"Morning class!" greeted Cheerilee as her pupils trotted into the classroom and sat down for the day's first lesson.
Applebloom sat down in her usual place beside Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, eager to start the school day. The day before they had been told about a school project which was to be done in trios, and naturally, the young filly had chosen none other than Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle as her partners. They had spent the last evening in their clubhouse discussing how they were going to make their school project.
As soon as everypony had settled in comfortably, and the register had been done, she began, "As you know, today, we will be starting a school project, which is to be done in trios,"
"Yes Miss Cheerilee," they choroused in reply.
"But one student is absent today, and so, we will have to work in pairs instead, class, please choose your new partners now."
All the young fillies and colts started to move their desks around the room, the air filled with squeaks and scratching on the floor. Three fillies stood in the middle, arguing.
"Scootaloo, come on," Sweetie Belle encouraged, "maybe you will get your cutie mark in self sacrifice or something."
"No way!" Scootaloo argued, "Why don't you leave? You need to get out of your shell."
"I don't have a shell!" the unicorn retorted.
"Girls, girls," Cheerilee came over to where they were arguing, "I don't care which one of you decides to leave, but make your decision now."
"Sweetie Belle," the pegasus shouted.
"Scootaloo should go!"
Finally, Applebloom announced, "Ah'll go," and the discussion was put to an end.
"Well done, Applebloom, taking initiative like that was very mature of you," Cheerilee praised.
But when Applebloom turned around, her frown deepened as she realised one thing; she'd have to be working with the last foal left, the foal that nopony wanted to work with. In this case, it was a pink filly with a white and silver mane. Diamond Tiara.
"But, Miss Cheerilee, wasn't Diamond Tiara working with Silver Spoon?" she asked, trying to get herself out of working with her enemy.
"You see, I've been encouraging your everypony in class to work with classmates you don't usually work with," her teacher explained, "Silver Spoon is working with Truffle Shuffle now, and so Diamond Tiara was left without a partner."
Reluctantly, Applebloom approached Diamond Tiara, who was busy chatting to Silver Spoon about which other pony she'd be forced to work with.
She tapped a hoof on the Earth Pony's shoulder.
"What do you want with me, Applebroom?"
"Seriously? Anyway, well, um... ah'm your new partner.”
"Ugh," Diamond Tiara moaned, "not only do I have to work with a blank flank, but she’s a filthy farm pony too?" Cheerilee frowned at the foal, but did not say anything.
"Diamond Tiara, that is awful rude of ya," Applebloom responded.
"No, you're the rude one, Snapplebloom," Diamond put firmly.
"Okay..." the filly said hesitantly.
"Class!" Miss Cheerilee called, grabbing the fillies' attention. "Today we will be going over the wonderful things that magic can help us with. Even simple telekinesis," she started, turning to the next page, showing a cartoonish unicorn holding an object mid-air, "can help us in our everyday lives. Not only the Princesses can do magic, and it is practiced everywhere. I expect a poster done by the end of class about how magic can help our everyday lives."
Everypony was washed over in a wave of noise. Fillies and colts chattered around Applebloom and Diamond Tiara.
"Okay, we should... um," Apple bloom started to say, thinking.
"We should start with the title, blank flank," Diamond Tiara put bluntly.
"Ah knew that," Applebloom replied, "’n stop calling me blank flank."
"I will when you have your cutie mark," Diamond Tiara responded, "get some markers or something Appleshroom!"
Applebloom grumbled as she went to find some markers. She grabbed three colors and threw them on the desk.
"Watch yourself, Mappleroom, be careful," The filly said, rolling her eyes.
"Yeah, yeah," Applebloom grumbled, "here." she said, handing over a marker.
"I'm not holding that in my mouth!" Diamond Tiara said with disgust.
Applebloom resisted the urge to facehoof, and said, "It's not going to bite ya, Diamond Tiara, ‘n how else can ya hold it? Ya ain’t no Unicorn to have telekinesis."
"I'm not the one who's going to hold it, Appleblank, you are, isn't that obvious?" Diamond Tiara stated.
"Well, if Ah'm writing with the marker, what are ya gonna do?" Applebloom asked.
"I'm going to tell you what to do and exactly how to do it, so that our poster is perfect!" Diamond Tiara told her partner, "and decorate, of course," she added.
"Oookay?" Applebloom acknowledged, and started writing the title.
"Curl that end, and make that side curvier! Put a little twinkle there, a star there, and a swirl there. No, that's too straight, do it like..." Diamond Tiara went on and on and on, until after around fifteen minutes, they had a title which was hardly readable in between all of the swirls, curls and twirly things.
"Put glue on top of all of those words and I'll take care of the rest!" Diamond Tiara commanded, and trotted off toward the stationary shelves.
Applebloom had finished by the time Diamond Tiara was back, and she watched as her partner tipped over a bowl of glitter over on to their work. Now the title was even harder to read than before.
The farm filly looked around at the other pairs, most of which who had finished the title long before and had moved on to the informational part of the poster.
"So, where shall we start?" Applebloom asked.
"We're going to write about magic, so we have to write about the Princesses, duh, Apple, uh, Appleboom!" Diamond Tiara told Applebloom.
"That's getting old. But Magic isn't all about the Princesses, ya know? Everypony has magic, Pegasi can fly and walk on clouds, Earth Ponies are strong and good at growing things, ‘n Unicorns can cast spells. The Alicorn Princesses are just a mixture of all three," Applebloom explained to Diamond Tiara.
Diamond Tiara yawned explicitly in Applebloom's face, "Oh, you're done now? With your boring lecture?"
"Ah'm done," Applebloom grumbled.
"And flying isn't magic. Duh," the filly said, putting a dumb look on her face.
"Yes it is! Flyin' is to magic; without them magic wings them Pegasi would fall plum out of the sky!" Applebloom put her hooves on the table.
"Then why can't unicorns fly when they don't have wings? Why Rapplebloom?"
"Unicorns can't fly because they don't have the magic wings!"
"Then why do Pegasi beat their wings?" Diamond Tiara put with a smirk on her face.
"Well, um... to start the spell er, whatever."
"Ha! Face the facts, Applegloom, you're wrong," Diamond Tiara said triumphantly.
"Well at least Ah can admit it! Miss Perfect-All-the-Time!"
"Thank you, Rapplesnap."
"It's not a compliment!" Applebloom yelled, "It means that yer too dumb to even realize... when ya’ll are wrong, and you always are!"
"Well I don't admit to being wrong because I am always RIGHT! You just think of me so highly because you are a lowly farm pony!" Diamond Tiara argued, drawing Cheerilee's attention.
"At least ah have a purpose! Even without my cutie mark ah do much more for our town in a day then you do in a year!"
"Girls..." Cheerilee said, trying to draw the fillies' attention.
"What is your cutie mark anyway? You get to grow up into a professional SNOB! Face it! Ya can't deal with the fact that you get such a useless cutie mark, ‘n ah can do whatever ah want!"
"No way, blank flank. I don't envy you, what are you, the most vain filly ever to live?"
"Girls!" the mare said, now both fillies front hooves were on the desk, and their faces were inches apart. Metaphorical lighting was sparking between their eyes.
"AH'M NOT VAIN! YA’LL IS THE ONE THAT THINK YER SO MUCH BETTER THAN EVERYPONY!" Applebloom shouted.
"APPLEBLOOM, DIAMOND TIARA. GET DOWN, NOW!" Cheerilee commanded.
Both fillies did what was asked of them. Apple bloom looked at her hooves, feeling awful, while Diamond Tiara frowned and fidgeted, occasionally looking at Applebloom with contempt.
"Now what do you have to say for yourselves?" Cheerilee asked of the small fillies.
The whole class were staring at them now.
"Miss Cheerilee, Ah'm sorry..." Applebloom apologised.
"Now you know it's not me you have to apologise to, Applebloom."
"Ah know..." Applebloom mumbled, “Ah'm sorry for bein' rude to ya, Diamond Tiara."
"Applebloom, properly."
"Okay, okay," Applebloom said, "Ah'm sorry for being rude to ya."
"Better. Now you, Diamond Tiara."
"I'm not sorry about anything because what I said is all true," Diamond Tiara stated, and gave a snobby 'humpf!'
Cheerilee looked at Diamond Tiara for a moment, then at Applebloom, and sighed, "Girls, I think you'd best come into my office for a bit."
Obediently, the two fillies followed their teacher into her office. The walls were painted a creamy yellow, and in front of an oak wood desk, there were three chairs for any pupils to sit on.
They both sat down on the chairs in front of the desk while Cheerilee sat behind it.
"Now, I believe an apology is required, Miss Cloudy Diamond Tiara Rich?
"Miss Cheerilee, I would, but I did nothing wrong," Tiara's response was led with a suppressed laugh from Applebloom, "everything I said is true, and I don't understand why I get in trouble for telling Applebloom the truth."
"Don't ya dare pull the truth card out of ya a..."
"Applebloom. Langauge. Diamond Tiara, by arguing with Applebloom in class, not only did you stop making your poster, but you slowed the entire class down by being so distracting. Now you will work together on this poster. Even if I have to give you both detention until you manage to finish that poster!" Cheerilee threatened, "Now, do you both understand?"
The fillies muttered something along the lines of 'yes'.
"Good, now you two go work on your poster. Without incident."
"This is so stupid," Applebloom said to herself, "if ah can't get Diamond Tiara to actually help, then ah get detention.
"I help, but I get detention if you can't do the poster right."
"Now don't ya go around biting off more than you can chew, Tiara, don't ya even try to start another argument."
"Starting an argument?" Diamond Tiara said, looking over-exagerratingly innocent, "Why, I never!"
"Yes... how ridiculous," Apple bloom replied sarcastically.
Cheerilee led the two back to the class, where thankfully, it seemed that nopony had been too disturbed by the incident.
Applebloom worked quickly and efficiently, so that she could be released from the partnership as soon as possible, while Diamond Tiara told Applebloom what to do and perfected everything she could.
At times, Applebloom's patience was run thin by the stuck up Diamond Tiara, but she told herself so as not to kill the other pony, "It's only 'till the end of the lesson, so that I don't get detention."
And sometimes, Diamond Tiara found it unbelievable that Applebloom could talk about magic in such a way that made it seem like a common thing, but so as not to get detention, she told herself, "I only have to bear the blank flank until recess, nothing more."
By the end of the lesson, they had a rushed, but reasonable looking poster.
"Class, please now hoof your posters in so that I can review them!" Cheerilee announced.
Everypony started to line up, with Diamond Tiara and Apple bloom in the very back. The chatter was blanketing the awkward silence between the two fillies.
She ain't gonna say nothin’, I ain't gonna say nothin’ neither. Applebloom stubbornly thought to herself.
I wonder what I will be having for dinner today. I could really go for some hay fries... Diamond Tiara thought to herself. It was only a matter of time until the duo was at the beginning of the line.
"Here ya go Miss Cheerilee," Applebloom said with the poster in between her teeth.
Cheerilee, nodded, took the poster, and started to grade the rest of the class’ along with theirs. The two fillies turned to go to their seats, Diamond Tiara with Silver Spoon, and Applebloom with her reserved seat with the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
"We missed you Applebloom," Scootaloo smiled.
"Sorry for getting you stuck with Miss Fancy Pants over there," Sweetie Apologised.
"Ya'll, it's alright. Ah volunteered anyhow," Applebloom's ears perked up at hearing voices from within somewhere behind her.
"Diamond Tiara, I am ashamed of you," she heard, and when she turned, Cheerilee was no longer at her desk.
"Guys Ah'm gonna go check somethin’ out," Applebloom announced.
"Go get your cutie mark in detective work!" Scootaloo said, waving.
They chatted behind her, but Applebloom could no longer hear the voices.
"Aw, stallion," Applebloom mumbled.
But she spoke too soon. "Cheerilee I am very sorry, just..." She started to follow the sound of speaking again when she met a door.
Applebloom could recognize it as Cheerilee's office, but the voice of the filly inside could only be…
"I said I'm sorry!" Diamond Tiara’s voice quivered a bit.
"Diamond Tiara, your actions this entire year have been unacceptable. I'm worried that I will have to take more action rather than jusr calling your parents."
"Miss Cheerilee," Diamond Tiara's voice came in gasps of air between crying, "I promise I'll buckle down and fly straight. I promise..." more gasps and sobs came from behind the door.
“I have heard that too many times before Diamond Tiara, and not one time did you do what you promised. I'm going to have to hold you back another year."
“Noo!" she cried.
"Yes, I'm afraid so. Your actions have been unacceptable, and you have run out of second chances," Cheerilee said with a superior tone in her voice.
"B-b-but... Then I can't be with Silver Spp-poon."
"Say goodbye to your friend Miss Tiara, perhaps this time you will learn your lesson."
Applebloom's heart skipped a beat as she heard hoofsteps towards the door. Nearly falling on her face, she turned to run back to her seat next to her friends.
"Woah, your breathing kinda heavy, you okay?" Scootaloo asked, but Applebloom did not respond, she only stated at the door of her teachers office.
"You look like you’ve seen a ghost!" Sweetie belle said, reaching over to get the attention of her friend.
"Ah!" Applebloom shouted at her touch, "Sorry," she turned to see her friends, "It's just..." her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening behind her.
She turned around to see that Silver Spoon - who too had noticed Diamond Tiara crying - had just gone in to the office to see if she could comfort her friend. Applebloom didn't like eavesdropping, but she couldn’t help but hear some parts of the conversation going on inside.
"- please, Miss -"
"- sorry, truly am girls, -"
"- about me?"
"- Pinkie Pie Promise, okay? Cross my -"
"OUCH! Forgot to blink, -"
"Okay, I'll give you one more -"
"- end of the school day."
Cheerilee came out of her office with Silver Spoon and a very ashamed looking Diamond Tiara; her ears were down, and she was busy studying her hooves and avoiding the gaze of the rest of the class.
She nudged the two forward, urging them to return to their desks, then announced, "Well done class, I'm sure you have all tried your hardest and your best on your posters, so I'm assuming that you'd all like to go out and play now?"
"Yes Miss Cheerilee," they chanted together loudly, all that is, except for one pink filly.
"Then, class dismissed. Please remember to wait until you are outside to eat your lunches everypony," she said, opening the door to the outdoor playground.
All of the class rushed out like a herd of buffalo, each one 'bagsying first go on the slide', or 'getting dibs on the swing'; except for one pink filly, who walked slowly toward the door with her head held low.
Applebloom noticed her, and was just about to go over when Scootaloo called, "C'mon, Applebloom, I wanna show you a new dance I made up! It's called 'The Chicken'!"
"Just a moment, ah'll be right there!" she called back, then returned to Diamond Tiara.
As she walked over, Diamond Tiara heard the steps and instictively spoke.
"What do-," she turned to the source of the voice, and found Applebloom, "um, hey Applescroo-Applebloom," she said under the intense gaze of Cheerilee.
"Well... uh,"
"I know you've come for my apology so... I'm sorry, okay! The only reason that I was mean to you, is because I thought that by being the bully, I might get noticed. When I was new here, Silver Spoon was best friends with everypony, and she even became friends with me, but she was my only friend, and she was the only one who even spared a glance at me. I tried to make friends, but whenever I played with anypony, I'd always be left out of the game; ignored by everypony. So I convinced Silver Spoon none of the others were worth talking to, and began to be mean to the ponies who ignored me, and then they actually noticed me. So I bullied, bragged, boasted about being rich, so they'd think I was cool, so they’d actually notice me! but in the end, I just got the reputation of a mean pony," Diamond Tiara confessed, "I’ve acted and spoken like a pony who I’m really not! I’m just a mean pony! So many mean things that I’ve said to ponies who don’t deserve those cruel words… all those things are things that I truly wish I hadn’t said."
Applebloom watched as the filly who she had once hated, broke down into a sobbing mess. In that moment, she forgot that this was the filly who constantly spread rumours about her and her friends, the filly who jeered and bullied everypony else. Diamond Tiara had a conscience - something which Applebloom once thought she didn't have - and she'd been weighing it down until she broke under the pressure. She felt guilty.
She helped Diamond Tiara up, looked straight into the other filly's eyes and said, "Ah, accept yer apology," Diamond Tiara looked extremely relieved, but Applebloom hadn't finished yet, "and ah apologise too. Ah might 'ave been a little harsh 'bout that there poster. And, well, would ya... like ta be friends, Diamond?"
"I would NEVER be friends with you!" Diamond Tiara shouted, clearly overexagerrating the whole thing, and managing to get a giggle from Applebloom.
All of a sudden, she smiled, and said in a normal tone, "You should come to my house this weekend, I've got some cool board games,"
Applebloom blushed, "Okay," embarrassed, she turned to once again, reunite with her friends.
"What was that about?" Scootaloo asked Applebloom.
"Yeah, why was she yelling?" Sweetie Belle added.
"Ya'll know her, big loud mouth and all..." Applebloom hinted at with sarcasm, though her friends didn't pick up on her tone.
"So, Applebloom, I heard there is going to be party this weekend, Rarity told me. We were planning on going, wanna come?"
"Nah, I got plans for this weekend." Applebloom said with a smile.
