
Cheerilee sighed. "Sweetie, you spent five minutes complaining about the accuracy of the script, and now you're saying we cut something out of it? Why are you being so picky about this?"
Sweetie groaned. "Because, this is different! The kiss is optional! But, Luna can't just ignore the fact that there are bat ponies being made into slaves and treated as livestock by the other ponies! They're part of her cause and part of the reason for her revolt against Princess Celestia to begin with!"
"Sweetie, that's a rather... controversial matter that I'm sure the play can do without," Cheerilee told her.
Diamond Tiara peered in from the side of the curtains with Silver Spoon, who had been watching the exchange for quite a bit. "What are they arguing about?" Diamond asked.
Silver shrugged. "Probably some stupid revision Miss Cheerilee made to the play."
Diamond frowned. "What kind of stupid revision?"
Sweetie stamped her hoof once more. "The struggle of the bat ponies is essential to the plot! Because of Discord's experimentation of ponies during his rule and tricking Luna into using her powers into creating them, she feels responsible for their mistreatment! She wants to make up for the mistake she made while trying to battle Discord, and in doing so makes an entire guard comprised of them so that they may have a form of employment and housing within the castle!"
Diamond's eyes widened. "Cheerilee's trying to take that out of the play? Especially when the bat ponies are still under prejudice due to Luna's transformation into Nightmare Moon and their loyalty to her during that time has followed them for the past 1000 years?" She narrowed her eyes. "I can't believe her! She's so unbelievably ignorant!"
Silver stared at Diamond for a long moment. "How do you even know all that?"
Diamond glared at her. "Because, despite what you think, I know an awful lot more than you do." She turned to Sweetie and Cheerilee once more. "When in the gaze of your enemy, one must appear to be incompetent so that others believe it to be so."
Silver blinked. "OK... What are you gonna do about it? Are you gonna tell Cheerilee about it?"
Diamond frowned. "I don't know. I mean, I don't want her butchering the play and it's meaning..." Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Sweetie Belle. "But I also don't want to help that stupid Crusader, either." She sighed. "Ugh, I hate not knowing what to do!"
"So just go say something," Silver told her. "It doesn't have to be for Squeaky Wheel, you know."
Diamond groaned a bit. "Ugh... I hate this." She walked away from the curtains and towards the student and teacher. "Miss Cheerilee?"
Cheerilee sighed a bit raggedly before turning to face Diamond. "Yes, Diamond? I'm in the middle of a discussion with Sweetie Belle.
Diamond tried to ignore Sweetie's glare and instead focused on Cheerilee. "Well, that's what I was here to talk about. I, uh..." She swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth. "I kinda... agree... with Sweetie Belle."
Sweetie's eyes widened, and everypony in the immediate vicinity gasped loudly. Snips and Snails dropped their set pieces. Twist spilled a can of paint from the top of her ladder, drenching three other foals in midnight blue. Pipsqueak's costume fell apart, almost as if it were from his own surprise.
However, Cheerilee got over her shock quickly and she put on a more questioning face. "Wait, you mean to say that you understand the struggle of the bat ponies and what the play means to convey with it?"
Diamond rolled her eyes. "Duh! I mean, it's an absolute necessity! Without the torture of the bat ponies caused by Discord and his beguilement of Luna, the story has, like, no meaning! Luna became rebellious against Celestia because everypony was being super nasty to the bat ponies and used them as a scapegoat to avoid all of the other dribble that commoners had to go through!" She frowned at Cheerilee disapprovingly. "The thought of someone taking something so meaningful out of a play is absolutely atrocious!"
"Uh, yeah!" Sweetie agreed, though still somewhat shocked. "What she said!"
Cheerilee sighed. "Oh, well... I was trying to save us on time, but it would appear that we're going to have quite a bit more time trying to get this all down... Now the show's gonna run for at least two hours."
Sweetie shrugged. "So? The show is supposed to be that long!"
Diamond nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's all super essential to the story! Otherwise, like, what's the point?"
Cheerilee frowned at both the students. "Well, if you two know so much about it, then how about you two lead the practice for it?" She rubbed her temple. "I'm getting a migraine."
Sweetie looked to Diamond with wary eyes. "Um... OK, I guess." She shifted awkwardly. "So, uh, what scene do you want to do?"
Diamond thought it over and hummed a bit. "How about we do the opening scene? You know, where everyone's singing about the story of Nightmare Moon and how she came to be?"
"Ooooh, you mean 'No One Mourns the Eclipsed'?" Sweetie asked, her eyes sparkling. "I love that sequence!"
Diamond smiled a bit. "Same." She frowned, her eyes narrowing as she remembered who she was talking with. "Though, I doubt it's because of the overture and the musical styling..."
Sweetie frowned, then sighed. "Whatever, Diamond. Let's just get on with it." She turned to the rest of the cast. "Come on, everypony! Let's get this show going!"
* * *
"Ugh, stupid play..." Silver Spoon muttered, shaking her head as she passed the dozens of star decorations. "I wish Diamond had never made me get involved in this stupid... dumb... thing!" She sighed in annoyance as she glanced at her crude bat wings on her back, no doubt drawn by the Cutie Mark Crusaders or even Snips and Snails. "I didn't even want to be a stupid bat pony..."
"OK, that's it!" a voice shouted.
Silver blinked, then trotted over to where she heard the voice. She wasn't sure what to think when she saw Button and the other Crusaders sitting together, obviously angry and annoyed for whatever reason.
"Button, what part of 'Sweetie is just actin' don't ya get?" Apple Bloom asked. "Ya know she wouldn't kiss Rumble if she had a choice in the matter."
"Yeah, well, maybe she shouldn't act like she enjoys it so much!" Button commented, growling angrily. "I mean, does she even know what she's doing to me?"
Scootaloo scoffed. "You think you're the only one tired of this play business? She's become totally immersed in this stupid thing!"
"Yeah!" Button concurred. "I mean, did you see her and Diamond Tiara back there? They were making friends!"
"Ugh, you're telling me..." Silver Spoon commented under her breath. She froze as the Crusaders' attention swiveled towards her. "Oops."
They all collectively glared at her. "What do you want, Silver?" Scootaloo snapped.
Silver frowned at them, then snatched her bat wings off of her back and threw them behind her. "I'm here because I'm sick of this play, too!" She growled angrily. "Ugh, stupid Diamond made me audition for this stupid play and now I'm stuck playing a stupid bat pony!"
Scootaloo blinked. "I thought you did everything she told you to because you liked to...?"
Silver shook her head. "Not this time! This time, I'm suffering when I should be up there having fun with her! She's having more fun with Sweetie Belle than she is with me!" Her ears fell down. "I don't get why they get to have fun while the rest of us are stuck with the trash..."
Scootaloo frowned. "Yeah, I get where you're coming from. I mean, it's cool playing Rainbow Dash, but it's not fun watching Sweetie and Diamond make friends! I thought they hated each other!"
"Yeah! Diamond tried to make me her coltfriend and now they're talking like they've been friends since forever!" Button shook his head. "Where's her loyalty?!"
"Whoa, guys, Ah'm upset, too, but don't you think we're overreacting?" Apple Bloom questioned. "Ah mean, Sweetie is gettin' a bit immersed in the play and all, but maybe--"
"She's making friends with Diamond Tiara, AB!" Scootaloo exclaimed. "You know, the girl that's been making fun of you since you were little!"
Apple Bloom frowned. "Well, yeah, but they're just actin'!"
"Oh, really? How long will it be until the two of them are the best of friends, and soon, all of us will be forgotten?" Scootaloo stood up dramatically. "Before you know it, they'll be doing Silver and Diamond's stupid butt bump!"
"They wouldn't dare!" Silver and Apple Bloom exclaimed, horrified at the thought.
"OK, that's it!" Button proclaimed. "From this moment forth, we will no longer tolerate the traitorous ways of Sweetie Belle!"
"Uh, dude, isn't she your girlfriend?" Scootaloo asked, suddenly remembering the fact herself.
Button paused. "Oh, yeah... I guess we can talk about it after the play is over, then." He stood up once more. "From this moment forth, we shall not tolerate the traitorous ways of Sweetie Belle until after the play so we can all talk about it!"
Apple Bloom sighed. "And that's when everythin' went downhill..."
"Places, everypony!" Cheerilee called out. "Places!"
Sweetie Belle fidgeted, though she wasn't sure if it was because of the fake, entended horn on her head, the itchy, sparkly wig, or the wings that were tied onto her costume. Or perhaps it was because it was opening night for the play. It was probably that last one, even though her head felt like it was covered in lice.
"Now, remember everypony! Make sure to keep your vowels tall and your voices beautiful! Never sing louder than what's pretty!" Cheerilee trotted past Sweetie and over to Diamond. "Now, Diamond, remember what I told you?"
"Don't sing too high," Diamond responded with a roll of her eyes. "Yes, Miss Cheerilee, I know."
Cheerilee nodded in affirmation. "Good!" She turned to Sweetie. "Now, get ready for the scene after this! You won't be coming in until after--"
"'No One Mourns the Eclipsed'," Sweetie said. "Yeah, I know." 'I'm just terrified, is all... Oh, and my friends aren't here and they haven't talked to me during this whole time because I bet they're mad at me for ditching them to practice alone for the past couple of weeks. There's that, too.'
As Cheerilee walked away, Diamond walked over to Sweetie. "Break a leg out there, Squeaky Wheel."
Sweetie rolled her eyes. "Go shatter your femur, Diamond."
Diamond smirked. "Gladly." She turned towards the stage, then glanced back. "Hey, Sweetie?"
"Yeah?"
"Even if your friends don't show tonight, I want you to know..." She swallowed. "I want you to know that I got your back. Even if you're annoying and uncultured like a swine. Because you're my annoying and uncultured swine."
Sweetie arched a brow in confusion. "Uh, thanks... I, uh, really appreciate that?"
Diamond sighed. "Sorry, I'm not good at being nice. Besides, you're a nice swine." The lights blinked on and off on the stage. "Well, there's my cue. I'll see you in the next scene..." She smiled a bit. "Princess Luna."
Sweetie smiled. "Right back at you... Princess Platinum."
Diamond flipped her mane, which was really a platinum blonde wig that she had to wear for "historical accuracy". While Sweetie was glad that Cheerilee was taking her advice to heart, she wasn't happy with the fact that her head and body was itching from all the synthetic items she was wearing. "See you when come on!"
Sweetie's smile faded from sight as Diamond walked onstage, where she was greeted with applause from the audience. 'Probably from her costume... Rarity did a really good job with it.' She looked down at her "wings", which was tied onto a midnight blue strap that fit nicely with her matching blue body suit. While it left her face exposed, you couldn't really tell because of the blue foundation that was on caked onto her face.
"Dear, do make sure that you don't sweat too much," Rarity had told her as she brushed on the powder. "It'll make your makeup run."
Sweetie let out a long, heavy sigh as she looked at the stage lights. "Those are gonna be hot as Tartarus..." She winced at the thought of her make up running, making her look like a zombie version of Princess Luna. She shook her head to rid herself of the thought. 'I can't afford to chicken out.. I've come too far... Besides, Diamond just now started to respect me to a certain degree.'
"Hey, you OK?" Rumble asked as he stepped up to her side. "You look kinda sick..."
Sweetie nodded sagely. "Y-Yeah... I'm f-fine..."
Rumble frowned. "You sure? 'Cause you look like you're about to throw up."
"I just might," Sweetie croaked, looking through the curtains. "I'm just... I'm really scared."
"Why?" Rumble questioned, confused. "You sing pretty great and you know every line by heart. Why are you scared?"
"Because what if I mess up?" Sweetie looked at the stage with wide eyes as Diamond's voice pierced the air. "I can't hit the notes all the time... I've tried so hard to practice it, but sometimes, my voice just gives out..." Her eyes filled with tears. "And Button and Scootaloo and Apple Bloom don't even wanna be near me because of how I've been acting about this whole thing, so my own coltfriend probably doesn't even care that I'm freaking out right now and that I'm about to cry because I don't know what to do and I feel like I'm gonna ruin the show and I- I-"
"Whoa, Sweets, are you OK?" asked Button, who came trotting up in his full Starswirl costume. "You look pretty freaked out."
Sweetie wiped her eyes, careful not to smudge her makeup. Rarity would kill her if she did. "I thought you didn't want to see me..."
Button frowned. "Of course I wanna see you!" He glanced at Rumble sheepishly. "I guess I just got a bit upset about Rumble playing Clover and me being cast as an old guy..." He looked at Sweetie apologetically. "Sorry if I've been avoiding you for the past week during practice."
"And I'm sorry for ditching you for solo practice," Sweetie admitted. "It wasn't OK, and I didn't even sound good, anyway..."
"Hey, that's not true!" Button exclaimed. "I bet you sounded great!"
Sweetie sniffled. "You think so?"
"Totally! And... I'm really sorry for getting upset with you a couple weeks ago. That wasn't cool."
Sweetie smiled. "It's OK, I wasn't in the right, either..." She frowned. "Where are Scoots and AB at? I wanna apologize to them, too."
"Uh, I think that's gonna have to wait..." Rumble said, pointing to the stage.
Sweetie's eyes widened and she turned to see that the stage was clearing out for her entrance. "Oh, no..." She backed away. "Uh-uh, I can't do it. I'll mess up... I'll mess up, and everypony will laugh at me!"
Button pulled her in for a sideways hug. "It's OK! You'll do OK!" He smiled at her. "I promise it!"
Sweetie shook her head. "No I won't... I'm gonna mess up!" Tears pricked her eyes once more and she backed away. "I won't be able to handle it... I can't--"
"Sweetie, are you OK?" Diamond asked as she walked backstage. Her brows were furrowed a bit, and she looked a bit... worried, actually.
Button frowned at her and prepared for a mean reply, but Sweetie beat him to the punch. "No, I'm not... I'm gonna mess up."
Diamond frowned at her disapprovingly. "Are you really crying on opening night, of all nights? Dress rehearsal, sure, I get that, but opening night? C'mon, Squeaky Wheel, you should know better than this!"
"But--" Sweetie tried to say.
"And seriously, you're worrying about messing up?" Diamond rolled her eyes. "Please, those notes are high enough to make trouble for Wicked Talent herself, and she's the original actress and singer for Celestia's sakes!"
"Well, yeah, but--"
"And you happen to have an amazing vocal range, but because you're too busy worrying about your stupid cutie mark being in something else, you keep missing opportunities to be better!" Diamond let out a groan. "Yeesh, tie the shoe you have on and quit trying one other pairs!"
Sweetie blinked. "Are you... saying my special talent is singing?"
Diamond stared at her for the longest time, then she smacked a hoof to her forehead. "You're an idiot, and your friends are idiots, too. Yes, your special talent is singing!" She pointed at the stage. "The fact that it's taken you this long to figure it out just goes to show why you and those Crusaders are such lame-os! Now get out there, and sing!"
"Why do you care so much?" Button asked, a bit apprehensive about Diamond's "encouragement". "I thought you hated Sweetie!"
"Oh, believe me, I do," Diamond told him. "But if she goes down, then I go down with her!" She pointed at Sweetie. "Now tighten those wings, hold your head up, and get out there before I push you out there!"
Sweetie gulped. "OK... I'll go."
Button gave her a reassuring smile. "You'll do great out there! I swear it!"
"And just what do you think you're doing?" Diamond snapped at him. "I can't believe you're wearing blue without any silver! You'll bring this whole production down by your jinxing!"
Sweetie's eyes widened. "Oh, the silver rule! I forgot all about that!"
"Silver rule?" Button asked, confused.
"It's bad luck to wear blue without silver onstage," Sweetie explained. "I can't afford to jinx the performance! That's like saying the M word!"
"What's the M word...?" Button asked.
Diamond glared at him. "Oh, uh-uh, I am not risking that!" She turned to Sweetie Belle. "Here, use this." Diamond slipped on a silver bracelet to Sweetie's ankle. "It's not a lot, but I don't want you bringing this down because of that blue you have on."
Sweetie gawked at the bracelet. "How much did this thing cost?! This is real silver!"
"And this is a real production, so I suggest you get out there and get ready for your part!" Diamond pushed her to the edge of the curtains. "Now get out there and sing!"
Sweetie looked out to the stage, her eyes quivering from the sight of it. Then, she glanced back at Diamond and Button, who were both watching her expectantly. Sweetie took a deep breath and looked to the stage once more. "Here goes nothing."
Then, with that, she trotted onstage, praying that somewhere out there that Wicked Talent was wishing her the best of luck.
"Clover!" Luna cried out, her hooves slamming against her bedroom door. "Please, don't hurt him! It wasn't his fault!"
"Sorry, Your Highness," the guard said to her. His expression was solemn and expressionless, devoid of any sympathy. "Your sister and Starswirl think it would be best for you to stay within your chambers while the proceedings go forth."
"But I have to see him!" Luna wailed. "I have to let him know that I--"
"Luna, please, calm down," a voice said as a figure appeared in the room's adjoining door. The figure looked to the guard and nodded in acknowledgement. "Sir, please, can you leave us for a moment?"
The guard dipped his head in respect. "As you wish, Princess."
Luna glared at the pony who entered the room. "This is your fault. He never would have been tried if you hadn't done what you had done." She turned away from her. "I can't believe how low you've sunken to, Platinum."
Princess Platinum sighed and she approached Luna with care. She was wearing her regalia and crown, a purple cape draped around her to show her wealth. "Lulu, please understand that I didn't mean for this to happen. What Clover did--"
"Was to protect me," Luna finished, still not looking at her. "I know. I know why he did it. But that doesn't excuse what you did." She looked over her shoulder at Platinum. "You were the one who called the guards in to capture him."
"He was helping you with that wretched spell!" Platinum protested. "He was going to help you seal your sister away into the sun! How on earth could I let that happen?"
Luna whipped around to face her. "'Let'? What in the name of Iridia makes you think that you would ever hold a candle to my magic? I'm a goddess that can move celestial bodies. I was a student of Starswirl's and I've had more training with magic than you've ever had. I am powerful." She narrowed her eyes at Platinum. "All you know how to do is wear the new shiny thing that Daddy bought you."
Platinum frowned at her. "Your words aren't going to hurt me. I know what I did was wrong and I've already done my suffering. Clover's down in the court right now being charged for his crime in conspiring against the princess. You're lucky he hasn't given you up."
Luna scoffed lightly. "Of course he wouldn't. He's loyal. That's more than I can ever say of you."
"Luna, you're being foalish!" Platinum snapped. "I don't understand why you're acting this way! What has Celestia done to deserve your hatred and plotting?"
Luna growled at her. "You would never understand. You got everything you've always wanted! You got all the attention of Equestria! Everypony worships you, and yet you aren't satisfied! It's always been your dream to be recognized, hasn't it? And now that you've got it, you still can't get over yourself enough to be happy! What more could you possibly want?"
Platinum's eyes closed. "The one thing I really wanted didn't want me back. He wanted you instead."
Luna glared at her. "What are you babbling on about?"
Platinum looked away from her. "You really are stupid, Luna. I never cared about the attention or the worship." She sighed raggedly. "All I wanted was somepony to love me." She looked back at Luna, a hard, icy look in her eyes. "But, he loves you instead."
Luna blinked in shock. "You mean... Clover?"
"He's always loved you," Platinum told her. "He never told you, but he does. And that's why he hasn't given you up. Because that fool is in love with you."
Luna's eyes pricked with tears once more, but she swiped her eyes quickly as her face contorted in rage. "And that's another thing my sister will have taken from me... It's not enough she has Equestria to love her and worship her, but now she has to take away my love... That selfish mare!"
"So that's what this has been about," Platinum realized. "You've been upset about your sister having all the attention? That's what this has been about?"
"See? I told you that you couldn't understand." Luna turned away from her. "Now, go... Before I call the guards in to make you."
"That won't be necessary," Platinum whispered. "I'll leave on my own." She trotted over to the door, then paused. "I just wish we could go back to the way things used to be."
"But we can't," Luna said rigidly. "Because everything has been changed."
Platinum lingered for a long moment, her eyes glistening in the moonlight. Finally, she exited the room, tears flowing down her face as she left her friend for the last time.
* * *
As the lights came down for the next scene, Sweetie took a moment to gather her breath. She and Diamond hadn't had time to speak to each other in between scenes, since they were both constantly having to change and shift from one place to another, though the glances they sent each other during their makeup touch ups were enough to leave them both awkward.
Sweetie looked over to the stage, where Twist was acting as Pinkie Pie and singing her silly song about laughing away fear. Scootaloo was laughing out, though if it was real or not was a mystery to Sweetie Belle. She'd have to apologize to her when the show was over for being such a diva.
"Ugh, glad that's over," Button commented as he approached Sweetie. After Button's last scene as Starswirl, he had taken off his hat and beard and looked like his normal colt self. "That beard was itchy."
Sweetie snorted. "Try a horn and wings, dork."
"Sweetie, don't talk while I touch up your makeup!" Rarity snapped. "I want you to look perfect for these last few scenes! You're supposed to be the dreaded Nightmare Moon and as far as I'm concerned she doesn't look like a half-done makeup job!"
Sweetie grunted at Rarity tugged at her eyebrow. "Have you been able to watch anything from back here?"
"A bit," Rarity replied, concentrating on powdering Sweetie's cheek. "You've been lovely in all of what I've seen. Diamond's been doing rather well herself."
"What about me?" Button piped up. "How have I been doing?"
"Alright, you're done!" Rarity said to Sweetie, ignoring Button. "Now to work on Scootaloo's Rainbow Dash costume!"
Sweetie put a hoof on Button's shoulder. "It's OK, I think you've been doing pretty great, too!"
Button smiled. "Thanks. But you're the real star of the show!" He paused for a moment. "Hey, what's going on with Diamond and you? I mean, I could swear she was being--"
"Pleasant?" Sweetie finished. "Yeah, it's kinda weird. But, also a nice change of pace?"
"I can hear you two!" Diamond snapped from the makeup chair. "And, yes, I have been being nice! Write a book about it why don't you!"
"And we're back," Button said with a roll of his eyes. "So, are you ready for these last scenes? It's supposed to be super intense, right?"
Sweetie nodded. "Yeah... Next we have a duet between Platinum and Luna, AKA, Diamond and me. It's actually a bit sad."
"If you mean one of the most emotional scenes to be written into a Bridleway production, then yeah, it's sad," Diamond commented as she walked to the curtain in her full royal attire. "So, Squeaky Wheel, are you ready to show your stuff?"
Sweetie frowned. "Knock it off, Diamond. If this scene is going to work, we have to be friendly, remember?"
Diamond rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know that. But it's gonna take a lot more than friendliness in order for this scene to work. Luna and Platinum are singing about how their friendship has changed both of their lives! This is supposed to be intense!"
Sweetie nodded. "Yeah..."
The lights on the stage faded into a blue hue, their cue for their entrance. Sweetie and Diamond spared each other a glance before Sweetie entered the stage, her head held high and her eyes surveying the area before her. When she hit the center of the stage, the lights grew brighter and focused on her, casting long shadows behind her.
Sweetie's gaze moved to the moon that was above her. It had been painted by Apple Bloom, if the brilliant paint job was any correlation, and it practically glowed beneath the lights. She took a deep breath, then closed her eyes before bowing her head.
"A thousand years..." she said, just loud enough for the audience to hear. "A thousand years I remained imprisoned... Now Celestia is imprisoned." A wicked grin spread across her face and she let out a cackle. "How the tables have turned, dear sister! I wonder how it is up there? I imagine it'd be lonely and remind you of your mistakes, no?"
Sweetie's laughter subsided, her gaze glazing over. "A thousand years... That means that Starswirl's gone... All my bat ponies, too..."
"Luna," Diamond called out, walking onto the stage. The light illuminated her as she walked towards the center of the stage, though she stopped a few feet from where Sweetie stood. "I don't know if you can hear me..."
"Platinum," Sweetie whispered, her eyes widening. "Oh, Platinum..."
"Luna, I know you probably don't want to hear me talk right now... You must be pretty angry with me, for what I did. First Clover, now..."
Sweetie scoffed. "Bah, what do I care? It's not like you ever cared about me. You just wanted Clover and that was that."
"What I did was awful..." Diamond closed her eyes and looked away. "I got Clover exiled for his crimes against the Princess... Then I told her about how you were involved in that plot..."
"You always were a suck up. First my sister, then Starswirl, then me. Serves you right that you should feel bad." Sweetie flicked her mane. "What do I care about how you feel? It's not like we were friends or anything."
"I was a bad friend," Diamond admitted, "I was a bad friend to you, and to many others. I didn't care about hurting you... Not until it was too late to do anything about it."
Sweetie's eyes narrowed. "And I was wrong to believe that we ever were friends to begin with. You and I loathed each other from the beginning, after all. It's not like I... I wanted our friendship to be real. It's not like I actually thought that you cared about me. It's not like... It's not like you made me feel special and important for the first time in forever..."
Both of them remained silent, their heads bowing as their own sorrow began to sink in. A small weaving of music flew through the air, breaking through the silence of the two fillies.
"Special..." Sweetie murmured. "You made me feel special... And I was wrong to think that. You were the special one. You always were."
Diamond's eyes softened. She stepped forward, closer to Sweetie. Then, she sang.
I never thought that when you came into my life it was meant to be a lesson I had to learn To treat others like I was their equal And to be treated as that in return
Diamond bowed her head once more, shame covering her features.
Still I have no clue why I hated you
A smile came onto her face, nostalgic and forlorn.
But I know that here I stand today Only wanting you to...
Diamond trailed off, unable to finish. She closed her eyes, then peered at the stars above them.
Like a star that's light has faded from across the cosmos Like a lion freed from a cage No longer calm and tame I can't say that I've been changed for the better
She looked to Sweetie, who was looking down at the ground with a sad expression on her face. Diamond gave her a smile, assuring and affectionate.
But because I knew you... I know I'm not the same
Diamond's smile faded as Sweetie stood still, and she in turn bowed her head. Sweetie glanced at Diamond, then slowly raised her head.
It's going to be hard to admit that I was wrong Because in that lifetime, something changed within my heart So much of the things I once hated about you Is what began my start I'll be waiting for a day when we won't be apart And now that your story has come to an end I know that I can't rewrite mine Because you were my friend
Sweetie pointed to the sky, her eyes sparkling with emotion and passion.
Like a pony meeting their other half Just as they're meant to be Like a weed pulled out by its roots To keep the wild tame
Sweetie looked to Diamond once more, smiling at her in reassurance.
I can't say that I've been changed for the better But because I knew you
Diamond looked up at her, a smile coming onto her face.
Because I knew you.
They both smiled at each other, an unspoken connection sparking between them.
(Both) I know I'm not the same.
Sweetie frowned, and she looked away from Diamond. "And just to let you know, I won't beg for forgiveness for what I've done, even if it's what you hate me for."
"But I guess we know that you're not the only one," Diamond told her.
Sweetie and Diamond leaned forward, realization overcoming the both of them as they realized that what they were singing were not Luna and Platinum's words, but rather, their own.
(Both) And none of it seems to matter anymore
They both sang out, harmonizing and synchronizing together in perfect time. Tears began to stream down their faces, but their voices never shook and they never broke. They held strong together, putting their all into the performance. Finally, they came close together, smiling through their tears.
(Both) I can't say that I've been changed for the better
"But, because I knew you..." Diamond cracked, her voice breaking out of character.
"Because I knew you..." Sweetie responded quietly.
Both fillies leaned in close, their smiles wavering as their emotions began to take over.
(Both) I know I'm not...
The music dwindled down, the light around Diamond fading until she fell into the black. Sweetie stood alone in all of the darkness, shrouded in the nightmare she was meant to represent. Finally, with tears streaming down her face, Sweetie bowed her head down for the final time, this time in mourning.
Sweetie Belle couldn't find Diamond Tiara after the show ended that night.
After their performance together, Diamond had been avoiding Sweetie, more so than she had been previously during the show. She constantly ducked away from Sweetie and even went so far as to hide behind some stage equipment to avoid being seen, although it was a futile attempt at best. That blonde wig made it difficult to go anywhere without being noticed.
The last time she saw Diamond was at the finale.
Luna had been freed. The Nightmare was gone from existence, save for within the memories of the princess and those who she affected. Sweetie had entered the stage, a weak smile on her face as she was surrounded by celebrating townsponies and laughing foals, all of whom were glad to see the Nightmare gone from existence. But, when the crowd was gone and Sweetie was left to her own, her smile was gone. The lights faded, enveloping her in darkness as the sound died down from around her.
"I can't say that I've been changed for the better..." she said, looking to the sky.
Another light came on, showing the form of Diamond. She wasn't wearing the purple robes that Platinum had been wearing throughout the play nor any of her other royal attire. Instead, she wore a simple white gown, a glow of ethereal light surrounding her.
"But, because I knew you..." Diamond crooned, her expression serene and peaceful.
Diamond looked forlorn and regretful, tears sparkling in her eyes as her voice echoed through the stage. Then, the chorus of school foals who had gotten the parts of bat ponies entered behind her. They all smiled at Sweetie Belle, almost as if they hadn't seen her for the longest time. The thought made Sweetie want to cry.
"I know I'm not the same," they all said together.
Sweetie looked on with remorse as the angelic looking ponies walked away, their light going with them. Diamond paused as the music played on, looking back at Sweetie Belle. Sweetie nodded, a sign for her to continue on. Diamond looked away and walked away without looking back.
Diamond didn't even show up for the curtain call.
* * *
The weekend came and went. Any celebrations that were for Sweetie Belle didn't leave any lasting impressions on her, or they were just simply too generic for her to care. She didn't feel like celebrating when she didn't feel like she was victorious over anything. If anything, she felt like she had lost.
"Hurry along, darling," Rarity told her. "You have to keep up a good trot if you wish to make it school on time."
School. The place where she would have to confront all the ponies who had seen her performance. The place where she would have to see Diamond Tiara, who she still was having trouble trying to read. The place where she would have to confront her friends on her terrible behavior.
Her friends. That was another thing she felt like she had lost. She had gotten so caught up in the show that she had forgotten to check on how they were doing. And it didn't even start there, either. Sweetie knew that she had been ignoring her friends before the play began. She knew that she had been selfish. Yet, she she also knew that maybe she could better achieve her talent away from her friends.
Princess Luna, she was so dumb.
Now here she was, standing in the schoolyard, feeling like a loser. Because that's what she was: a loser. A loser who couldn't even get over herself enough to care about how her friends were feeling. She had Button, of course, but she knew that having him wasn't the same as having Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.
She ditched her own best friends for the company of their worst enemy. No wonder they hated her.
They hadn't done well to hide it. She remembered hearing them talk about her before coming into the clubhouse, then walking in like nothing had happened. She remembered all those comments that Scootaloo would make whenever she said something about Diamond. She remembered how much it hurt when they ignored her on opening night just as she ignored them all those weeks.
She had been a bad friend.
"Here's your lunch, dear," Rarity told her, giving her a brown paper bag that has name written in rhinestones. When Sweetie frowned at the sight of it, Rarity sniffed. "I didn't like the brown paper bag look, so I spruced it up for you. Go along, dear. Go to your friends."
The friends that were mad at her for going overboard with the whole show. The friends that had avoided her for the few days of rehearsal and on opening night. The friends who didn't even bother showing up to walk with her. The friends that she learned had been so mad at her for leaving them to do things by herself when she should have been doing it with them.
"Hey, Sweetie Belle!"
The friends that were calling out her name in a beckoning man-- Wait, what?!
Sweetie looked up to see Scootaloo and Apple Bloom at the picnic table with Button, who was smiling at her in only the way her could. She smiled back, then rushed over enthusiastically.
"Hi, guys!" she exclaimed, excited. She blinked in surprise. "But, I thought..."
"We were mad?" Scootaloo guessed.
Apple Bloom nodded. "Well, kinda. Ah mean, we did get mad when we saw how you were acting with Diamond." She rubbed the back of her a bit awkwardly. "And Ah guess we were still kinda mad this mornin', too."
"But..." Scootaloo sighed. "It wasn't cool of us to get mad at you like that. I mean, sure, you were going a bit overboard, but you were just trying to do something you're good at."
"And we shouldn't have gotten mad at your for tryin' to get your talent," Apple Bloom concluded. "'Cause if there's anything you're good at, it's singin', Sweetie."
Sweetie blushed. "Well, thanks, but... I did go overboard. And I haven't been a good friend to you guys. I kept ditching you to go do stuff without you and that wasn't OK. I should have at least tried to include you."
"Yeah, we may not like it, but it's nice to be thought about," Scootaloo said. She winced when Apple Bloom elbowed her side. "Ow."
Sweetie smiled for a moment, then she frowned as a new thought came to her. "Hey, guys?"
"What's up?" Scootaloo asked, refraining from rubbing her aching side.
"Have you noticed that Diamond Tiara was acting... weird, on opening night?"
"Weird, how?" Apple Bloom question, furrowing her brows.
"Nice," Button clarified. "Diamond Tiara, the bane of our existence and the enemy that we have quarreled with us for the better part of this club's duration, was being nice."
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom's jaws dropped collectively, practically slamming against the picnic table.
Button nodded in affirmation. "I know. Total shocker."
Sweetie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, OK, we get it, Diamond is a jerk and her being nice is like Rarity deciding to jump in the mud and act like a hick."
"Only when she likes a guy?" Apple Bloom guessed, recalling the incident with Trenderhoof and finally managing to get over her own shock.
"Exactly." Sweetie put a hoof to her head. "But what I can't wrap my head around is why she was being nice... She even gave me a compliment."
"And she gives those out like gems," Scootaloo grumbled. "Geez, why did you get all the special treatment?"
Sweetie frowned. "I never asked for her to be nice to me! She just... She just saw that I was freaking out about my stage fright and she snapped me out of it."
"Wait a minute, Diamond Tiara, the pony who has been trying to sabotage you and try to prove that she's better than you, actually helped you so that way you wouldn't back out of the show?" Scootaloo threw her forelegs into the air. "What backwards, opposite world do we live in?!"
The bell for class rang, making the group jump collectively in surprise.
"We'll talk at lunch," Sweetie concluded.
The group walked in, Button at Sweetie's side, just as they were before the play started. She smiled at him and he returned it as they took their seats in class.
"Hello, class," Cheerilee greeted. She smiled as Sweetie walked past. "Wonderful job on your solo, Sweetie Belle!"
"Thanks," Sweetie replied, a bit embarrassed. She saw the looks her classmates gave her and she just about covered her head with her saddlebags. 'Now I'm gonna be getting stares all day...'
"Hey," Button said as she sat down beside him. "What's up?"
She sighed. "I don't like getting stared at... It makes me uncomfortable."
"I can jump on my desk and tap dance to take the attention away from you, if you want," Button suggested, although he didn't look 100% invested in the idea.
Sweetie giggled. "No, it's fine. I'll get used to it."
'I'm gonna have to, if I wanna sing in public again.'
"Alright, let's call roll!" Cheerilee called out. "Peachy Pie?"
"Present!" Peachy Pie replied.
"Snips?"
"Here," Snips squeaked out.
Sweetie Belle felt a bit of annoyance as she realized that Cheerilee was going to be calling Diamond's name, meaning that she'd have to hear the same suck up tone that Diamond always used to get her way.
'She may not be as nasty as I thought, but that girl is pretty manipulative,' Sweetie thought.
"Silver Spoon?" Cheerilee called out.
"Present and punctual!" Silver chirped, her tone too sweet for Sweetie's liking. She sat on the other side of Button that day, so she got to see him roll his eyes a bit when she did that. She tried not to giggle.
"Diamond Tiara?"
There was no answer.
"...Diamond?" Cheerilee looked up from her clipboard. "Diamond, are you here?"
Sweetie Belle looked around the room, as did everyone else. She looked at Button, who spared her a clueless look and a shrug that affirmed how much he knew about the matter.
"Hmm, that's strange..." Cheerilee observed aloud. "She's never absent..." She shrugged. "Perhaps she came down came down with something over the weekend. She did look a bit feverish onstage."
Sweetie looked back at Button once more, who had turned his attention to Silver beside him. She looked perturbed and perhaps a bit shaken, even.
'She doesn't know what's going on, either,' Sweetie realized. 'If she doesn't know what's going on, then who else would?'
Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.
* * *
"Oh, heck no!" Scootaloo exclaimed. "I'm not doing it!"
Sweetie Belle was thankful that class was over with for the time being. She didn't have to feign interest or deal with the stares that her classmates kept giving her. They all seemed to think that she was the reason for Diamond's absence and whenever Cheerilee wasn't looking, they'd all sneak a suspicious glance her way.
"Well, Ah knew Ah ain't doin' it," Apple Bloom commented.
"And I know I'm not gonna do it, either," Button added on. He looked to Sweetie. "Sorry, Sweets. Looks like it's up to you."
Sweetie sighed. "You know, this is one of the few things I didn't miss when we weren't hanging out."
Scootaloo shrugged. "Hey, we didn't start the fire."
Button spared her a look, but he relented upon looking at Sweetie. "You know, I could go with you, if you want."
Sweetie smiled. "Thanks. In fact, how about all of you come with me."
Scootaloo frowned. "I said I wasn't gonna do it!"
"And you're not. You're moral support. Now, come on, let's go."
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo grumbled a bit as Sweetie began to trot. Button was at her side, so she wasn't as apprehensive as she could be. She was about to do something very dangerous and very stupid, which is something she's amazingly not gotten used to in her time as a Cutie Mark Crusader. Dangerous and stupid were parts of her everyday life.
"We don't have to do this," Button reminded her. "We could do this alone if we wanted."
Sweetie shook her head. "She's a part of this, too, Button. If we leave her out, we'll be acting insensitive."
Scootaloo sighed. "And just why do we care about being insensitive to her? She's been just as nasty and mean as Diamond has been!"
"Hush up, she's right there!" Apple Bloom hissed, elbowing Scootaloo in the side.
Scootaloo rubbed her side silently as the group approached the picnic table, where only one pony sat. There was a large spread of food on the table, but the filly sitting there wasn't eating any of it. She looked up from her meal and frowned upon seeing the group before her.
"What do you three want?" Silver Spoon said with a sneer.
Button cleared his throat. "I think you mean four."
Silver rolled her eyes. "Like I care."
Sweetie climbed onto the seat so she could be on Silver's level. "We just wanted to talk."
"She wants to talk," Scootaloo emphasized. "I'm here for moral support."
Sweetie spared her a harsh look, but she returned her attention back to Silver. "Look, I get that you don't like me—"
"I don't," Silver clarified.
Sweetie sighed. "—but I know that you care about Diamond, and that you're wondering why she isn't here just like us."
"I'm not," Scootaloo said. "Ow! What was that for?"
"You're an idiot," Apple Bloom said simply.
Silver sniffed. "Please. Why on earth would you want to know where she is? I thought you hated us."
"Well, I don't hate you," Sweetie explained. "I just don't like all of the stuff you've done to us. And how you act. And how you think you're better than everypony."
"And how much richer I am than you?" Silver added, rolling her eyes.
Sweetie sighed once more. "Not really, until you bring it up."
Silver flipped her mane. "Listen, even if I did know why Diamond isn't here—"
"So you admit that you don't know?" Scootaloo blurted out. "Ow! Seriously, stop that!"
"I'll stop when you stop!" Apple Bloom shouted.
"Guys!" Button interjected, jumping between them. "Can we please focus?"
"I think I've heard enough," Silver said snidely. "Why don't you do me a big favor and leave, before I call Miss Cheerilee over?"
Sweetie glared at her. "Listen up, Silver Spoon. I know you hate me and I know you hate my friends because of our club, but I know you don't hate Diamond Tiara. She's your friend, and for some reason, you like being her friend. Now, I know we've had our differences—"
"Those differences being that you've been mean to us for no real reason," Apple Bloom commented. "Ow!"
Scootaloo smirked. "See? Not so fun, is it?"
Sweetie Belle sighed. "But, I also know that somethings' wrong. Diamond was acting weird on opening night and now she doesn't show up to class? That's a major red flag and you know it."
Silver glared at her. "What's your point?"
"My point is that Diamond isn't my friend and I'm worried about her." Sweetie furrowed her brows. "What I can't figure out is why you aren't."
Silver blinked in shock. "What?" She leaned towards Sweetie in hostility. "What are you implying?"
"She's not implying anything," Button said with a roll of his eyes. "She's saying it as clear as day! You're Diamond's best and only friend!" He threw his forelegs into the air. "So why in the wide world of Equestria aren't you up and arms about her not being here?"
Silver didn't say anything for a moment, shock consuming her features. Then, she looked away. "I went to her house over the weekend."
Sweetie blinked. "She's been at home this whole time?"
Silver nodded. "Yeah... But, she wouldn't let me see her. Her butler told me he wasn't permitted to let anyone see her by her and her daddy's command. I don't really blame her, either."
"She intentionally stayed home?" Apple Bloom breathed. "AJ and Big Mac never let me do that!"
"But, why would she stay home?" Scootaloo questioned, her brows knitting together in confusion. "What could have been so bad that she didn't want to face anypony?"
Sweetie's breath hitched. "Sweet mother of Luna and Celestia."
"What is it?" Button fretted.
"Opening night." Sweetie shook her head. "When we were singing 'Not The Same', I... I started crying onstage because... Luna and Platinum got so caught up in their mistakes that they forgot about how they used to be friends with each other."
Silver sighed. "Oh, great, more play talk. Just what I needed to hear."
Sweetie frowned at her. "And Diamond cried, too."
Silver blinked. "Diamond cried? But, she never cries!"
"Exactly." Sweetie looked at Silver. "And the reason I started crying is because... Luna never got the chance to make up with Platinum."
"But, they sang together on stage together?" Scootaloo observed.
"That was symbolic. They were singing together from different times and the reason Platinum disappeared was because she was never there to begin with. She had been dead for centuries."
"That's a lovely thought," Apple Bloom muttered. "Tell me about that movie where the dog dies while you're at it."
"What does this have to do with Diamond?" Silver grilled.
Sweetie was about to answer, but, like before, she was cut off by the bell. She sighed a bit. "I'll tell you when we get to her house."
Silver blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Yeah, what?" Button repeated.
Sweetie put on a determined face. "You heard what I said. As soon as school lets out, we're heading to Diamond's house. And we're not leaving until we see her."
When school finally let out, everypony rushed out, screaming and laughing about their after school plans. Some were going to go to the local watering hole to cool down after a not-so-hard day's work at school; others were going to go to Sugarcube Corner to get milkshakes.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders and Silver Spoon did neither of these things.
"This is the stupidest thing we have ever done," Scootaloo said, her tone matter-of-fact.
"Ah second that opinion," Apple Bloom added on. "This tops trying to get our pyrotechnic cutie marks."
"Yeah, I still got burns from that one," Button joked.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders and Silver Spoon all stood a few feet from the gates to the Rich Estate, a proud, large building that gleamed in the afternoon sun. The house seemed too big to hold just Diamond and her father, Sweetie thought, even with Silver Spoon visiting. So much space and so little ponies.
Sweetie wondered if that's why Diamond was staying there; no ponies to judge her.
Sweetie Belle turned to her friends. "If all you three are gonna do is complain, then why did you come with us?"
"Uh... Because I wanna be there for you?" Button replied, unsure of his own answer.
"Because you told us to," Scootaloo answered more firmly, a look of annoyance on her face.
"I didn't want any of you to come with me," Silver Spoon snapped, flipping her mane. "You included, Squeaky Wheel."
Sweetie huffed a bit. "It was my idea to come here in the first place! Besides, I just wanna know if she's alright or not."
Silver sniffed. "Once you find out, you can leave. Diamond needs to spend time with ponies who really care about her."
Sweetie's gaze hardened. "Fine."
"...So are we gonna go to Sugarcube Corner after or what?" Scootaloo asked, causing Apple Bloom to elbow for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. "What? It's a legitimate question!"
Sweetie led the group past the open gates, where she managed to get a better look at what was inside. She had seen what Diamond's yard looked like once before, back when they were using Twilight Time to gain popularity, but now that she was back in it, it seemed more vast than she last remembered. She found herself wondering why Diamond's family needed so much space when they never had anything to put there.
'Maybe they just like having it just to have it,' Sweetie thought.
"Well," Apple Bloom said as the group made it to the door. "Who's gonna knock?"
"I'll knock," Silver announced, stepping in front of Sweetie. She knocked on the door three times. "Randolph? Randolph, are you in there?"
There was silence for a moment. Then, the door opened, revealing Diamond's butler, Randolph. He was aged and tired, but he still put on a smile for the group.
"Ah, hello, there, Miss Spoon," he greeted. He blinked in surprise. "And you brought... friends?"
Silver rolled her eyes. "Hardly. I just brought these four because they wanted to see Diamond."
Randolph blinked in surprise once more, but it was quickly diminished as a stern look came across his features. "Miss Spoon, I told you already. Miss Tiara isn't taking any visitors nor does her father wish for anypony to see her at this time. Now, I'm going to have to ask that you and your... acquaintances, leave."
"Wait!" Sweetie exclaimed, jumping towards the door so he wouldn't close it. "Please, sir, we just want to see how Diamond's doing!"
Randolph's expression softened. "I'm sorry, little one, but Master Rich has requested—"
"Forget what he's requested!" Apple Bloom shouted suddenly. "My family has been doin' business with Mister Rich's family for generations! How much are ya willin' to bet that Granny's gonna have a few things to say to him at their next meetin' when she finds out that he wouldn't even let an Apple into his home?"
Sweetie nearly gaped at Apple Bloom. She didn't think that she would care enough to pull a card like that or that she would even have thought to have done so in the first place.
"W-Well, I can't let you in, Miss Apple," Randolph told her. "I'm afraid that you'll have to come by another time."
Apple Bloom scowled. "Fine. But don't come complainin' to me when Mister Rich gets mad when Granny ain't so willin' to sell Zap Apple Jam next season." She nodded her head to exit of the yard. "C'mon, guys. It's obvious we ain't welcome here."
Sweetie's eyes widened. 'What kind of evil mastermind have we been friends with?'
Randolph's eyes widened as the group began to move away. "Wait!"
Apple Bloom turned back. "Yes?"
Randolph looked around a bit warily, then sighed as he looked back at the group. "There's a key under the mat. Take it and go up the stairs to the left, then go to the third door on the right."
"Why take the key?" Sweetie asked, taking the key from under the mat.
"If Master Rich sees you, just tell him you used the key to get in." He shook his head. "Just... Please, don't say anything to Granny Smith."
Apple Bloom smirked. "Wasn't plannin' on it." She swiped the key from Sweetie. "Thanks for the help!"
The group rushed into the house, then Randolph shut the door behind them as he let out a sigh. "Why haven't I retired...?"
As soon as the group was up the stairs and out of Randolph's earshot, Button leaned over to Apple Bloom. "What was that back there?"
"Just a little bluff to get in," Apple Bloom said simply, a pleased look on her face.
Scootaloo frowned. "Has Big Mac been letting play poker with his friends again?"
"Maybe, but if AJ asks, the answer is no," Apple Bloom told her, looking at Scootaloo pointedly. "She ain't a big fan of gamblin'."
"Is that how you paid for those milkshakes at Sugarcube Corner last week?!" Scootaloo blurted out, shocked.
"I can't believed you just manipulated somepony like that!" Silver breathed. "That was brutal!"
"You lie and manipulate ponies all the time," Sweetie retorted.
"Yeah, I know, that's why I'm even more impressed," Silver amended. She looked at Apple Bloom. "What else can you do, Big Apple?"
"Oh, cool nickname!" Button praised. "Give me one!"
"Hush, guys!" Sweetie urged, holding her leg out in front of the group. "We're here."
The group all ceased talking as they reached Diamond's bedroom door. Sweetie only knew that because there was a small, sparkly diamond tiara sticker on the door, making it hard to think it was anyone else's.
"Should we knock first?" Button asked, his eyes warily going over the door.
"Not it," Apple Bloom stated, holding her hooves up. "Ah got us in. It's you guys' turn now."
Sweetie sighed. "Well, I guess I'll—"
"No, I will," Silver told her. She paused as she saw the looks they gave her. "What? She's not gonna open the door to just anyone."
Silver knocked on the door in a rhythmic manner, then put her hoof down. She waited a moment before saying. "The spoon needs to be polished."
"Da hay?" Apple Bloom muttered to Scootaloo.
Scootaloo shrugged. "Beats me."
There was silence for a moment before a weak voice came from the other side of the door. "How did you get in here?"
Silver faltered for a moment. "Diamond, we did not spend an entire weekend coming up with code words and phrases just for you to ignore them."
"Ooooh," Apple Bloom and Scootaloo said together.
"What was that?" Diamond questioned. "Silver, is there somepony else with you?"
Silver sighed. "Yeah... Yeah, there are."
"It's us, Diamond," Sweetie spoke. "We just wanted to see how you were doing."
"...Sweetie Belle?" There was silence once again. "I mean, go away! I don't wanna see anypony!"
"Whelp, we tried," Scootaloo said. "C'mon, I bet we can still make it to Sugarcube Corner."
Sweetie glared at her. "We're not leaving just yet!"
Silver put a hoof on the door. "Di, please, you're acting crazy! Come on, let me in!"
"I said go away! I don't want anypony to see me like this!"
Silver sighed and shook her head. "Alright, that's it. I'm coming in!"
"No! The door's locked anyway! You can't get in!"
"Allow me," Apple Bloom offered, stepping up. She pulled a bobby pin from her hair, making her bow fall a bit, and she stuck it in the lock, then wiggled it around a bit before the door clicked.
"What kind of criminal double life have you been living?" Sweetie Belle asked, completely bewildered.
"Don't ask questions to things you don't want answers to," Apple Bloom said as she put her bobby pin back in her hair. She turned the doorknob. "Door's unlocked, Diamond."
"What the— How did you do that?!" Diamond exclaimed as the door came swinging open.
"Di, what are you doing cooped up in here like a..." Silver stopped speaking as soon as the girls walked in. "Oh."
Diamond stood before the group, dressed in a nightgown and wrapped up in her blankets. Her cheeks were stained from tears and her eyes were puffy and red, as if she had just been crying. She didn't look the big, mean bully that Sweetie had trouble remembering her as. She looked like the crying little filly that was onstage with her on opening night.
"I told you to leave!" Diamond exclaimed. "I don't want to see anypony!"
"Di, what's the matter with you?" Silver stepped forward. "I thought you said that you'd come to me if you got like this again!"
"Again?" the Cutie Mark Crusaders blurted out as a whole.
"What in the hay is goin' on?" Apple Bloom questioned.
"Why are they here?" Diamond demanded. "What gives you the right to bring in ponies without my permission?"
"Di, look, I know how you feel about visitors, but I kinda didn't have a choice," Silver told her. She pointed to Sweetie. "She's the one who brought them all here in the first place!"
Sweetie frowned at Silver, but she got over her anger as she looked at Diamond. "Diamond, we came because we were worried about you."
"I'm not," Scootaloo admitted.
Sweetie sighed. "OK, well I was worried about you, at least. You didn't even show up for curtain call and nopony's seen you at all since then. What's going on?"
Diamond scoffed. "Like you would ever understand how I feel. You don't know what it's like to feel how I do."
"Like you're better than everypony?" Scootaloo commented.
"Scoots, cool it!" Button said, pushing her shoulder a bit.
"What? I'm just being honest!"
"Scoots," Sweetie urged. She turned back to Diamond. "Seriously, what's going on? I mean, first you're nice to me, then you disappear, and now you won't even let anypony see you!"
Diamond glared at her. "You wouldn't understand."
Sweetie threw her hooves into the air. "Well, yeah, I don't understand! If something is wrong, you're supposed to tell somepony because guess what? We're not mindreaders!"
"Do you think that's a special talent one of us could get?" Scootaloo asked suddenly.
"Scoots, no," Apple Bloom groaned.
Diamond put her hooves to her head. "Enough! I want all of you out of here before I call Randolph in here to throw you out!"
"Even me?" Silver questioned, a little hurt by the statement.
"You let them come in here with you!" Diamond roared. "I can't believe you would do that after what happened last time!"
"Last time?" Scootaloo murmured. "Look, if this is about the time I cannon-balled into your pool and got everything wet, I already told you that I was sorry!"
"No, you twit!" Diamond shouted. "It's just—" She shook her head. "You know what, I don't have to explain myself to you! Just get out!"
Sweetie stood firmly. "No."
Diamond blinked in surprise, then resumed her glare. "No?"
"Yeah, no," Sweetie reiterated. "I have spent all these years wondering why you've been so awful to me and my friends for all these years. I spent so long wondering what was so wrong with me that you felt the need to tear me down and take away anything that might make me happy." She pointed at Button. "You made me compete for Button like he was a trophy! Who he wants to be with is his choice!"
"I know that now!" Diamond argued. "Besides, I don't want him anymore!"
"Exactly!" Sweetie exclaimed. "You don't want him anymore because you realized that you couldn't use him against me!"
Diamond was silent.
"Not to mention that you were mean to him and terrible to him, even after you admitted that you liked him." Sweetie glared at Diamond. "Did you really like him or did you just want him so I wouldn't have him?"
"Who are you to say such—" Diamond tried to interject.
"And then the play!" Sweetie continued on. "You couldn't even let me have that, could you? As soon as you saw me get Luna's part, you wanted to sabotage me! You made fun of me and made rehearsal a nightmare! The only time you ever listened to me was when Cheerilee wanted to change something in the play!"
"Because all of the ideas she had were awful and you were the only pony who understood why they were bad ideas!" Diamond snapped. "I may be self-centered, cruel, and downright rotten, but at least I know that excluding Luna's conversation with Clover to overthrow Celestia takes away from the entirety of the play itself!"
Sweetie was not amused. "And, then, because you were so intent on competing with me, I got caught up in the play and practically ditched my friends!"
"That was your own fault!" Diamond exclaimed.
"Yeah, it was!" Sweetie concurred, sounding bitter. "But what about how you ditched Silver Spoon?"
Diamond's face twisted into shock, her jaw dropping from sheer bewilderment.
"I may have ditched my friends, but at least I apologized to them." Sweetie looked at Silver. "You haven't even spoken to Silver since this whole play mess has started."
Diamond's face began to crease with apprehension. "I... I..."
Sweetie took a deep breath. "And, now, as I'm standing in front of you, after years of your relentless torment and cruel behavior for being a blank flank, I just have to ask..."
Diamond closed her eyes, as if she were bracing herself for a slap.
"Why did you act nice to me?"
Diamond looked up, her eyes widening. "What?"
Sweetie frowned, almost a bit sympathetically. "You were nice to me. On opening night. You were still sounding nasty, but you said nice things to me. You talked me down from an anxiety attack and you complimented me. You... You told me my special talent was singing."
"Wait, what?" Silver Spoon uttered, turning to Diamond with a shocked expression. "You told her that her special talent was singing?"
Diamond shuffled awkwardly, a sight that was not usually seen from the pretentious filly. "I... I just..." She sighed. "Do you have any idea how annoying it is, watching you all go on your stupid crusades for your marks?"
"Well, if what ya had to say in the past is any correlation—" Apple Bloom began to say, but Button put a hoof over her mouth.
"Dude, seriously, not cool," Button told her.
Diamond looked back at Sweetie. "It's just... I see all of you going through town all the time, trying to find something that you might be good at and it's just... So frustrating that you morons can't see what you're good at!"
"What do you know about what we're good at?" Scootaloo challenged. "You don't even know any of us."
Diamond glared at her. "You, Chicken, like to ride around and do tricks on your scooter. You can't fly, but you're good at that." She sighed and put a hoof to her face. "And yet you three thought it would be a good idea to put the most tone deaf of you all as the lead singer."
Scootaloo took a step towards her. "Trust me, I'm not tone deaf. I can hear that snippy tone of yours just fine."
"Not what that means," Button mumbled.
"She does have a point, though," Apple Bloom conceded. "Ah mean... You couldn't even write the song by yerself."
Scootaloo opened her mouth to argue, but then stopped. "OK, that's true... Sweetie had to help me with the lyrics. And the music." She rubbed the back of her head nervously. "I'm not good at playing the piano." She suddenly remembered who she was talking to and put on a mean face. "But, you told me that I was never going to learn how to fly and that it made me less of a Pegasus! What did that have to do with my special talent?"
Diamond winced a bit. "I said that to hurt you. It wasn't right of me and... I'm sorry."
Scootaloo's irises seemed to shrink as her eyes enlarged. "What?"
"I'm... sorry," Diamond repeated, with much more difficulty. "I was... I was envious of your routine. I only said that so you wouldn't win the competition and become flag carriers."
Scootaloo gaped. "You actually thought we could have won?"
"And you did, not shockingly." Diamond frowned. "I just wanted you guys to do something else... Something that wouldn't be as good."
"Yeah," Silver commented. "We were worried you guys would beat us." She grimaced a bit. "As much as I hate to admit it, you guys did a good job with your routine."
"Well... Thanks, if not a bit too late," Apple Bloom replied, not sure what else to say.
"But... If you hate us because we don't know what our talents are, why are you so intent on sabotaging us whenever we try to find them?" Button questioned, genuinely confused.
Diamond gave him a deadpan look. "Do you really think that zip lining is going to be your special talent?"
Button paused for a moment to think about it. "Not really... I just wanted to try it and see if anything happened."
"And that's where you're making your mistakes, you idiots!" Diamond cried out. "You're just looking for random things to do instead of focusing on what you're already good at! Like, do you really think that all four of you are going to get painting cutie marks?"
"Well... Not necessarily—" Apple Bloom tried to say.
"Yeah, because everypony is different and you four are all trying to do the same thing!" Diamond rubbed her hoof across her temple. "The whole point of a special talent is that it's a reflection of who you are! Not of your friends, not of your family, and not what they want you to be; a cutie mark is literally who you are!"
"But... Babs got her cutie mark while she was in Cutie Mark Crusaders and she told us that she got it when the Manehatten Branch decided to learn how to cut hair!" Apple Bloom protested. "So it can't be such a bad thing that she wanted to practice it with her friends!"
Silver Spoon groaned. "You idiots! Who do you think told her about hair cutting in the first place?"
The entire group of crusaders all dropped their jaws in shock. "What?"
Diamond flipped her mane. "Babs told me that she cut her own hair a lot of the time because her family couldn't afford haircuts and I was the one who told that maybe that would be her special talent." She sniffed. "Looks like I was right."
Apple Bloom's eye twitched. "Diamond... Tiara... helped my cousin... get her cutie mark... Ah... Ah think Ah need to sit down..."
"Wait, you actually helped Babs out?" Sweetie Belle blurted out. "Like, actually gave her advice? So I wasn't the first pony you helped?"
Diamond shook her head. "No. I felt bad for her and I didn't want your mentality to ruin her chances of getting her mark."
Sweetie frowned. "So, instead of actually giving us advice and being helpful, you decide to be cruel, manipulative, and abusive towards us? Really? Is that supposed to fix what you did?"
Diamond shook her head. "No... It won't fix how awful I acted towards you. I intentionally hurt you with full knowing of what might come of it and I can't excuse my behavior for that. I just... I didn't want to actually try to get close to you all. The last time I did that..."
"You said something about 'last time' when we first got here," Sweetie commented. "What's that about?"
Silver stepped up. "It's... a bit of a long story..."
Sweetie took a seat on the floor. "I got time. Rarity's going to be working late anyway and I bet she'd be happy to have me out of her mane for the rest of the evening."
Apple Bloom sighed. "Well, AJ ain't gon' like it, but Ah guess Ah'll stay. Ah'm curious."
"Same here," Button said, taking a seat beside Sweetie. "I'm kinda wondering what happened, too."
Scootaloo shrugged. "Sure, whatever."
Silver Spoon looked to Diamond Tiara. "Do you wanna start or should I?"
Diamond shook her head. "No... I'll start." She took a deep breath and put on a stoic face, much like the one Sweetie saw on opening night. "It all started when I first moved to Ponyville..."
"...I was little when I first moved here," Diamond told the group. "I was about five, maybe six. My parents had gotten into a pretty big split and my daddy brought me here to get me away from my mother. I don't know what it was about exactly, but I know that my mother was upset that he was doing work outside of Manehatten when she had just set up a shop for her designs and dresses. I don't get to see her a lot since... well, I don't enjoy her company."
Sweetie suddenly realized that she had never seen Diamond's mother around Ponyville or heard any mention of her whatsoever. Who exactly was Diamond's mother, anyway?
"When I first moved here, Daddy told me that I shouldn't tell anypony where I live or anything about him. I didn't know why, since he was always so popular around everyone else, but I did what Daddy asked me to because I didn't want to go against his wishes. I went to school and was introduced to the class by our kindergarten teacher. Everypony was really nice to me and I was happy about being able to make new friends after losing some of mine in Manehatten. Still, I kept Daddy's promise and didn't tell them where I lived. No one could come here and I had to spend some afternoons by myself."
Diamond put on a more thoughtful expression. "Then, when I was about eight, Daddy started to give me an allowance." She smiled a bit. "I was so happy that I could finally buy things on my own accord without having to ask him and I wanted to see if my friends got the same treatment." She frowned. "But, when I asked about their allowances, the amount they were given was significantly less grander than my own. It was then I realized why Daddy wanted me to keep him a secret."
She looked at the group, her eyes searching their faces. "We were rich. Daddy had properties and businesses all over Ponyville and Manehatten. If one fell through, he could easily replace it with another. He didn't want me to be treated differently from the other kids, so he told me to keep it a secret."
"Guess that's gone out the window," Scootaloo commented.
Diamond spared her a harsh glance, as did the others, but she didn't dwell on it. "I only bought things whenever it made sense for me to buy them. I didn't want to splurge and buy random trinkets when none of my peers could afford it, so I made it seem like I was saving up money. I kept all the extra money Daddy gave me in a piggy bank. I don't think he knew how much money normal foals were given..."
"How much did he give you?" Apple Bloom asked, curious.
"20 bits," Diamond's immediate reply was. She looked at them in unappreciative manner as they all gaped at her. "Well, how much do your parents give you?"
"AJ sometimes gives me ten bits every two weeks for farm work," Apple Bloom told her. "And that's on a good two weeks."
"Rarity gives me eight a week if I've been good," Sweetie added.
"I get mine from dropping off newspapers in the morning," Scootaloo confirmed. "I get three bits a day, three days a week. Rumble has the rest of the week."
"My mom doesn't give me an allowance," Button admitted. "I usually gotta ask Sweets to pay."
"How chivalrous," Silver Spoon muttered.
Diamond looked at Silver through the corner of her eye a bit angrily, but she continued on with her story nonetheless. "Well, it worked well, because nopony knew about how much money I was really getting. I just hid it all away and took the money from the previous week for the next week. Daddy always wondered why I put so much money in the donations box for the chapel at the end of every month... And everypony thought I was just tithing."
"But you were actually getting rid of unneeded money," Apple Bloom realized. She furrowed her brows in thought. "Wait, so is that how the chapel got a—"
"New wing, yes," Diamond affirmed. She sighed a bit. "I still drop off money there every now and again, just out of habit."
"Huh." Apple Bloom didn't know what else to say.
Diamond looked on thoughtfully once more. "I went on like this for awhile, and I was fine with it, for the most part." She put on a hard look. "But, then Silver Spoon moved to Ponyville."
Silver Spoon nodded, her face shadowed over by a sadness that was unknown. "I moved here from Canterlot with my mom. Daddy had to keep his business going and he didn't want me to go back and forth between him and Mom, so he decided he'd come visit whenever he had the chance."
Sweetie arched a brow. "I don't think I've ever seen your dad come down here... Who is he?"
Silver shifted awkwardly. "You probably don't see him because he wears disguises so no one can recognize him... He got stopped by Spike once, but he had no idea that he was on his way to see me, so nopony knows."
Sweetie blinked in surprise. "Wait, Spike met him? When?"
Silver was about to answer, but Diamond cleared her throat, interrupting her. "Anyway... When Silver first moved here, everypony saw her moving in with her mother into her mansion and they all wanted to be friends with her. At first, I thought they were just being nice to her, just like they were to me." She frowned again, but this time it was more angry than it was melancholy. "But, they weren't being nice."
"They wanted to be friends with you because you were rich, didn't they?" Button asked, looking at Silver.
Silver nodded, her gaze downcast. "Whenever we first went out to Sugarcube Corner together, everypony ordered the most expensive things on the menu. I didn't think anything of it, since I thought everypony must have had money like me and Mom did." Tears sprang to her eyes. "They... They all left and stuck me with the bill... Mom yelled at me for hours because of it. She told me that I was being irresponsible, offering to pay for my class, but I didn't." She wiped her face. "I just thought they wanted to be my friends, not get a free meal..."
Diamond put a hoof on Silver's shoulder and she looked to the Crusaders. "It's OK, S. That was years ago."
Silver nodded in acknowledgement, but her tears continued to fall. "I know... It doesn't mean it still doesn't hurt sometimes..."
"Celestia, that's awful!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. "Ah can't believe they did that to you!"
"Is that why you rub it in everypony's faces when you two go off to do something none of us can afford to do?" Sweetie questioned, suddenly intrigued. "Is it because they all used you?"
Diamond nodded, shame taking over her posture. "It just made me so mad, seeing them hurt Silver like that. She didn't deserve it."
"Yeah, but acting like a plot back isn't gonna fix anything!" Scootaloo protested. "Why didn't you just tell your Mom about what happened?"
Silver's eyes grew wet once more. "Because if I tried, they would all make fun of me... Call me names..." She wiped her eyes again. "Four Eyes... Stuck up... Snob..."
"So, you just kept quiet about it," Sweetie confirmed. "All so they wouldn't turn on you?"
Silver nodded, unable to speak.
Sweetie was horrified. "That's terrible!"
Diamond pulled Silver into a hug and held her for a moment in silence, then continued on with her story. "I couldn't stand to watch Silver be treated so terribly by our peers, so I decided to tell her about my wealth. She was so relieved, but she felt so bad because she knew that she couldn't hide her wealth anymore and that she'd be miserable because of it." She took a deep breath. "So, I told her that instead of trying to hide her wealth..."
"...You should flaunt it," Sweetie finished, her eyes wide.
Diamond nodded. "So, the next day, we went to the school and I told everypony about my money." She looked disgusted. "They were all so happy to know that they had not one, but two rich classmates they could abuse." She scoffed a bit. "They gave us so many fake compliments... It was revolting."
Silver, having finally managed to calm down to a degree, sat up. "One colt came up to us after school that day, asking if we were going to Sugarcube Corner." She blinked back tears. "He had been the one to threaten me when I told everyone I couldn't pay for them anymore."
Diamond's disgusted face turned in shame, as it had before. "I... I shoved him into the mud and laughed at him. Like, really laughed at him. Like Ponyacci had just made the best joke in all of Equestria." She had tears come to her eyes. "I told him that... that we were too good to pay anything for such peasants. "
"They stopped bothering us for money after that," Silver told them. "But... They kept making fun of me, and they started to make fun of Diamond, too."
Diamond grit her teeth. "It made me so angry... I couldn't help that I was born into a wealthy family. They all wanted something from me, and it wasn't friendship." Tears began to run down her face. "And when I wouldn't give them that, they all treated me horribly. Treated both of us horribly."
Sweetie's jaw dropped. "So you started being horrible back."
"Horrible enough that they didn't want to be horrible anymore," Diamond whispered. "At first, it was just an act, to get them to stop... Sometime along the way, I don't know when I stopped acting and when I became horrible."
Sweetie made a sudden realization. "That's why you felt bad for me. You saw that I was trying to do something by myself so I could be good at it and when everyone got mad at me for it, it reminded you of when everyone hated you, didn't it?"
Diamond nodded. "I had become like the very ponies I despised. I... I manipulated all of you for my own benefit, not caring how you felt." The tears came rushing out even more now. "I got so caught up in trying to outdo you that I didn't realize how much damage I was causing. I didn't care how much damage I was causing. I just wanted to..."
She broke out into sobs.
"I just wanted to be good enough."
"You weren't trying to be better than everypony," Sweetie breathed out. "You were just trying to be good enough at something so no one could say that your talent came from your wealth."
Scootaloo stepped up. "But... What is your special talent? You have a cutie mark, so you have to have a talent for something."
Diamond finally stopped sobbing and looked up at the Crusaders. "I got my mark because of my wealth. I'm... I'm not special." She looked at the tiara on her bedstand. "The diamonds in that tiara aren't even real..." She looked at Button. "But, you already knew that, didn't you?"
Button flinched. "I just said that because you were being mean to me and Sweetie."
Diamond sighed. "I know. And I deserved to hear that, because it's true." She picked up the tiara from her stand. "Rhinestones look like diamonds from a distance, but one you get up close and personal, you can tell how cheap they look. They're not special or worth anything... So why should anyone bother admiring something that's not special?"
"Everypony is special!" Sweetie protested. "Everypony knows that!"
Diamond looked at her. "Easy for you to say. You're already good at something and everypony knows it. You can sing, Sweetie Belle."
"Yeah, I can sing, but that's hardly a talent when literally everypony in Ponyville bursts into song at any point," Sweetie amended.
Diamond blinked. "How can you say that? You have a talent, Sweetie Belle!"
"Yeah, but I'm not the best at it," Sweetie told her. "And I'm fine with that. I don't wanna be better than everypony. I just wanna be good at something and be myself."
"You're... fine with being yourself, even if it means you're not the best?"
Sweetie nodded. "Yeah. There's always going to be somepony better than me at something and I'm fine with that." She smiled. "It just gives me another reason to keep being better."
Diamond didn't say anything for a long moment. "Are you saying I don't have to be the best?"
Sweetie arched a brow. "Who told you that you had to be the best?"
Diamond blinked, unsure what to say. Finally, she just looked away. "...No one. No one did."
"So..." Scootaloo said, finally breaking through the silence. "What now? Where do we go from here?" She frowned. "I mean, I get you had a hard time and I understand why you acted like you did, but..."
"Ah'm havin' a bit of a hard time forgiving you for what you did," Apple Bloom finished.
"Yeah..." Button concurred. "I mean, I feel bad for how you two were treated, but you've been... pretty awful to us, even when we didn't even do anything to you."
Sweetie frowned at her friends, but she nodded in sad acknowledgement. "I'm sorry, Diamond, but... We're gonna need some time to really forgive you for what you did." She looked at Silver. "For what both of you did."
Diamond nodded. "I... I understand. I know I can't excuse my behavior."
"Neither can I," Silver agreed, speaking for the first time in awhile. "I want to make it up to you. I want to make it up to everypony."
"I know it's gonna take more than just an apology, but..." Diamond smiled. "I guess we'll just have to start there, won't we?"
Sweetie smiled in return. "Yeah. "
"So... Do you still want us to leave?" Scootaloo questioned.
Diamond looked to the door. "You better. Daddy will be home soon, and I don't think he's gonna be happy to see you all here unannounced."
"Here," Apple Bloom said, giving the key that Randolph had given her to Silver. "You're gonna need this."
Silver nodded. "I'll just tell him I snuck in when no one was looking. That way Randolph doesn't get in trouble."
Diamond looked at her in confusion, but her expression faded as she watched the Crusaders leave. "I'm sorry. Really."
Sweetie stopped walking for a moment, but she didn't look back. Finally, she just said, "I know."
The Crusaders left, leaving Silver and Diamond alone to ponder over their actions.
The clubhouse was quiet that afternoon, unlike it usually was. It had been weeks since the Crusaders had encountered Diamond Tiara in her home and none of them had made the attempt to speak to her or Silver Spoon. Not even when Diamond finally returned to school just a few days after their conversation.
The Crusaders didn't crusade for weeks. It didn't make sense to after what Diamond had said about their ridiculous strive to get their marks, and even Scootaloo didn't seem as enthusiastic about getting her mark like before.
The Crusaders were no longer Crusaders. They were waiting, watching, hoping, hoping that something would come to them to tell them what to do.
And nothing did.
"What are we gonna do today?" Button finally asked amongst the silence.
Scootaloo shrugged in response, resuming the silence.
There wasn't another word spoken by the Crusaders for a long moment.
"...When did Babs say she was going to visit again?" Sweetie Belle questioned, looking to Apple Bloom.
Apple Bloom paused in her looking at the ceiling and turned to Sweetie. "Sometime in the next couple of weeks."
"Maybe she'll show us how she got her mark," Sweetie piped up.
She flinched at her own words. Diamond had been the one to tell her about her talent.
The silence resumed once more.
Sweetie used to hate how loud and clamoring the Crusaders could get. It used to bug her to no end and she absolutely despised how much her ears rang after one of their crusades.
Now all she longed for was a word, a whisper, a single syllable, even.
If things had been the way they were, loud and happy and chaotic, none of them would have heard the knock on the clubhouse door. Sweetie looked up from her spot on the floor and she looked to Button, who merely shrugged in response. Scootaloo held up a hoof to her lips and she fluttered over to the door, then turned her attention back to her friends. Then, she put her hoof on the doorknob and quickly swung the door open.
Somehow, unsurprisingly, it was Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.
"Hi," Diamond greeted, looking around awkwardly.
Scootaloo looked unimpressed. "Really? Hi? That's all you have to say?"
Silver rubbed one of her forelegs sheepishly. "Were you... busy?"
"Eenope," Apple Bloom answered, gazing back at the ceiling.
"Oh." Silver didn't say anything else.
"Why are you here?" Sweetie questioned, standing up. "Last time you guys were here, you took the clubhouse from us."
Diamond flinched a bit. "Yeah... Sorry about that." She sighed. "I'm gonna have to say that a lot, aren't I?"
"Yeah," Button commented. "You are."
"Can... Can we come in?" Diamond requested, looking around.
Scootaloo looked back at Apple Bloom, who merely shrugged in response. "You can."
Diamond and Silver entered the clubhouse as Scootaloo stepped back and closed the door behind them. Silence once again consumed the clubhouse.
Diamond, after standing around for a moment, finally sighed. "I'm sorry."
"We know," Sweetie stated.
Diamond frowned. "I'm not finished." She glanced at Silver. "Did you bring it with you?"
"Bring what with you?" Apple Bloom interrogated, glaring at them suspiciously.
"This," Silver replied, pulling out a scroll. "It's... It's kind of a list, of sorts." She put it in front of Diamond. "Should I go first or should you?"
Diamond nodded at her and took the list from her. She turned to Apple Bloom. "Apple Bloom."
Apple Bloom blinked. "Huh. That's a first."
Diamond wasn't deterred. "I'm sorry for making fun of you for being a blank flank." She moved the scroll up a bit. "I'm sorry for making fun of you at my cuteceanera. I'm sorry for making you feel embarrassed about your family."
"Hold on a sec," Apple Bloom interjected. "Are ya tryin' to apologize for all the stuff ya did to me?"
"'Trying' being the key word, yes," Diamond replied. She looked at all the Crusaders. "Is... Is this a bad thing? I can't tell."
Sweetie came up to her. "Did you really think that writing down all the bad things you did and apologizing for all of it was going to fix what you did?"
Diamond shook her head. "No, of course not! It's just... It's a start."
Scootaloo's brows furrowed. "A start for what?"
"Earning your forgiveness," Silver told her.
"Seriously?"
Silver mirrored Scootaloo's confused expression. "Is... Is that a bad thing?"
"Wow, you're bad at this," Button observed. "How many times have you actually had to apologize for something?"
Diamond frowned at him. "At least I'm trying."
"Yeah, but..." Sweetie giggled a bit. "I'm sorry, I just think it's kinda funny is all."
"What?" Diamond snapped, unappreciative of Sweetie's laughter.
Sweetie smothered her giggles for a moment. "It's just... Well, a couple years ago, if somepony had told me that Diamond Tiara was apologizing for every mean thing she had done to me and my friends—"
"Not just you," Silver interrupted. She flinched. "Sorry... I mean, we're apologizing to everypony."
"Everypony?" Button repeated.
Silver nodded. "Yeah... We've been a bit busy these past couple weeks, trying to make amends." She sighed. "We helped Twist with her bake sale, printed out newspapers for Featherweight, helped Rumble with his entrance exam into the Junior Wonderbolt Camp—"
"Did he get in?" Scootaloo asked. She looked on in annoyance as everyone stared at her. "What? It's a legit question!"
"Yeah, he got in," Diamond clarified. "And he got top marks, too." She shook her head. "Never thought I'd know so much about Wonderbolt history..."
"So... You've been trying to make amends for the past couple weeks?" Sweetie reiterated.
"Yeah, and it's been hard," Silver told them. "Like, some kids wouldn't even let us help them at first. We had to prove that we were being nice for real."
"The struggle is real," Apple Bloom said with a roll of her eyes.
Sweetie spared her a harsh glance, but she turned her gaze back to Silver and Diamond. "So, what comes after apologizing? Grovelling?" She smiled at their faces. "Just kidding. I'm not gonna make you do that."
Diamond and Silver exchanged worried glances. "Then what are you gonna make us do?"
Sweetie smiled. "I want you to listen to the new Wicked Talent CD with me sometime this week."
Diamond blinked. "Wait... what?"
"I've got an audition coming up at the local theatre," Sweetie told her. "And I wanted to try out one of her new songs for it. Expand my vocal range, you know?"
"I... OK."
Apple Bloom grinned. "Well, if we're talking about doin' favors... How about you help me with apple bucking this weekend? Ah wanna go see a movie with the girls, but Ah can't if Ah don't finish my chores by then."
"Wait, you want me to spend my Saturday apple bucking trees like some—" Diamond stopped herself. "Right... Continue."
"And I want you to play Legend of Zelda with me until we recover all the work I lost," Button requested.
"What progress— Oh. Right. That." She sighed. "Sure... I guess I can play your... game."
"What about you?" Silver questioned, turning to Scootaloo. "What do you want us to do?"
Scootaloo tapped her chin in thought. "Depends... Do you think you guys have enough money for shakes at Sugarcube Corner?"
"That's it?" Silver replied. "I mean... You don't want us to do anything embarrassing?"
Sweetie shook her head, a smile still on her face. "Nope."
Sweetie stepped towards her. "Because, we already forgive you, you morons."
Silver and Diamond blinked in shock simultaneously. "What?"
Scootaloo laughed. "We've been wondering when you two were gonna come around here to say something!"
Apple Bloom joined in on the laughs. "Do you really think you two could do anything around town without anypony noticin'?"
"We've known about what you've been up to for weeks," Button added. "Also, I gotta say, I never thought I'd see the day when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, two of the richest fillies in Ponyville, were covered in cake batter and sugar!"
Diamond was gaping like a fish on dry land. "But... But... But why? Why did you forgive us after everything we had done?"
Sweetie smiled earnestly. "After we saw you all those weeks ago, we talked about it and... Well, after some arguing and fights, we figured that it would be best to put things behind us."
"Even if those things were kinda screwed up," Scootaloo admitted.
"And, we knew how hard you guys were working to make amends." Sweetie's grin extended across her face. "So, even though you think you don't deserve our forgiveness or our friendship, we're still offering it to you."
"And it's OK if ya don't," Apple Bloom commented. "We can't force ya to be friends with us."
Diamond and Silver just stared at the Crusaders in silence for a moment, then turned to each other. Finally, they turned back and Diamond took the initiative. "Would we be considered Crusaders?"
Apple Bloom blinked in surprise. "Huh... You know, we haven't thought about that... Ah mean, Rumble, Pip, and everypony else are our friends, but they aren't considered Crusaders... So what would you be called?"
"Cutie Mark Advisers!" Sweetie exclaimed, making everypony jump. "You guys could be the group's official advisers!"
"That's a wonderful idea!" Button concurred. "That way ponies who get their cutie marks are still a part of the club!"
"For real?" Silver questioned.
"For real!" Sweetie replied.
Apple Bloom grinned. "Ya know, Ah think Babs will be happy to hear that she's still a member of the club even after getting her mark... Ah mean, she already knew that, but now she has an official role again!"
Sweetie turned back towards the two fillies. "So... What do you say?"
Once again, Diamond and Silver looked at each other, their eyes locking in a secret conversation. After a moment passed, Diamond and Silver turned back with apprehension on their faces.
"...Where do we sign up?" Silver asked, smiling nervously.
"Well, we have a whole initiation thing we have to go through first, but after that, you'll be members!" Scootaloo told them.
"Wait, initiation?" Diamond questioned, furrowing her brows in worry. "Is it something bad?"
Sweetie laughed. "Nope." Then, she paused. "Well, we haven't really edited the swearing in, so it's kinda rough, but it'll be fine."
Diamond smiled. "Good to know..." She frowned. "Is... Is there anything else we can do? To make it up to you, I mean?"
Sweetie smiled once more and she held out her foreleg in an offering of a hug. "Only that you two be as kind, generous, loyal, honest, and fun as the Crusaders hold themselves to be." She nodded her head towards the door. "Now, come on!"
"Come on to where?" Diamond asked, looking after Sweetie as she rushed to the door with the Crusaders behind her.
"We gotta make your uniforms!" Scootaloo told them. "I mean, how else are you gonna show that you're in the club?"
Diamond looked over at Sweetie Belle. "Uh... Are you gonna be sewing the costumes?"
Sweetie paused for a moment to think about it. "I was thinking about it. Why do you ask?"
Diamond cringed a bit. "Uh... How about Apple Bloom does the sewing?"
Sweetie frowned a bit in confusion, but she just shrugged. "Whatever you say, Diamond."
Diamond sighed a bit in relief as the Crusaders walked on ahead of them. "Well, that's one bullet dodged."
Silver looked at her in annoyance. "When are we gonna tell them what their talents are? I don't think I can handle all these crazy escapades they go on."
Diamond shoved her playfully. "In due time, Silver."
She walked out of the clubhouse and onto the balcony that led to the stairs, where she saw the Crusaders giggling and laughing with each other. She looked at each of their blank flanks and saw their potential, knowing the future they could possible hold.
