The Rough Of The Diamond

Diamond Tiara somehow dragged herself out of bed the next morning…she should have been up and ready to change the world, but a disturbed nights sleep pondering about her cutie mark, and indeed her whole destiny in life, just made her tired rather than enthusiastic.

Breakfast, made by the servants rather than a loving parent like most foals, was waiting for her downstairs. Her father had already left for the day and her mother had not yet got out of bed, leaving the filly to eat by herself. The trip to school wasn't that much better either, as Silver Spoon was still off sick and it was raining. Of course Diamond Tiara worse a fashionable rain-coat with matching boots that kept the filly dry and warm, but the situation didn’t do much to improve her mood.

The school day dragged on much like many do but this one was worse, not least of which was dye to the rain resulting in the students not being allowed outside to play. So whilst everypony else gathered in groups to chat or play board games at lunch, Diamond was stuck at her desk alone.

At the end of the school day, all the other students rushed outside to play in the rain and puddles, but Diamond waited back. Cheerilee was surprised to see the filly stay behind, not usually be one that's after extra credit since the Foal Free Press incident a few months ago, and wasn't sure what to do. Of course, Cheerilee was a good teacher that liked all her students, although naturally she preferred some to others.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders were a pain to deal with on a daily basis, and had once corrupted her with a love poison. This made her act like a silly filly in front of the whole town, and nearly caused her to marry a stallion - okay that wasn't so bad as it may have been a stallion she had secretly always liked, and the trios intentions were ultimately good. And beside, who could resist those three adorable faces?

Pipsqueak was equally as adorable and always worked hard whilst Snips and Snails, despite being a walking disaster zone, made her laugh and also had good hearts. Meanwhile, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were little pains in the haunch, who thought themselves above the other ponies…the other earth ponies at least. And she knew that they looked down at her for being a working class pony and a single working class pony at that!

But she didn't get to pick her students, and she had a sacred duty as a teacher to teach them all. Of course that didn't apply to really being friends with them, but she took a deep breath and approached the filly.

“Diamond Tiara…is something wrong? Need some help with your homework or something?” she calmly asked her student.

“Yes…I mean No. I don’t need help with my homework. But there is something I want to talk to you about...if you don't mind?”

“Oh, what is it my little pony?” Cheerilee smiled back.

“It’s about Cutie Marks Ms Cheerilee…I know I have mine, but I'm not sure I want it!”

“Oh, and why’s that?” the teacher answered in surprise, given how a little over a year ago she was flaunting her new mark in everypony's face

“Well, I don’t really know what it means…and from what I can gather the meaning it may have I don’t want!” the filly moaned.

“Well, a cutie mark is only a representation of your special talent, it’s not always related to that ponys role in life or the job they end up doing”

“I suppose yours isn't exactly related to your job, is it?”

“I thought I had explained what the flowers with the smiles meant?” Cheerilee queried the filly

“Yeah, but surely your cutie mark could equally be about making people happy with gardening or something, In fact, I’ve seen how happy you are when you're tending to your garden…it’s nice to see you happy like that!”

Cheerilee looked at the earth filly Wait, did she just say she was glad to see me happy? She’s never openly show any interest in anypony else before. “True, not all cutie marks can be taken literally. Take Fluttershy’s for example – her special talent is being able to deal, and even speak to, animals. Her mark may only be butterflies but all animals seem to be affected equally. Of course her talent is a little more unusual than most, being unique in fact, and that may be related to the elements of harmony. Most pegasi get a flying or weather related cutie mark afterall.”

“What about the other elements of harmony” the filly thought out loud.

“Well, I guess Sweetie Belle's sister Rarity is another good example. Rarity has a gem cutie mark, which may people think is because she can find gems. Now, whilst that is part of it, I understand that other ponies can also use the same spell. What her cutie mark actually represents is her ability to make things sparkle with creativity – sometimes with gems but equally with fabric alone.”

“And Princess Sparkle…I mean Twilight” Cheerilee giggled “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to calling a Princess by her first name, even as one as down to earth as Pr..Twilight” Diamond smiled at the mare, knowing that it was a conundrum lots of ponies in the town had, even her father “And Twilight’s cutie mark of stars seem unrelated to magic in a way any of us seem to understand, although I’m lead to believe the 42 points on the stars is supposed to mean something. I've heard some talk about that at the restaurant at the end of the town.”

Diamond Tiara pondered this for a while, and then looked down at her own flank. “So…what do you think mine could mean?”

The teacher was not ready for this question, but was a subject she had pondered on before. Some of her students had some unusual cutie marks – what Snails was going to do with a special ability involving molluscs she shuddered to think, but probably might end up as some form of invertebrate expert. Snips was actually very creative with scissors during ars and craft, and probably would end up some form of physical artist…or a mane-dresser.

But when it came to Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara it was more confusing. Their cutie marks had matched their names, which wasn't that unusual as some form of pre-destiny seemed to apply which picking foals names. But their cutie marks didn't really represent much else. “Honestly Diamond…I’m not sure. Have you actually tried things relating to your cutie mark, to see what your talent may be?”

“What, like the…” Diamond gulped “…Cutie Mark Crusaders?”

“Not exactly," Cheerilee giggled "nopony should do exactly what they do. But you at least have a clue of what your special talent involves. Have you tried designing jewellery?”

“Sort of…I’m not very good at drawing”

“Okay, but perhaps that will grow in time – if you have the creative spark perhaps it’ll just need to be refined. What about making things like tiaras?”

“You mean like a blacksmith?”

“A blacksmith tends to work on practical items made from iron or steel. What you may be thinking of is a goldsmith who works on precious metals. However, a jewellery maker doesn't necessarily need those skills, but finer skills to put the delicate jewels in place as well as having the instinct of what customers would like.”

“Isn’t that more likely to suit a unicorn?”

“Perhaps, but our town blacksmith, who is an earth pony, also makes some fine things. Of course it’s easier for unicorns to do the work, but it’s nothing us Earth ponies can’t do!”

Diamond pondered this a bit, and looked at her teacher. “What about if my cutie mark is wrong? Could it be my special talent is completely unrelated, and once I find that it may change?” the filly asked with a large amount of hope.

Cheerilee looked over the filly and sadly responded “Sorry, but there is no recorded incidents of a cutie mark ever having changed once its been found…Appleblooms and others with the Cutie Pox excluded of course! But that doesn't mean that you can’t find a meaning you don't expect right now.”

Diamond sat there a little longer “Thank you for your time Ms Cheerilee” and proceeded to slowly plod out of the classroom into the rain

“Anytime you need to talk, I’m always here” Cheerilee called out. As the earth filly left, Cheerilee sat down at her desk and thought about the conversation she had just had. Now, I didn’t expect that from Diamond Tiara. She seemed to be genuinely upset over something, does she miss Silver Spoon that much? But she also seemed to…dare I say it, care? She even said she liked to see me happy? Perhaps she’s starting to mature a little…that would help with preventing arguments between her and the crusaders!