Chapter one: A very freaky Friday.
A new day had dawned in Equestria. Not just because Celestia was raising the sun either, as per her usual duty.
After plenty of failed attempts, botched tries and so much heedless chaos spread about Equestria thanks to their ingratiating yet somehow endearing attempts at earning them, the ubiquitous Cutie Mark Crusaders (also known as the ‘CMC’ by those allergic to syllables) had finally, either through dumb luck or perfect judgement (probably a bit of both) earned their long-awaited Cutie Marks.
The whole of Ponyville spent the weekend celebrating this momentous achievement when it at last arrived, and not just because it meant the town had a much better chance of staying in one piece for the foreseeable future. Honest.
One of the biggest surprises of that unforgettable Friday though, was the instigator of the shock appearance of their newly-forged symbols. For it was by helping Diamond Tiara, their long-term bully, understand her true purpose in life that the unbreakable trio of Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were able to receive their unprecedented triple shields that consisted of a heart enclosed in an apple, a musical note in a star and a lightning bolt inside a wing respectively.
Their ineffable destinies together confirmed, they’d further decided to take their friendship skills to the next level by using the invaluable skills they’d learned along the way to selflessly assist other ponies in discovering their purpose in life. It was only fair after all, to give a little back to a community with an apparent infinite amount of patience for their shameless shenanigans during those many long months of endless experimenting.
The Monday after the glorious event was over now though, and now it was time to embrace the new reality. The CMC had met up on the edge of the schoolyard just before classes began, in order to plan what they’d do next, their hopes and dreams for the future and to be frank… brag just a tad.
“My Cutie Mark’s the best, Sweetie! It means I can go superfast, as well as fly like a Wonderbolt one day! I-I think…”
“Yeah right, Scoots! I think singing like a soprano and being the ‘star’ of the show beats that anytime!”
“Will you girls quit it already? In the end, it don’t really matter who’s is better or stronger, as long as we’re happy and we help as many others with them as we can.”
Scootaloo temporarily stopped bickering with Sweetie Belle to roll her eyes in earnest at Apple Bloom’s typical do-gooding. “Whatever. You’re not honestly telling me, that you don’t think your Cutie Mark is the best out of all of us too?”
“...W-Well maybe it is, and maybe it ain’t.” Apple Bloom was not expecting to be called out like this, and scratched the back of her mane nervously. “At the end of the day, we should just be grateful we got them in the first place, and not split hairs ‘bout whose is better and stuff. Don’tcha reckon we should be thinkin’ ‘bout how we can actually use them together, instead of competin' like this were some kinda contest? After all, I reckon we were given them at the same time and place for a reason, and it’s up to us to figure it out.”
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo exchanged a brief look of guilt upon hearing the farm pony’s earnest plea, and it was the unicorn filly who spoke next. “S-Sorry Apple Bloom. You’re right, we were being a bit selfish just thinking about ourselves. It’s amazing we’ve even got our Cutie Marks now, we shouldn’t be wasting our time by arguing like this when we could be enjoying them.”
“Why do you always have to be the ‘Voice Of Reason’? It gets kind of annoying after a while.” Scootaloo said with a rueful smile, chastising her friend in a good-natured way. “Anyway, hadn’t we better be getting into class? N-Not because I’m looking forward to lessons you understand, but I can’t wait to see the reaction of everypony else to this baby…”
Scootaloo jabbed at her flank vigorously with great excitement, showing she’d learned precisely nothing from Apple Bloom’s heartfelt mini-speech. The farm pony shook her head with an amused sigh, before taking the lead in walking to the front door of the school.
“Come on then, you two. You can stop pointin’ at your Cutie Mark now Scoots, we get the ‘point’. And I hope you remembered your homework this time, because I’m not lettin' you ‘borrow’ mine again, Sweetie Belle.”
“Oh, have a heart Apple Bloom!”
“I have one already thanks, it’s on my flank. But I’m still not letting you cheat.”
“...Darn it, that was a pretty good comeback. I don’t know what to say now… Oh, hi Diamond Tiara!”
Sweetie Belle paused her pleading long enough to bid hello to the posh pink pony as she strolled into the school ahead of the group, but the crown-wearing filly’s reaction to Sweetie’s greeting was enough to get the entire trio’s attention.
“Hmph!” Diamond said in a hugely dismissive voice, before arrogantly walking into the building with her nose in the air and her tail held high.
“H-Huh?” The CMC members stopped in their tracks to stare at each other in mutual confusion.
“Did she just…”
“Blank us?”
“Like she did when we were…”
“B-Blank flanks?!”
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle both exchanged shocked looks, considering how different Diamond’s attitude seemed from the ‘reformed’ filly they’d enthusiastically said goodbye to on Friday, the one they thought they were good friends with…
…Until now.
It was left up to Apple Bloom to inject a bit of optimism into proceedings. As usual. “C’mon girls. Maybe she’s jus’ havin' a bad mornin’, or somethin’. Don’t worry, we’ll get to the bottom of this when we’ve had a chance to talk to her later. I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation for this.”
Sweetie and Scootaloo looked at their friend, then glanced at each other before the determined threesome exchanged a simple nod and wandered indoors in single file (the doorframe wasn’t quite wide enough to accommodate all of them at once, you see).
What I just said seems sensible enough. So why is there a nagging feeling at the back of my head? Despite her reasonable ‘solution’, something troubled Apple Bloom as she went in last for once. Oh well, we’ll know more soon enough.
**************
Something very odd was going on, which was obvious from the moment the fillies stepped into the classroom.
The first thing they noticed (apart from the usual boisterous racket and general disarray which was normal for a Monday morning) was that Silver Spoon, Diamond Tiara’s long-term bestie and fellow Sugar-Lump-Rumper…
…Was sat on the other side of the classroom to her, after the pair had shared a desk for as long as anypony could remember. The poor greyish filly looked absolutely crestfallen, with a small puddle of tears already apparent on her seat and a fresh batch arriving from just underneath her steamed-up spectacles.
Diamond Tiara didn’t seem any worse-for-wear though, considering the formerly inseparable pair’s obvious parting. She sat proudly in the front row of the class, tiara freshly polished, mane carefully coiffured, looking for all the world like she was attending a gala premiere rather than the rough-and-tumble of a typical schoolday.
Nopony else seemed to have noticed the abrupt change in circumstances though, as busy as they were comparing lunches, exchanging stories of what they’d done over the weekend or tasting the new (non-toxic, fortunately) paints that Miss Cheerilee had ordered (That last one was Snips ‘n’ Snails, in case you hadn’t figured it out).
Speaking of the much-loved teacher, she walked in on that exact moment before the Crusaders could properly process all this new information. With a stack of papers in one hoof, and a dose of heavily-caffeinated coffee in the other, she was about to welcome her students to another week of valuable learning when…
“Diamond Tiara? What are you doing sitting there? I thought you usually sat with Silver Spoon. Is anything the matter?”
“Oh not at all, Miss Cheerilee. Me and Twist just had a nice long chat, and we decided to switch seats for a while. You see, poor old Twist is a bit behind in her work, and Silv is helping tutor her. Isn’t that right, Twist?”
Twist didn’t reply in the form of words to Diamond’s claims (to be fair, it seemed like an age ago since the red-maned candymaker had even spoken) but she did nod hesitantly, which seemed good enough for a somewhat amazed Cheerilee.
“Gosh, That’s very kind of you Diamond Tiara! And so unexpected! I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the ‘new’ you. But we’re all very proud of the progress you’re making, that’s all I want to say. Anyway, back to what I was going to…”
“...Oh, and before I forget, you might want to check your drawer before we start today, Miss Cheerilee.”
“Hmm?” The teacher looked quizzically at Diamond as she piped up once again, before reaching over to check inside her desk as the pink filly requested.
“My oh my!” Cheerilee pulled out the shiniest, juiciest, most tasty-looking green apple she’d ever seen… and considering the school’s close proximity to Sweet Apple Acres, this was some achievement. “Thank you so much for this Diamond Tiara… But I have to ask, are you trying to butter me up for some reason?”
“Not at all, Miss Cheerilee. It’s just a token of my appreciation for all the times you’ve had to put up with me when I’ve been bad over the years. Go on, give it a try… My Daddy imported it all the way from Appaloosa, just for you. It won ‘Best In Orchard’ there, or something like that.”
“I can’t eat it now, I’ll enjoy it with my lunch later. But this is a very nice gift I’ll gladly accept. And thank Filthy… I mean, Filthy Rich for me when you see him, please?”
“Of course I will, Miss Cheerilee. He’ll be simply thrilled you like it.” At this point, Diamond Tiara turned around as the teacher was distracted by the magnificence of her newly-acquired fruit to pull what could only be described as one of the most terrifying faces anypony had ever seen, and it was aimed right at where Twist now sat squirming away. The poor filly was trembling like she’d been left out in a snowstorm, and as for the adjacent Silver Spoon…
Well, she looked like she was going to be sick.
The CMC stared at each other in absolute horror at what they were witnessing. Something seriously screwy was going on here, and they didn’t like it.
Not one bit.
********************
If things that fateful day had started out slightly weird, they were about to get worse and worse.
First, at recess Scootaloo found out somepony at let down the tyres on her cherished scooter.
She had no idea who was responsible for this outrage, but a knowing wink from a certain passing pink filly gave her a very good idea.
(Fortunate for Diamond that the orange pegasus had two close friends to restrain her, or Diamond may just have spent the rest of the school year in intensive care).
Later, there was the odd case of Sweetie Belle’s song notes she’d been working on all smeared with black ink, rendering all her hard work she’d spent on them useless.
Once again, there was Diamond blowing her a raspberry and chuckling at the unicorn while the teacher’s back was turned, leaving no room for doubt who was responsible for this latest outrage.
(Luckily for Diamond, Sweetie hadn’t quite mastered the art of blasting other ponies with her horn yet, or she might’ve just spent the rest of her life on the moon).
Apple Bloom watched these humourless ‘pranks’ unfold, amongst many others (Like Button Mash discovering his latest gaming device was smashed to pieces, Featherweight’s favourite camera being found in the toilet and Truffle’s packed lunch wrapper discovered next to a lot of fattened birds) with growing trepidation. I’m not stupid, I know who’s to blame for all this… the question is though: what has she got planned for me?
The suspense was killing her, even to the extent that she almost failed to spot Diamond was putting her hoof up to get a lot more questions right than she ever did before, and the pink filly’s test scores were through the roof.
“I can’t believe the change in not just your attitude, but your overall aptitude as well!” Gushed Miss Cheerilee for what seemed like the umpteenth time that day. “You’ve taken over Silver Spoon’s spot as being at the top of the class too… oh, sorry Silver. I didn’t mean…”
“Oh, she doesn’t mind, do you Silv?” Diamond leered threateningly once more to the back of the classroom at her apparent former friend, a highly uncomfortable look noticeable by everypony there but the obviously oblivious teacher.
“...No, I guess not.” Silver Spoon muttered in a defeatist way, before slumping her head down once more to brood in silence.
This can’t go on. Between all Diamond Tiara’s bullying, everypony feeling miserable, and Miss Cheerilee not even seeing what’s happening all around her, I gotta say something. Apple Bloom had been happy to wait until she could get a moment alone with the pink filly to find out what was going on with her shocking behaviour, but events had escalated to such an extent that she felt she couldn’t leave things as they were for another minute.
“Please, Miss…” Apple Bloom raised her hoof promptly. “I have something to say.”
“It’s lunchtime now, Apple Bloom. Can’t it wait until later?” Miss Cheerilee smiled at the farm filly, as she put her hoof into her desk drawer.
“No, Miss, this is super important believe me, or I wouldn’t be askin’.”
“Oh, alright then. Just wait a second, while I…” Miss Cheerilee retrieved the apple that Diamond had given her earlier, and stared at it with a deep frown on her face. “Ok, who did this?”
It was easy to see what vexed the angry teacher, seeing as the once-delicious looking apple now had a giant bite taken out of it. Immediately, the whole class started gossiping about who the dastardly culprit could be, that is until…
“Hey, look underneath Apple Bloom’s desssk!” Twist lisped a tad as she pointed by the farm pony’s seating area, in an accusatory voice with no real emotion behind it.
“What about my desk?” A puzzled Apple Bloom replied, before glancing down to see exactly what the red-maned filly referred to… small fragments of green-skinned apple all around her hooves.
“B-But… I-I didn’t…” Apple Bloom protested, but in the absence of any other evidence there was only one culprit, as far as Miss Cheerilee saw it.
“Apple Bloom. I’m surprised at you!!” The teacher scolded the flabbergasted filly, her voice a mixture of shock and disappointment. “Just because Diamond Tiara brings a beautiful apple to school with her for me, doesn’t mean you have to get jealous and ruin it! It’s not a competition to see who can bring me the nicest fruit. If you’d brought me one, I’d have appreciated it just as much. Instead, you decided to take a bite out of hers, and now I’m going to have to throw it away. You’ll be staying for detention after school, and I hope you realise now that actions have consequences.”
“B-But… I-It w-wasn't… I-I was going to meet up with the Crusaders…”
“Well, you should’ve thought about that before you did what you did.” Miss Cheerille shook her head in disapproval, before returning to her seat. “Sorry I wasn’t able to enjoy your lovely present, Diamond Tiara. But thank you for thinking of me anyway.”
“Oh it’s okay, Miss Cheerilee. I’ll bring you another one down as soon as I get the chance. It may not be as good, but I’ll pick the best one I can find! And don’t worry, I forgive Apple Bloom for what she did. After all, we’re good friends now… and isn’t that what good friends do, forgive each other?”
Once again, Diamond Tiara did her trademark wicked glare across the classroom at one of her unsuspecting victims, only this stare may be her evilest one yet. She almost seemed to be saying you mess with me, I’ll mess you up a hundred times over. So just try it, idiot.
And if any pony learned that lesson the hard way that day, it was Apple Bloom. I gotta hoof it to her, her so-called ‘redemption’ fooled even me. Guess I’ll never fully trust another pony ever again. Looks like things will be returning to normal here soon. More’s the pity.
****************
Later that day, Diamond Tiara returned hope to Rich Mansion with an enormous feeling of satisfaction. Her first day back at school had been an unqualified success in restoring the mistakes of the past, and she just about felt on top of the world.
“Hi, ‘Daddy’, I’m home! Oh wait, I forgot. You’re away on a business trip to Manehattan. Good.” The pink filly barely hid her disgust as she flung her saddlebag down, before trotting to the kitchen. “Damn short little legs. Can’t even reach the wine cabinet without a ladder. Oh, I almost forgot… I’m too ‘young’ to drink alcohol now anyway. Go figure.”
Snorting with annoyance, Diamond decided to take a look at the day’s mail instead. “Let’s see now… clothes bills, jewellery bills, luxury spa bills… An invite for Filthy for his 30th School Reunion Party, well that one can go straight into the trash… and hello, what’s this from Trixie Lulamoon?”
She opened the letter, and read parts of it aloud in a mocking voice. “Let’s see… body swap spell went exactly as planned… expects payment in full of a new super-deluxe caravan plus trailer and a year's supply of cinnamon nuts by the end of the month… or she’ll tell everypony what she did. Gah, she even speaks in third pony while she’s writing. How simply infuriating.”
Diamond Tiara fumed at the bad habits of the showpony, but made a mental note to write her a cheque at the nearest opportunity. After all, if Trixie said one single word about what she’d done, the jig would be well and truly up, and all her efforts would be for precisely naught.
“Let me out of here!! I’m hungry, thirsty, need to go to the bathroom… and so, so bored.”
A voice that sounded just like Spoiled Rich’s (but perhaps with a lighter inflection) could be heard rumbling from an upstairs closet, accompanied by a heavy banging.
“Oh well, must go and see to the ‘prisoner’, I suppose.” ‘Diamond Tiara’ sighed with a widened smirk, as she slowly made her way to the higher floor. “Yes, I wonder how ‘Spoiled Rich’ is getting on, during her ‘sick day’. Let’s find out, shall we…”.