Overcoming Obstacles
Nopony said friendship was easy; this was doubly true for those who were once infamous among their hometowns for their more aggressive remarks, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon among those deemed as such. And even if somepony was forgiven for their past misdeeds, settling into a different lifestyle always took time. There was often a ticklish sensation that almost spelt slipping back into old habits, something that pushed them toward laughing at the expense of others without the playfulness, though such sensations became less frequent over time.
At least that's how Diamond saw the world nowadays. Even though the calendars she glanced at on a daily basis suggested that the Cutie Mark Crusaders acquired their marks around four months ago, Diamond could've sworn it was yesterday. Yet she knew it wasn't yesterday, sitting just outside of a cafe with her best friend as the Manehattan lifestyle sped past them was more than enough proof. And even for somepony who was spoiled with vacations to the most grandiose of cities, observing the towering skyscrapers still bedazzled her.
Silver Spoon, however, wasn't as captivated by the sights. Her idea of amazing views and memorable locales consisted of attractions that tested Diamond's gag reflex, the thought of visiting revered museums and gushing about ancient texts and artifacts causing her to squirm. Diamond still adored Silver Spoon, but ever since she became gentler in public, her geeky tendencies were less of a secret than ever before.
Diamond couldn't help herself from sighing. She rested her forelegs on the green table, its surface smooth and colder than a block of ice. She then gazed directly at Silver Spoon and blinked. Given her friend's pursed lips and blank stare, she knew what her friend was thinking without anypony needing to utter a peep. Silver Spoon wanted to compromise; Diamond wanted the glitz and glamor of the city right away. And Diamond wasn't giving up on her ideas without a second thought.
"There's gotta be something we both wanna visit," said Diamond, gently lifting a hoof up. "I mean, we've already done some shopping." Diamond stood up, showing off her new bracelet to Silver Spoon as if she just got it, then sat back down. "But we can totally get more jewelry. Why stop at one bracelet?"
Silver Spoon shook her head. "No thanks," she replied. "If we wore more jewelry, we'd look like gaudy, overdecorated mannequins. Besides, we don't want to spend too much." She paused for a moment and took a deep breath. "What if there's something else we want during our trip? Come on, a little fiscal responsibility wouldn't hurt."
Diamond arched an eyebrow, gently pressing a hoof against her cheek. "Silvy, you know that I don't get—like—some of the words you say."
"Well, you just have to spend wisely. Almost everything costs bits." Silver Spoon's face became expressionless, a soft sigh leaving her mouth. "Di, I thought you already knew about this kind of stuff. There are plenty of other things we can spend our money on than just fashion, even if the boots I got are absolutely amazing."
"Okay, mom." Diamond rolled her eyes. "We'll do something else. I get it." What didn't make sense, however, was why Silver Spoon was being overly bossy about something like this. Instead of thinking about her friend's odd behavior, Diamond merely straightened her seating posture and wiggled her forelegs. "If more shopping is out of the question, do you have any bright ideas?"
"Well, we could take a stroll around the park." Silver Spoon twiddled her braid, adopting a soft smile shortly after. "It's not exactly the kind of pizazz you're looking for, but it's far from dorky. Maybe we might find something both of us want to do. Besides, since you want something glamorous while I want something that gets me thinking, maybe a little compromise wouldn't hurt."
Diamond pursed her lips and crossed her forelegs. While Silver Spoon went with the idea of a compromise as expected, the finer details sounded tolerable. It wouldn't tickle her coat or get her heart racing, but her cheeks hadn't turned green at the idea. Maybe a calm walk was just what they needed.
Anything where Silver Spoon wasn't babbling about something that sounded like a future class of Miss Cheerilee's was a victory in her eyes. Likewise, she knew that avoiding something potentially embarrassing would've been preferred for Silver Spoon, the mess that was Diamond's proposal for carrying the flag at the previous Equestria Games something neither of them were forgetting.
"I like the sound of that," Diamond said with a confident tone. She flashed a bright smirk, Silver Spoon quickly responding in kind. "But where do we go?" Assuming a blank expression again, Diamond's head swiveled about as she scanned the area. Nothing that indicated a park was within sight; all she saw was brick, concrete, and metal. "Like, are you just messing with me?"
Silver Spoon giggled, standing up a second later and pushing her chair against the table. "I know where we're going, silly," she said. "We can't see Manehattan Park from where we are, obviously, but I remember trotting past it earlier this week. And since I know where we are in relation to the hotel, I can get there without trouble."
"What are we waiting for?" Diamond trotted past the table, yet made sure she stood behind Silver Spoon. "Let's go to—"
Before Diamond finished her sentence, she noticed a familiar foal nearby, her heart skipping a beat. A brownish coat coupled with a combed, red mane was a combination that was glued to her memories. And the fact that it was a filly with freckles approaching her only confirmed that it was the same pony she met a while ago.
Babs Seed was the filly's name; Diamond recalled almost everything about her, though she'd rather forget that day which saw her and Silver Spoon falling into a pile of mud, even if she realized they both earned that for what happened that day. And as Silver Spoon glanced behind her shoulder, Diamond noticed her friend's breaths picking up as she tugged her braid.
"Don't do anything stupid, okay?" Diamond whispered into Silver Spoon's ear, the former's muzzle scrunched. "I mean, it'd totally be cool if we could be friends again, but we gotta go slowly for just a little bit longer." Grabbing onto Silver Spoon, Diamond gently pushed her against the wall, joining her a second later. "She probably remembers how nasty we were. So if we don't do anything, we'll be okay."
Silver Spoon arched an eyebrow, head tilted. "Uh, there's no reason to act this dramatic, Di," she murmured. "So maybe we got off on the wrong hoof with Babs, but if we're nice to her, maybe she'll see that we've changed. I mean, a little kindness can go a long way, right? Why not just smile and wave?"
"Silvy, do you even remember the things we said to Apple Bloom?"
Silver Spoon nodded, lips pursed.
"Waving at her isn't gonna change much. I bet she'll see us and chew us out again." Diamond took a quick breath. And with sagging shoulders, she gently tapped Silver Spoon's back. "And she doesn't live in Ponyville, remember? She doesn't know we're friends with Apple Bloom yet."
"They could write to each other, you know."
"You think a letter is just gonna change her view on us?" Sighing once again, Diamond shivered for a moment before assuming a straightened posture. "Aside from some miracle, there's no way she's gonna—"
"Hey, Babs," said Silver Spoon, waving at the filly in question.
Much to Diamond's surprise, Babs actually froze in place and gazed at the two. However, no words left her lips as she crept toward them, stopping once again when they were inches apart. However, what hadn't surprised Diamond were the beads of sweat clinging to her forehead, not to mention the innocent smile Silver Spoon wore.
"Oh, hey," Babs muttered, feigning a smirk. "Wasn't expecting to see ya again."
"To be honest, I'm also surprised to see you," Silver Spoon replied. She rubbed the back of her neck and blushed. "Anyway, how are things going? It's been a long time since we last saw you, even if our last meeting with each other ended with—" Silver Spoon's tail twitched "—you know."
"I guess you could say things are goin' well." Babs inched away from Silver Spoon, turning around as to display her cutie mark. Emblazoned on her flank was a pair of scissors, the apple design incorporated into them one of its more distinctive features. "I finally got my cutie mark a few months ago. Blank flank no longer!"
"That's wonderful news!" Silver Spoon donned a radiant grin. However, as Diamond watched the scene unfold, she couldn't help but rub the top of her own head in response. Silver Spoon had to have been hiding something. "I'm guessing you heard about your cousin getting her cutie mark. And her friends got theirs at the same time!"
"Yeah, though I never thought they'd be the same thing." Babs flicked her tail and shrugged. "Kinda makes it seem like they'll be Cutie Mark Crusaders forever." She chortled. "And here I thought my cousin was gonna get a cutie mark about fixing things."
"Well, they sure know how to surprise everypony." Silver Spoon chuckled for a moment. In a flash, she turned to Diamond and stretched her hoof out to the filly. "And you've been awfully quiet, Di." Her smile vanished, a blank expression replacing it. "Is everything okay, or are you just thinking about something?"
"The second." Diamond clenched her teeth for a moment. "Just don't know what to say."
"Well, it was nice seeing both of ya," Babs continued. She paused for a moment. "I've gotta visit the local mane stylist. She's gonna teach me some more things about making manes look cool. Hey, maybe I'll figure out how Pinkie's mane gets so crazy." Pausing, she then waved at the duo and trotted off. "And if ya wanna come visit, drop by my house on 72nd Street! It's the one with the apple on its front door! See ya!"
As Babs trotted off, Diamond couldn't help but rub her eyes. By some miracle, Silver Spoon managed to mingle with Babs without any drama whatsoever. She was certain some bickering about when they bullied the Cutie Mark Crusaders would've occurred, yet all that came of it was Silver Spoon's embarrassed admittance and Babs just answering her question. It pricked Diamond's nerves the more she thought about it; Silver Spoon must've known something about Babs.
"How the hay did you talk to her?" Diamond blurted out. "Like, you made it look so easy!"
"I just played along, Di," Silver Spoon murmured. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, but—" she crossed her forelegs "—but I just tried being as nice as possible. I know you've gotten used to the niceness thing better than I have, but there's no reason to assume things will go bad."
"How so?"
"Remember how that unicorn became Princess Twilight's pupil?"
Diamond nodded. "Starlight Glimmer and something about time, right?" She cocked her head; the story about Starlight traveling through time seemed like something out of a dream, yet both Starlight and Twilight swore by it from what Diamond heard. "Yeah, I totally don't get that time travel stuff. But now that you mention it, what about Trixie? Like, she was only forgiven by Princess Twilight after her recent show. I thought we'd be in for something like that."
"I definitely understand why you were anxious, Di." Silver Spoon caught her breath, cracking the slightest of smiles. "But instead of walking around the park, maybe we should visit Babs together. If I talked with her, I just know that you can do it, too." Nudging closer to Diamond, Silver Spoon then wrapped a foreleg around the former's shoulders. "Let's visit her in the evening."
Diamond slowly nodded. While overcoming her past mistakes was something within the realm of possibility, the fact that Silver Spoon made it look so simple left a sour taste in her mouth. Not once had Diamond thought she'd be jealous of her best friend. For once, Silver Spoon's social skills exceeded hers.
However, as Diamond trotted alongside Silver Spoon, their destination the hotel, she noticed her friend's cheeks had suddenly tautened. Silver Spoon's slightly droopy eyes exuded glumness. But given how cheerful she was earlier, Diamond merely blinked and focused on the road once again. Chances were that Silver Spoon was tired.
Whatever the case was, Diamond knew she had to meet up with Babs again. She couldn't have herself looking meek; she would've done almost anything to avoid becoming associated with such a trait. It wasn't that they were awful or anything, but Diamond knew she'd constantly kick herself if she came off that way to Babs.
She just hoped her attitude recovered in time for the meeting.
Like most structures located just outside of Manehattan's bustling center, Babs' abode was rather humble in appearance. Yet Diamond felt it still had charm whilst gazing at it alongside Silver Spoon. An apple-shaped symbol was carved into the front door and the brick walls gave the place a homely feel, though the house's grandeur was nothing compared to the mansions within the nearby business districts. But whatever exuded coziness similar to a warm blanket was good enough for Diamond.
However, as Diamond glanced over to Silver Spoon, something about the latter's pursed lips and vacant expression pricked her nerves. The possible reasoning behind such a visage confused Diamond the more she stared at it, especially given how Silver Spoon was so pleasant around Babs. Diamond wondered if she knew about her jealousy, though it could've easily been her feeling a little tired from a whole day of trotting.
Diamond figured that pursuing the matter further would've ended poorly. Perhaps waiting for the opportune moment was in her best interest. The problem, however, was figuring out when the opportune moment arrived and whether Diamond would've known what to say in such an event. After all, even the most sociable of ponies had barriers to overcome.
"Are ya ready?" Diamond asked, taking a deep breath. She trotted up the the front door, placing her hoof on the wooden frame. Already, slight echoes reached her ears, one of the voices similar to Babs'. "We'll reintroduce ourselves first, then show how much all of us have changed."
"Um, she already knows we're nicer," Silver Spoon deadpanned. "But we should reintroduce ourselves."
Rolling her eyes, a soft sigh left Diamond's lips. "Okay, so maybe we don't have to do that. But I still gotta talk to Babs at least once. I mean, I finally know what I wanna ask her, too." She inched over to Silver Spoon, the two bumping shoulders. "I'll take the lead, though you can add some stuff if ya want."
"Di?"
Diamond arched an eyebrow. She then stepped away from Silver Spoon as to provide both of them ample breathing space. "What is it, Silvy?"
Sighing, Silver Spoon nudged away from the door, shoulders sagging. "You're jealous of me, aren't you?"
There was no hiding it; Diamond swallowed a lump. "Yeah, I was jealous." Diamond pressed her hoof against the outer wall. "I thought you looked too perfect, Silvy. Like, you were so polite to Babs and smart about it, but I just stood there like an idiot." Her cheeks tautened, Diamond's brow sulking a little as she saw her friend assuming a slight frown. "Those nervous looks were because you knew, right?"
Silver Spoon bobbed her head. "It was kind of obvious. I never meant to hurt you, Di, but I didn't know what to say at the time." She twiddled her braid. "I was going to talk about it once I knew what to say, kind of like with you and Babs, but I was afraid of ruining our vacation." With her head hung low, she took another deep breath. "I'm sorry, Di. I should've thought about your feelings more."
"Sorry?" Diamond stepped back, mouth agape. "I should be the one apologizing. I should've just admitted I was feeling jealous much earlier. You did nothing wrong, Silvy. If I had talked about it right away, we'd already be gossiping with Babs instead of standing outside. No need to worry so much."
Nodding again, Silver Spoon straightened her posture. "Well, you're my best friend, and I want to make you happy." Her cheeks flushed, a sheepish smile slowly forming on her face. "Okay, so maybe I was a bit bossy earlier today, but it's for a specific reason. Sometimes, I have to be bossy to be helpful."
"Well, I've been bossy myself." Diamond feigned a few chuckles. "Remember when I ran the Foal Free Press? That was being really bossy. And you have no idea how long it took to get the ink out of my mane. Trust me, it makes mud look like nothing." She tapped Silver Spoon's shoulder and cracked a slight smirk. "But I'm glad we've got this taken care of."
"Same here." Silver Spoon approached the door once more, lifting her hoof up. "Before I knock on the door, are you ready to talk with Babs again?"
Hopping over to Silver Spoon, Diamond then quickly nodded. "Of course! Besides, I don't need no stupid plan now. Let's meet up with Babs right away and have some fun!"
Both Diamond and Silver Spoon knocked on the door. In less than a second, it swung open, Babs standing on the other side with a mild grin. She blew her mane and waved at the pair, stepping toward them a moment later. And in response, the two visitors waved back in unison.
"Nice to see ya," said Babs. She stretched a hoof out to both of them. "I had a feelin' you'd come by."
Diamond shook Babs' hoof. "Nice to see you, too," she said. Upon Diamond letting go, Silver Spoon then followed suit with a hoofshake of her own. "Like, sorry that I wasn't so talkative last time. I just totally didn't know what to say." Giggling, she touched her lips with the tip of her hoof. "But anyway, how are ya?"
"Great!" Babs' grin widened as she stepped back into the house. "We've got plenty of room, so come join us!"
Diamond followed Babs into the house, Silver Spoon right beside her. The home's interior was about as simple as its exterior, a staircase leading to the second floor on the right and some living rooms visible from where Diamond stood. To her left was the dining area, none of the chairs occupied at the moment with no signs or scents of cooking nearby.
"My parents are workin' on something cool," said Babs, pointing to the staircase. "They've been makin' some amazing cider over the past few weeks, and let me tell ya, my cousin's gonna be amazed." She nudged an inch to the right, then simply made a beeline toward the living room. "I told them you were outside before openin' the door, so they're okay with ya visitin' for a bit. Just don't mess with anythin', okay?"
"We weren't gonna mess with anything," Diamond replied, scrunching her muzzle. "My parents nag at me to never touch anything every other day." She snickered, ticklish sensations poking her chest. While she never dared touch the statues back home, the punishment for breaking something likely colossal, watching her mother's expression twist itself into all kinds of shapes was humorous in a way. "Even when I've figured it out, they still gotta keep reminding me."
Babs chuckled. "Yeah, mine aren't that picky." She jumped onto a nearby couch, sinking into its green cushions. Stretching her forelegs, she then motioned toward Diamond and Silver Spoon. "Come on, I wanna show ya something cool." She paused, grabbing onto a book. "I think you'll like it."
The two made their way over to Babs, gently sitting on the couch and glancing at the book. Nothing was printed on the leather cover, Diamond bringing her focus back to Babs after a few seconds. She raised her brow, placing the back of her head against one of the couch's cushions.
"What's in there?" asked Diamond.
"This is where I write down the lessons I've learned," Babs replied, tapping the book's cover. "It's kinda like a diary, but I don't write about everything." She turned to Diamond and Silver Spoon, her expression brightening. "Say, you two have diaries or things like that, right? All the kids over at my school have 'em."
"I have one," said Silver Spoon, raising her hoof. "It's nice writing about your day in them. If I had to compare it to anything, it's—" she rubbed her muzzle "—it's sort of like having a friend to talk to when everypony else is busy." Silver Spoon playfully nudged Diamond's shoulder, the latter blushing. "And Di often has work to do."
"Well, I've been meaning to get one," Diamond muttered. "When my father is giving me more and more chores, it's hard to find time for a diary." She rolled her eyes and groaned. "And some of the chores feel like they take forever. Do you know how long it takes to clean plates?"
"I've been there," said Babs. She opened the book to the first page. "I do some chores at times, but I've got enough to write in the diary, too. I also keep the letters my cousin sends me in here." She slipped a slight smirk. "It's kinda useful havin' one of these around. Otherwise, I'd just lose track of everythin'."
"I guess I could do that when I get my diary." Diamond briefly snickered, smiling sheepishly.
Silver Spoon nodded. "Same here. Even I have trouble with organizing things."
"Anyway, the thing I wanna show ya is somewhere in here." Babs flipped through the pages carefully, scanning each page once she reached the middle of the book. However, each instance only took about a second, and before Diamond or Silver Spoon had a chance to mutter some words, Babs quickly procured a letter and unfurled it. "Found it!"
Diamond leaned toward Babs, her eyes peering at the letter. A second later, Silver Spoon followed suit, both of their eyes widened. As expected, it covered a few aspects of Babs' day when she first wrote on the page. Things about getting used to styling manes and the ponies she worked with were mentioned, but one line at the bottom caught Diamond's eye. Her heart skipped a beat as she read the words scribbled onto the page.
Oh, and my cousin made friends with those two fillies from Ponyville. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were their names, I think. Yeah, I didn't believe it at first, but when I made friends with Tornado Bolt earlier in the day, I guess anything's possible. She's much cooler than I thought. Maybe it's the same for Apple Bloom's new friends.
I just have to be nice to them if we meet again.
"Like, I guess that proves everything," Diamond murmured, blinking thrice. She twisted her head toward Babs, the two making eye contact. "Sorry if I was being—like—so weird earlier. I just didn't expect ya to be so calm with Silvy." Pausing, Diamond adjusted the tiara atop her head, tongue sticking out for a moment. "I guess those letters must've been how ya found out."
Babs nodded. "Yeah, I would've mentioned it before, but—" her cheeks flushed "—but I had to get goin' when I saw ya. It's part of why I wanted to invite ya over. I was thinkin' you'd find my friendliness a little weird, and it looks like I was right." Closing the diary, Babs placed it atop the table to her left. "So yeah, sorry I didn't explain it right away. Still tryin' to get used to this friendship thing."
"It's fine," said Silver Spoon. "These are the kind of things that aren't easy to master." Giggling, she pressed her hooves together. "I mean, even the Princess of Friendship says she's learning new things about friendship. But since you know more about it than us, wanna be pen pals?"
"Like my cousin, right?"
"Duh, it'd be cool to keep up with you!" Diamond added.
"I wouldn't mind at all." Babs' smile widened. Her eyes twinkled like stars as she blew her mane again. "And I know our friendship is gonna work this time."
"You bet."
The rest of the day went smoothly for the trio, all three fillies discussing the kinds of things they went through since they last met. Diamond and Silver Spoon mentioned being embarrassed about their past as bullies, but the grins they wore as they gushed about life after being bullies made it all worth it. And Diamond couldn't help herself from attentively listening to Babs' stories, warmth in her chest becoming more apparent as she better understood what it meant to be a responsible filly.
As a whole, Diamond was glad she met with Babs again, even if the day started rougher than expected.