Despite the fact that her mother had said yes, Diamond Tiara couldn't help but feel nervous as she packed up her things, and set off for Scootaloo's house. This was the first sleepover she was attending now that she was no longer a bully, and although that meant she didn't have any sort of act to keep up, she still couldn't help but dwell on the thought that she really didn't know Scootaloo all that much.
Even if Diamond Tiara didn't want to admit it to herself, her mother was right about one thing, she and Scootaloo had very little in common with each other. She had felt this way since becoming friends with Scootaloo, yet she had never dwelled on it much until now. Despite this troubling thought, Diamond Tiara was hopeful that her weekend with Scootaloo would be peaceful and free from worry.
It didn't take Diamond Tiara long to find Scootaloo's house, it was a typical two story house that rested near the outskirts of Ponyville. It was the kind of house a middle class family might have, not bad but not anything to really write home about.
Dizzy Twister was waiting at the front door, when Diamond Tiara arrived. "Hello, Diamond Tiara," she greeted with a friendly smile "Scootaloo has been expecting you."
"Sorry if I made her wait," Diamond Tiara apologized, as she struggled with the weight of her hot pink colored sleeping bag with silver trim "I had a little trouble deciding what to bring with me."
"Oh, there's no need to apologize. You're right on time," Dizzy Twister replied, as she kindly ushered Diamond Tiara inside "Before you get settled in, since you are in my house there are a few rules I believe you should be aware of."
"What rules?" Diamond Tiara asked.
"They're pretty basic rules, but I want to make sure you know what they are, so there are no misunderstandings," Dizzy Twister explained "First, I expect you to behave yourself for the duration of this sleepover. That means I'd better not catch you picking fights with my daughter, or touching my things without permission. This leads me to the second rule, my room is off limits during the daytime. At night, if you need to ask me something, then you may enter. Third, you are allowed to have a snack after breakfast, before and after lunch, and before dinner, but you are NOT allowed to raid the fridge before breakfast, or after dinner. And most importantly, just relax and enjoy yourself. I know how things are with you and your mother, but you needn't worry yourself about them while you're here."
"Thank you, Miss. Twister." Diamond Tiara said with a smile.
Dizzy Twister smiled back at Diamond Tiara "You're more than welcome. Now, do you want a hoof carrying your sleeping bag to my daughter's room? It's just up the stairs."
"No thank you, Miss. Twister, I can manage." Diamond Tiara insisted, and reluctantly picked up her sleeping bag and began to make the journey to Scootaloo's room, taking slow steps to avoid falling down.
Diamond Tiara was relieved when she could finally set her sleeping bag down on the floor of Scootaloo's bedroom and unzip it, she then began to take out all the "necessities" she could stuff into the bag. In addition to things like a toothbrush, a pair of pajamas, and a brush for her mane, Diamond Tiara had stuffed in some of her less stylish dresses, her own mane and tail shampoo bottles, and even a mane dryer.
"Geez, Diamond, it's like you were going to jail or something." Scootaloo teased.
"Very funny, Scootaloo," Diamond Tiara replied with a hint of frustration "Just because I'm spending a weekend at your house doesn't mean I can't still bring some of my luxuries with me. I'd always bring a lot more than this whenever I had sleepovers with Silver Spoon. You try going without a few of these things for a while and see how you do."
"Whatever," Scootaloo shrugged "Just don't be thinking about giving me a makeover, I HATE makeovers! I'll never understand why Sweetie Belle always wants to do them at our sleepovers."
"I wouldn't dream of giving you a makeover, Scootaloo," Diamond Tiara said teasingly "But I think your room could really use one." Everywhere Diamond Tiara looked, she saw posters of either Rainbow Dash, or The Wonderbolts, which was hardly a surprise considering this was Scootaloo.
"Touch any of those posters, and you'll live to regret it," Scootaloo warned "The Wonderbolts are the most awesome flyers in Equestria, except for Rainbow Dash, you can't get anymore awesome than that! Besides, how I decorate is my business! You don't see me going over to your house and complaining about how you decorate your room."
"Point made." Diamond Tiara replied, as she set said her supplies, and fully unzipped her sleeping bag. Once it was opened all the way, she set down a good distance from the foot of Scootaloo's bed, opting for the corner of the room opposite where Scootaloo's scooter was parked.
Dizzy Twister came into the room shortly afterward, and smiled at what she saw. "Glad to see you've settled in," she said to Diamond Tiara "Dinner will be served in half an hour. Your butler informed me of your bed time, so don't think you can pull a fast one on me to stay up later than you're supposed to. Since it's the weekend you can stay up for an hour later than usual, but you're to be in bed by 10 o'clock, do you understand?"
"Yes, Miss Twister," Diamond Tiara nodded "So, what's for dinner?"
"Homemade macaroni and cheese," Dizzy Twister told Diamond Tiara "You'll love it!"
"She's not kidding," Scootaloo said eagerly "My mom's an awesome cook! I hope that someday I'll be able to become as good of a cook as she is!"
Dizzy Twister smiled at Scootaloo's statement, and left the room.
Diamond Tiara looked all around Scootaloo's bedroom, but everywhere she looked she saw nothing but Rainbow Dash or Wonderbolts themed merchandise. It wasn't just posters, there were also Wonderbolts figurines and plushies, an alarm clock that looked like it had been sloppily painted the same shade of cyan as Rainbow Dash's coat, and bedsheets with clouds and rainbows printed on them.
Now, Diamond Tiara had nothing against Rainbow Dash, or The Wonderbolts. But she certainly didn't see why Scootaloo was so in love with them, it was ridiculous.
"Like what you see?" Scootaloo asked Diamond Tiara.
"It's... alright," Diamond Tiara shrugged, as if trying to think how to best phrase what she wanted to say "But don't you have anything that isn't styled after Rainbow Dash, or The Wonderbolts?"
Scootaloo beamed a bright smile at Diamond Tiara "I thought you'd never ask!" she said eagerly, as she dove under her bed, and emerged with a book that Diamond Tiara was certain she'd seen before. The book had a red colored hard cover, and it depicted a familiar looking pegasus with a pith helmet. But what really attracted Diamond Tiara's attention, was the pegasus pony hovering next to the pegasus with the pit helmet. Diamond Tiara was certain that pegasus was none other than Rainbow Dash, the cyan coat and rainbow mane were a dead giveaway.
"It's one of my favorite Daring Do books ever," Scootaloo said to Diamond Tiara "It's the one where Rainbow Dash gets to team up with Daring Do and save the day!"
"You read Daring Do?" Diamond Tiara asked, as if she were surprised Scootaloo liked something besides Rainbow Dash and The Wonderbolts, even if the book Scootaloo had shown her featured Rainbow Dash on the cover.
"Yeah, all the time!" Scootaloo replied "I've read the entire series at least three times, and I always look forward to when the next book comes out! Since Rainbow Dash is friends with the author, she gets a copy of the latest book a week before anypony else does, and when she's done reading it she gives it to me!"
"You're really lucky," Diamond Tiara commented "Mother and Father could never get A. K. Yearling to give them an advance copy of her books, I always have to camp out at the bookstore the day the newest installment is released."
"I guess it pays to know A. K. Yearling on a personal level," Scootaloo boasted "And you want to know something really interesting about A. K. Yearling that Rainbow Dash told me?"
"There is nothing you could tell me about A. K. Yearling that I don't already know," Diamond Tiara claimed "I know everything about her, I'm as much of a die hard fan as Princess Twilight is."
"But what if I told you, Rainbow Dash says A. K. Yearling is actually Daring Do herself?" Scootaloo asked.
Diamond Tiara was speechless for a moment, then she threw back her head and laughed "That has got to be the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard from anypony. A. K. Yearling as Daring Do? That would make way too much sense."
"My thoughts exactly," Scootaloo agreed, joining in on the laughter "I think Rainbow Dash is lying to protect the truth. I think A. K. Yearling and Daring Do are friends. Daring Do tells Yearling about her adventures, and in return Yearling protects Daring Do from Ahuizotl and his goons."
"That is even more ridiculous than A. K. Yearling being Daring Do herself." Diamond Tiara chuckled.
"Yeah, that probably sounds too crazy. But hey, it's a possibility." Scootaloo insisted.
"I guess so." Diamond Tiara replied, still snickering a little bit.
Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara continued to laugh for a couple more seconds, then the laughter gradually died down. Once it did, Diamond Tiara looked at Scootaloo and asked "Don't you have some sort of bookcase to store all these Daring Do books in?"
"I do, but I love reading them so much that I like having them close by so that I can read them whenever I want to," Scootaloo explained "My mom even occasionally reads me one of those stories if I have trouble falling asleep."
"My mother and father have never done that for me," Diamond Tiara said unhappily "The only pony who's ever read to me at all is Randolph, and even then he doesn't read that often."
"Well, why don't you tell what your favorite Daring Do book is, and I'll get it for you to read?" Scootaloo suggested "You can even put it by your sleeping bag, in case you have trouble falling asleep later."
"You don't have to do that, I can probably find the book I want for myself," Diamond Tiara insisted "It can't be that hard to search beneath your bed."
"But you've never even been in my room before." Scootaloo protested.
"So, that doesn't mean I'll have no idea where to look." Diamond Tiara replied.
But before Diamond Tiara had a chance to start searching, Dizzy Twister called from downstairs "Scootaloo, Diamond Tiara, dinner is ready! Come and get it before it gets cold."
"Oh boy!" Scootaloo said excitedly "Come on, Diamond! Last one downstairs is a rotten egg!" And she raced out of the bedroom.
"No fair, wait for me!" Diamond Tiara protested, as she chased after Scootaloo.
"Catch me if you can!" Scootaloo taunted.
"Scootaloo, what have I told you about running in the house?" Dizzy Twister scolded.
Scootaloo frowned, but reluctantly slowed down, Diamond Tiara did so as well. "Sorry, Mom." Scootaloo apologized.
Diamond Tiara soon learned that Scootaloo wasn't exaggerating when she said her mother was an excellent cook. The macaroni and cheese tasted so good, that Diamond Tiara nearly forgot about her table manners in her rush to eat everything that was on her plate.
However, even when she tried her best not to eat sloppily, Diamond Tiara still ended up getting bits of cheese on her face. But Dizzy Twister didn't seem to get upset about it, she simply offered Diamond Tiara a rag when dinner was over.
After dinner, Scootaloo led Diamond Tiara back up to her room, and allowed Diamond Tiara to borrow her copy of Daring Do And The Griffon's Goblet for the weekend.
Time flew by faster than it had ever seemed to move before, and it wasn't long before Dizzy Twister came upstairs to say "Alright, my little ponies, it's time for bed."
"Aw, but Mom, we're not tired." Scootaloo protested lightly, even though she yawned a bit.
Dizzy Twister giggled slightly at her daughter's statement "Well, even if you don't feel tired, you still need to go to bed when you're told. After all, you want to grow up to be big and strong, right?"
"Right, just like Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo replied, as she climbed into bed, and allowed her mom to tuck her in.
Diamond Tiara couldn't help but feel slightly jealous as she observed the scene. "Mother never tucks me in," she thought to herself "And Father is always too busy to do so. I know he loves me, but would it kill him to take some time off every once and a while to be with me?"
"Sweet dreams to you both," Dizzy Twister said kindly "Remember, if you need anything, my room is just down the hall. Goodnight." And she turned off the light, and closed the door.
Once the door was closed, Diamond Tiara shut her eyes, and tried to go to sleep. But only seconds passed before she heard the sound of rustling bed sheets.
"Hey, Diamond Tiara, are you awake?" Scootaloo whispered.
"Of course I am, Scootaloo," Diamond Tiara whispered back "What is it?"
"Wanna have a pillow fight?" Scootaloo asked softly.
"A what?" Diamond Tiara replied, surely she had misheard.
"A pillow fight," Scootaloo said quietly "Don't tell me you've never had pillow fights at any of your other sleepovers?"
"Of course I've had pillow fights," Diamond Tiara insisted "But never when I'm supposed to be sleeping."
"Well, there's a first time for everything," Scootaloo said eagerly, and tossed a pillow to Diamond Tiara "Here, you can use one of the extra pillows from my bed. I don't need it."
"Scootaloo, I..." Diamond Tiara began.
"You can't have a pillow fight when only one pony has a pillow," Scootaloo told Diamond Tiara "That's the first rule of pillow fighting."
"And what's the second?" Diamond Tiara asked.
Scootaloo smirked "There are no rules, we go until there's only one pony left standing!" And she hurled her pillow at Diamond Tiara, hitting her square in the face. "That's for making fun of my wings!"
"Hey, I said I was sorry!" Diamond Tiara apologized.
"I know you did, but you had this coming for a long time!" Scootaloo exclaimed "Finally, I'm going to get my revenge!"
"Alright, Scootaloo," Diamond Tiara said, a look of serious determination came into her eyes "If it's a pillow fight you want, it's a pillow fight you'll get!" She proceeded to toss the pillow Scootaloo had given to her at where she thought Scootaloo was. Her eyes hadn't yet adjusted fully to the dark, so she couldn't tell for sure.
There was a faint thud, but Diamond Tiara didn't hear any sort of reply from Scootaloo. But just when Diamond Tiara thought she had won the pillow fight already, she was hit from behind with another pillow. By this point, her eyes had managed to adjust to the dark of the room, so she could see where Scootaloo was.
Scootaloo had jumped down from her bed, taking a couple of pillows with her. She stood in the corner opposite of the one where Diamond Tiara's sleeping bag was, and stuck out her tongue "Nice try, Diamond Tiara!" she taunted "But I'm a pillow fighting champion! You'll never beat me!"
"We'll just see about that, Scootaloo!" Diamond Tiara smirked "Hit with me your best shot!"
"You're gonna regret asking that." Scootaloo said, as she hurled another pillow at Diamond Tiara, who dodged it at the last second.
"If that's the best you've got, I'm going to win for sure!" Diamond Tiara boasted, and threw her pillow towards Scootaloo's location. Scootaloo expertly dodged it by slightly moving to the left.
"I'm just getting warmed up, Diamond Tiara!" Scootaloo insisted "You haven't seen anything yet!"
But before either Diamond Tiara or Scootaloo could make another move, the light suddenly flickered on. The two fillies turned around, and gasped. There stood Dizzy Twister, a noticeable scowl on her face. "I thought I told you two that it was time for bed," she scolded "What are you still doing up?"
"Don't look at me, Scootaloo was the one who wanted to have a pillow fight!" Diamond Tiara said, pointing a hoof accusingly at Scootaloo.
Dizzy Twister approached Scootaloo and asked "Is this true, Scootaloo?"
Scootaloo gulped, a cold sweat poured down her body "Well, yeah. I couldn't sleep, and neither could Diamond Tiara. I thought a pillow fight would help tire us out."
"Well, I must say I'm disappointed in you, Scootaloo," Dizzy Twister scolded lightly, before her scowl was replaced with a smile "If you wanted a pillow fight so badly, all you had to do was ask. And I hope you realize who the REAL pillow fight champion is in this household!"
Diamond Tiara could not believe what she had just heard "What?!" she asked, her mouth hanging open in shock.
"You heard me," Dizzy Twister chuckled "If you two are going to have a pillow fight, then why don't you try your luck against me?"
"Better yet, why don't we make it a free for all?" Scootaloo suggested.
"If you're sure that's what you really want," Dizzy Twister smiled "But be warned, I won't hold back!"
"Wouldn't want you to," Scootaloo replied "What about you, Diamond Tiara? Wanna join in the fun?"
"A pillow fight to the finish between you, me, and your mom?" Diamond Tiara asked, sounding extremely confused "I don't know."
"What's the matter? Afraid you'll lose?!" Scootaloo taunted "If so, then I don't blame you. Nopony's ever been able to defeat my mom in a pillow fight, not even my dad. And my mom is the only pony I've ever lost a pillow fight against. I'll bet every time you and Silver Spoon had pillow fights, she whooped your sorry rump."
Those words set off a powder keg inside Diamond Tiara. If there was one thing she hated more than anything, it was anypony implying she was afraid to lose. Grabbing a pillow, she shouted "I'm not afraid! I accept your challenge! You two are going down!"
"We'll just see who defeats whom!" Dizzy Twister said with a chuckle "Good luck to the both of you, because you're going to need it!"
Soon, pillows were whizzing through the air at lightning speed. Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo quickly forgot about trying to defeat each other, and focused all their attention on trying to beat Dizzy Twister.
They ran all around the room trying to take her down, while taking great care not to bump or break anything. But Dizzy Twister proved to be more than a match for them.
Minutes ticked by, during which Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara began to tire out. Their bodies had burned up all the energy that had been keeping them awake, so it was of little surprise to Dizzy Twister when they stopped in their tracks, and gave up on throwing pillows.
"So, do you two give up?" Dizzy Twister asked, when she saw the exhausted looks on the faces of the two fillies "If so, then I'll let you two off easily and we can call it a draw."
"No, we're not... done yet." Scootaloo panted.
"We'll never... surrender... to the likes of you." Diamond Tiara added, also panting.
Dizzy Twister simply shook her head "Oh well, I guess I have no choice. Prepare to lose." And in one swift motion, she launched two pillows. One at Scootaloo, and one at Diamond Tiara. Both fillies were too tired to dodge the attack, and were knocked down like bowling pins. Dizzy Twister remained the undefeated pillow fighting champion.
When the pillow fight was over, Dizzy Twister helped Scootaloo back into her bed, and Diamond Tiara back into her sleeping bag. "There, I let you two have your fun," she said softly to them "Now it's time for you two to go to sleep, no ifs, ands, or buts." Neither Diamond Tiara or Scootaloo said anything, as Dizzy Twister kissed them sweetly on their foreheads, turned off the light, and closed the bedroom door.
Diamond Tiara tended to not be a heavy sleeper, so she woke up the next morning the instant she felt the warm rays of Celestia's sun shining down on her face. She quickly discovered that Scootaloo was already wide awake, and was now grinning eagerly at her.
"Good morning, sleepyhead." Scootaloo giggled.
Diamond Tiara was curious as to why Scootaloo was giggling so hard, but as soon as she sat up and looked at herself in a mirror, she found out why. Her mane and tail were all messed up, as if they had been in contact with a huge bunch of balloons. "I knew that comb was going to come in handy." Diamond Tiara grumbled, as she stumbled into the bathroom to retrieve it.
Just seconds after Diamond Tiara had managed to comb her mane and tail back into shape, and returned to Scootaloo's bedroom, Dizzy Twister appeared. "Good, you're both awake," she greeted warmly "I'll start breakfast shortly, does oatmeal sound good?"
"You bet, Mom!" Scootaloo cheered.
"Well, I guess that's fine with me." Diamond Tiara replied.
"Alright then, oatmeal it is." Dizzy Twister smiled, as she left the room and headed downstairs.
Diamond Tiara decided she would pass the time until breakfast by reading more of Daring Do and The Griffon's Goblet, and went to retrieve it from its resting place next to her sleeping bag.
But to Diamond Tiara's surprise, Scootaloo immediately spoke up and asked "Wanna see my comic book collection?"
"You have a comic book collection?" Diamond Tiara asked in reply, to which Scootaloo nodded affirmatively "Where is it? It better not be under your bed, like those Daring Do books!"
"Don't be ridiculous," Scootaloo said in a frustrated tone "They're stored in my closet. Not that I mean to brag, but I've got quite the collection, including a few hard to obtain ones."
"I'll be the judge of that." Diamond Tiara said doubtfully, there was no way a pony like Scootaloo could get her hooves on rare comics. That required a lot of bits, and a great deal of connections in the comic book industry.
Scootaloo trotted over to her closet, and opened it. A huge collection of dresses greeted Diamond Tiara's eyes, in all sorts of designs and colors. Some of them looked like they came from various dress shops all over Equestria, but most of them seemed to have been designed by Rarity.
"Sorry about the clutter," Scootaloo apologized, blushing slightly "I don't really like dresses, but I keep getting a whole bunch of them as gifts from my cousins. Sometimes, Mom makes me wear them for special occasions," Scootaloo carefully pushed the dresses aside, and pulled out a large cardboard box that had been hidden behind the dress collection. She proceeded to open it up, revealing a huge stack of comic books covering a variety of different fictional characters "I've got 'Power Ponies', 'Captain Equestria', 'Super Stallion', 'Golem The Griffon', and even the entire brief run of 'Daring Do' in comics." she said, as she showed off each of the various comics. All of them displaying flashy and eye catching comic covers that were lush with detail.
One comic in particular caught Diamond Tiara's eyes "No way! I don't believe it!" she exclaimed, as she dug into the book, and pulled out the comic that attracted her attention. It was part of the Power Ponies series, specifically their rarest and most popular issue of all. "'Power Ponies: Revenge of The Mane-iac'?!" Diamond Tiara said, barely able to contain her excitement "How did you obtain a copy?! All the comic book stores have been sold out of this issue for months!"
"I traded a couple of my old 'Super Stallion' and 'Captain Equestria' comics to Spike for it," Scootaloo told Diamond Tiara "He's a diehard 'Power Ponies' fan. He especially loves Radiance, though I think that's just because she reminds him of Rarity so much. He drives a hard bargain, but for this issue it was worth trading with him."
"Does he have any more copies of this particular issue?" Diamond Tiara asked Scootaloo "If so, I've got to see if there's anything he'd be willing to trade it for."
"You'll have to ask Spike about that." Scootaloo replied.
Just then, Dizzy Twister called out "Breakfast is ready!".
Without hesitation, Scootaloo dashed out of her bedroom. Diamond Tiara was about to do the same, but that was when she noticed something on Scootaloo's bed stand. Upon closer inspection, it was a picture featuring Scootaloo with two ponies standing to both sides of her. The mare on the left was obviously Dizzy Twister, her amber coat and rose colored eyes were unmistakable. But it was the stallion on the right that stood out to Diamond Tiara, he looked almost completely identical to Scootaloo, except his eyes and coat were a slightly darker color compared to her eyes and coat. "Could that stallion be her father?" Diamond Tiara wondered "Scootaloo hasn't really said much about her father, and now that I think about, I haven't seen Mr. Twister at all since I got here."
"Hey, Diamond Tiara! Are you coming, or I am gonna have to eat your oatmeal as well as my own?" Scootaloo called from downstairs.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Diamond Tiara shouted back, and turned around and headed out of Scootaloo's bedroom. She decided to ask Scootaloo about the picture later on.
Shortly after breakfast was finished, Scootaloo went upstairs, and came back down with a huge stack of games. Diamond Tiara was actually amazed that Scootaloo could carry so much weight, even if the games themselves didn't weigh that much.
"Go ahead and pick your favorite game from the stack," Scootaloo instructed "I've got all the classics."
Diamond Tiara wasn't sure which game to pick first, all of them sounded good. At last, she selected the one she felt Scootaloo would like, since it was themed after pegasi and cloud busting.
With some help from Dizzy Twister, the game was quickly assembled, and Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo sat down in chairs at opposite ends of the living room table. They spent a little time thinking about where to place their pieces (or at least Diamond Tiara did, Scootaloo seemed to hastily put her pieces down wherever she felt like it), and then the game began.
"You make the first move," Scootaloo offered to Diamond Tiara "Good luck, I'm pretty good at this game."
"We'll just see about that," Diamond Tiara said with a grin "If you play as well as you pillow fight, I'll be beat you in less than ten turns."
"My record is fifteen turns," Scootaloo boasted "Think you can beat that?!"
"Oh, I don't think so, I know so!" Diamond Tiara said seriously, and made her call "Cloud Nine." She prepared to place down the mark that symbolized she'd found one of Scootaloo's pieces.
But Scootaloo replied "Nope, there's nothing there. Sorry, Diamond Tiara," she then took her turn with the call "Air Five."
"Darn it, you stung my bumblebee!" Diamond Tiara exclaimed.
"Guess that means I get to go again," Scootaloo said eagerly, then called out "Wind Eight."
"Now you found my seagull!" Diamond Tiara growled "Are you sure you're not peaking?!"
"Of course I'm not peaking, I would never do that," Scootaloo said honestly "This is the first time I've ever found two pieces back to back, usually it takes me a while.'
Diamond Tiara snorted a bit "Whatever, you get to move again, so make your call. You'll probably find one of my other pieces, and beat your record, but I guess that's just my luck."
"Hey, if you want to take another turn first, go ahead," Scootaloo offered "I doubt I'll actually find another piece, but maybe you'll at least find one of my pieces so it's not a perfect victory for me."
"No, the rules say that if you find a piece, you get to go again," Diamond Tiara replied "Everypony knows that. Just make your call, and get it over with already."
"Sky Three!" Scootaloo called.
Diamond Tiara did not reply at first, she just looked at her screen as if she were seeing things. Then, with a smile on her face she said "Nope, nothing there."
"Oh well," Scootaloo said in an unconcerned tone "Now you get to have another turn. Maybe you'll find all of my pieces at once?"
"That's never happened to anypony, it's impossible!" Diamond Tiara said with a shake of her head.
"Then you can be the first pony to do the impossible, if you feel lucky." Scootaloo replied.
"Guess we'll find out," Diamond Tiara said to Scootaloo, before she called out "Storm Seven."
"You zapped my weatherpony!" Scootaloo exclaimed "Go again."
"Alright, how about Lightning Ten?" Diamond Tiara asked, as she made another call.
"Nope, that's a miss." Scootaloo declared, and took her turn.
The game quickly became more intense, as Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo took turns making calls, and finding more pieces. It got to the point where they both had only one piece left to be discovered. A few turns passed, without either of them being able to find their opponent's last piece.
Diamond Tiara looked at her screen for what felt like the 100th time since starting the game. "There's only three places I can think of where Scootaloo's last piece might be," she thought to herself "But which one should I call? I fear this may be my last turn, before Scootaloo finds my last piece."
"Hey, Diamond Tiara! Equestria to Diamond Tiara! Are you there?" Scootaloo called, breaking Diamond Tiara's chain of thought.
"I was just doing some thinking, Scootaloo," Diamond Tiara replied, making sure to express how angry she was for being interrupted "Give me some time to think."
"Sorry," Scootaloo apologized "It's just that, you've been thinking for a long time. This game can't last forever."
"Don't rush me," Diamond Tiara snorted "I'll make my move when I'm darn good and ready!"
"Alright, alright. No need to get all pushy." Scootaloo replied, and said nothing else.
After another minute or two of thinking, Diamond Tiara called out uncertainly "Pegasus Four."
Diamond Tiara almost couldn't believe it when Scootaloo said in response "You rained on my cumulus! You've beaten me in exactly fifteen turns!"
"What?! Are you pulling my leg?!" Diamond Tiara asked. There was no way that game had only lasted for fifteen turns, it had felt much longer than that.
"It's true, I've been keeping score." Dizzy Twister said with a nod, showing off a notepad that listed the number of moves Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo had made. Scootaloo's moves covered eight turns, and Diamond Tiara's moves (including her final call) covered seven turns. The pencil lines, though a bit crude, conveyed this in no uncertain terms.
"Best two out of three?" Scootaloo offered to Diamond Tiara.
"You're on!" Diamond Tiara replied, and quickly cleared off her screen so that she could start again.
"You won't win this time, Diamond Tiara!" Scootaloo boasted "You just got lucky last time!"
"Well, let's see if my luck holds," Diamond Tiara grinned "The first move is all yours, Scootaloo."
The rest of the day passed quickly for Diamond Tiara, who was challenged to a variety of games by Scootaloo. Dizzy Twister even joined in on some of them, even managing to win the board game involving all those properties that you could buy, trade, and put buildings on.
As a result, Diamond Tiara forgot all about asking Scootaloo about the picture on her bed stand, until it was time for her and Scootaloo to go to bed.
"But Mom," Scootaloo protested, as she was tucked into bed "Can't we stay up again, like we did last night?"
"I don't think so, Scootaloo," Dizzy Twister said softly but seriously "It's not good to stay up past your bedtime too often. Once in a great while is okay, but bedtime exists for a reason. Just close your eyes, and go to sleep."
"Okay," Scootaloo said in a defeated tone of voice "Goodnight, Mom."
"Goodnight, Scootaloo," Dizzy Twister replied, kissing her daughter lightly on the forehead "See you in the morning."
Scootaloo did not reply, she had already drifted off to sleep, and was snoring loudly.
"Goodnight, Miss. Twister." Diamond Tiara whispered lightly.
"Goodnight, Diamond Tiara." Dizzy Twister answered, as she tip hoofed to the door.
"Miss. Twister?" Diamond Tiara asked in a tone barely above a whisper.
"What is it, Diamond Tiara?" Dizzy Twister whispered back, stopping her hoof just before it reached the doorknob.
"Who is that stallion in the picture on Scootaloo's bed stand?" Diamond Tiara asked "Is he your husband?"
Dizzy Twister nodded (which was hard for Diamond Tiara to see in the dark) "Yes, and I love him very much." she answered.
"What is his name?" Diamond Tiara asked Dizzy Twister.
"His name is Quick Shot Twister," Dizzy Twister replied "And he's not called that for nothing. I'd love for you to meet him, someday."
Diamond Tiara wanted to ask more, but before she could do so, she yawned and went to sleep. She would have to until tomorrow to ask for more details.
When next morning came, Diamond Tiara made sure that the first thing she did upon waking up, was head to the bathroom to brush her mane and tail back to their naturally curly state, before Scootaloo could say anything.
But by the time she had finished doing so, she had forgotten all about the photo on the bed stand, and didn't remember to ask Scootaloo about it. Despite what she had learned from Dizzy Twister, there was still much about Scootaloo's father that Diamond Tiara didn't know.
After a delicious breakfast of homemade pancakes and hay bacon strips, Dizzy Twister ushered Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo outside to play in the backyard "It's a lovely day," she said to them "Far too lovely to spend cooped up inside."
Diamond Tiara was actually amazed at how big Scootaloo's backyard was, especially considering the house she lived in. But then, perhaps that was one of the perks of living in a house that was on the outskirts of Ponyville.
Almost immediately after stepping hoof outside, Scootaloo lightly tapped Diamond Tiara on the shoulder with a hoof, then ran off. "Tag, you're it!" she shouted "Catch me if you can!"
"Oh, I will! And you'll be sorry!" Diamond Tiara replied. Had anypony been looking, they would've seen what a determined filly was like when provoked, as Diamond Tiara chased after Scootaloo not unlike the way a timberwolf would chase after its prey.
In only a matter of seconds, Diamond Tiara caught up to Scootaloo, and tapped her on the shoulder. "Tag, you're it, Scootaloo!" she said, panting slightly "You won't catch me as easily I caught you. And don't even think about using your wings for a speed boost, that's cheating."
"I won't need my wings to catch up to you, Diamond Tiara!" Scootaloo boasted, as she chased the filly all around the backyard. The two fillies soon became locked in a game of cat and mouse, running every which way around the backyard, all the while laughing and giggling as if there were no tomorrow.
The fun didn't end, until Dizzy Twister came outside, and cleared her throat to attract Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo's attention. "Are you two having fun?" she asked them.
"You bet we are!" Scootaloo said eagerly.
Dizzy Twister smiled the biggest smile she had ever smiled "Good, because I have a surprise for the two of you. How would you both like to go to Sugarcube Corner for a treat? You can get whatever you want."
"Do you mean it?!" Scootaloo asked, to which Dizzy Twister nodded affirmatively "Oh boy, I LOVE going to Sugarcube Corner!" Scootaloo grinned and leaped into the air as her wings buzzed in excitement.
"When do we leave?" Diamond Tiara asked Dizzy Twister.
"How about right now?" Dizzy Twister suggested "If we go now, we can probably beat the lunch rush crowd."
"That's a great idea!" Scootaloo cheered "Right, Diamond Tiara?"
Diamond Tiara didn't say anything, she just nodded in approval. This was just as unexpected as the pillow fight two nights ago, not that she was complaining.
"Alright then, to Sugarcube Corner we go!" Dizzy Twister said cheerfully "Just make sure you both stay close to me at all times, and don't wander off." And after briefly trotting inside to retrieve a saddle bag, Dizzy Twister led Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara around to the front, and the three of them headed into town.
When the trio arrived at Sugarcube Corner, both Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo were relieved to see that there was no line of ponies waiting to be served. A couple of the tables were occupied, and Pinkie Pie was bouncing to and from them while carrying trays of delicious eateries such as cupcakes, cookies, pies, and even the occasional cinnamon roll. The sweet scent of the goodies nearly made the fillies mouths water from the moment said scent reached their nostrils.
"So, do you two know what you want to get?" Dizzy Twister asked Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo "If not, I can get you some menus."
"Oh, I know what I'm getting," Scootaloo said eagerly, licking her lips "Those cinnamon rolls look so delicious! I get them every time they're available!"
"Good," Dizzy Twister smiled, then turned her attention to Diamond Tiara "And what about you?"
Diamond Tiara was not sure how to reply. She had a pretty good idea of what she wanted, but something in her mind made her weary of the idea that Dizzy Twister would let her get anything she wanted with no strings attached "There is one thing I want more than anything," she said nervously "But I don't think you'll let me get. It's kind of expensive, it's more than what I'd ever get in allowance."
"So, why is that a problem?" Scootaloo asked innocently "You've probably been able to get everything you wanted whenever your mom brings you here."
"Actually, Mother has never given me any kind of treats, not even once!" Diamond Tiara revealed "Father's always been the one to take me out for ice cream, or for something else, and even he doesn't do that stuff very often. Mother claims that if she were to give me treats, I'd only end up spoiled and lazy. She says rich ponies don't beg, because it's foolish to ask for something if you can't get it yourself."
"Well, I can see why your mother would think such a thing is true." Dizzy Twister said to Diamond Tiara, which made the filly brace herself for the inevitable disappointing 'No.' that she was bound to hear. This sort of thing always happened with her mother, and she saw no reason why Scootaloo's mother would be any different.
But much to Diamond Tiara's surprise, Dizzy Twister responded by saying "However, that doesn't mean I have to agree with it. Giving a child a treat every once in awhile is fine. The key is knowing where to set limits. I don't do this often, usually only once every couple of months. But if there's something you really want to get from here, you can go ahead and get it. This is a treat, and I want you to enjoy it as best you can."
"You really mean it?" Diamond Tiara asked, to which Dizzy Twister nodded happily. Diamond Tiara (after taking a moment to let this conformation sink in) then said to Dizzy Twister "I want a slice of The MMM. If it was good enough to be combined with other entries for a dessert competition and win first place, then it's got to be truly amazing!"
"Very well then, cinnamon rolls for Scootaloo, and a slice of The MMM for Diamond Tiara," Dizzy Twister confirmed "A little bit pricey, but some very good choices none the less."
"What about you, Miss. Twister?" Diamond Tiara asked "Aren't you going to get something here?"
"No, I'm not much of a dessert pony," Dizzy Twister replied "Plus, I've been trying to watch my figure a bit more closely for a while now." She then led Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo up to the counter so they could make their purchases, and pulled out her wallet to prepare for payment.
Once purchased and delivered, Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara devoured their desserts almost as soon as they were on the table. In fact, the slice of The MMM was so delicious, that Diamond Tiara almost forgot about her table manners, and Dizzy Twister had to remind her of them.
It didn't take long for the two fillies to finish their treats, and just as quickly as they had arrived at Sugarcube Corner, they left.
"Thanks for taking us to Sugarcube Corner, Mom." Scootaloo said with a smile.
"Yeah, thanks. You really didn't have to do that." Diamond Tiara added. She was really starting to warm up to Dizzy Twister, and couldn't help but wish her own mother could be a little bit more like Dizzy Twister. "It would be nice if I had a mother who didn't yell at me every single day." Diamond Tiara thought to herself, even though she knew there was little she could do to make that possible.
"Well, I'm glad you both enjoyed it," Dizzy Twister replied "But that means lunch will be served a little later, and the option of a pre-lunch snack is now off the table."
"That's okay, it's an acceptable cost for your amazing treat!" Scootaloo said honestly, as her home came into view.
"I'll call you two when lunch is ready," Dizzy Twister informed the fillies, once they arrived home "But until then, I would like you both to play outside, okay?"
"Okay." Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara replied, as Dizzy Twister went inside and locked the door.
"Why don't we play hide and seek?" Scootaloo asked Diamond Tiara "I know some really good hiding places."
"In that case, Scootaloo, you can be the seeker," Diamond Tiara declared "Cover your eyes and count to 100. You can do that, right?"
"Of course I can." Scootaloo replied.
"Just making sure," Diamond Tiara teased "Just try and find me, I can be pretty good at hiding, when I wanna be."
"Maybe, but you're overlooking something," Scootaloo said with a grin, as she covered her eyes with her hooves "You're in my backyard, which I know like the back of my hoof. There's no place you can hide that I won't think of."
"Perhaps, or perhaps I'll prove you wrong and find a hiding spot so clever even you've never thought of it!" Diamond Tiara boasted, and ran away. Of course, she was certain Scootaloo would see through her bluff, but reformed or not Diamond Tiara was never the kind of pony to show weakness without at least some reluctance. And she was certainly not fond of the idea of admitting Scootaloo had a point, no matter how obvious it might be.
It was of little surprise to Diamond Tiara when Scootaloo found her. And it was of little surprise when she struggled to find Scootaloo when the roles were swapped. But eventually, as Diamond Tiara became more familiar with the layout of Scootaloo's backyard, she started to find better hiding places. But in the end, she was still unable to keep hidden from Scootaloo long enough to make her give up.
Once the sun began to set, Dizzy Twister called Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara back inside, while she worked on dinner for the two of them. It was at this point that Diamond Tiara realized she would finally have a chance to ask Scootaloo more about the picture on her bed stand.
But when Diamond Tiara came back from washing her hooves (Dizzy Twister had insisted that Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara do so after playing outside all day, and getting dirty and sweaty), she was surprised to see that Scootaloo had taken the picture off of the bed stand, and was holding it carefully in her hooves.
Feigning ignorance about the picture in the frame, Diamond Tiara approached Scootaloo and asked "What are you looking at, Scootaloo?"
"It's nothing, just an old family photo from a few years back," Scootaloo told Diamond Tiara "You know, before I got my cutie mark, and before you and I ever became friends. Heck, I think this photo was taken before I'd even met Sweetie Belle."
"Really? I didn't think it was that old," Diamond Tiara said innocently "Your mother told me last night that she would love for me to meet your dad someday. She even told me what his name is."
"What?! She told you about him?!" Scootaloo asked, nearly jumping up in surprise. She suddenly sounded rather angry, as if she were a cat whose tail had just been stepped on.
"Just a little bit," Diamond Tiara admitted "Why is that such a big deal?" Then an awful thought struck her "Your father's not like my mother, is he?"
Scootaloo shook her head "No, no, of course not. He's a wonderful stalion, he's just not around very much these days. He's very busy."
"Busy with what?" Diamond Tiara asked.
"Have you ever heard of the Cloudsdale Windigos?" Scootaloo asked in response "It wouldn't surprise me if you haven't, it was kind of hard to get a city like Cloudsdale to have any kind of team for a sport that's played on the ground."
"I think I overheard the name Cloudsdale Windigos being mentioned once," Diamond Tiara said, although her attempt to rack her brain for the exact mention of the team didn't work "Does your dad work for them?"
"He owns them!" Scootaloo boasted "He used to be a goalie for them, back when they were just a small team trying to become Cloudsdale's official ice hockey team. He was actually part of the reason why my family moved to Ponyville from Cloudsdale, he figured it would be easier to organize and run the team from here."
Diamond Tiara was surprised at this statement of facts "You and your family used to live in Cloudsdale?"
Scootaloo nodded "All of those Wonderbolts posters from my old room in Cloudsdale, though everything else I got after moving here. Sweetie Belle was the first friend I made in Ponyville, we bonded over our lack of cutie marks."
"Let me guess, you were the only blank flank in your class when you lived in Cloudsdale?" Diamond Tiara concluded.
"Right again," Scootaloo said, nodding more "But shortly after I met Sweetie Belle, Dad was able to get Cloudsdale to adopt the Windigos as their official ice hockey team, and they quickly appointed him to oversee it. Because of that, he's away almost all the time. He only tends to come home for my birthday, for Hearth's Warming, or for special occasions."
"Now that I think about it, I don't recall seeing your parents at your cute-ceañera celebration," Diamond Tiara realized "Then again, I wasn't really looking for specific ponies."
"Well, Mom showed up after a while," Scootaloo told Diamond Tiara "Dad couldn't exactly get off work since the celebration was held just hours after I got my mark. He came home as soon as he heard the news though, and I don't think I'd ever seen him so happy before!"
"Do you have a photo that proves this?" Diamond Tiara asked Scootaloo. She was pretty sure Scootaloo wasn't lying, at least not completely, but without any sort of proof she had no way of knowing this.
"Sure, I've actually got that photo stored in the top drawer of my dresser," Scootaloo replied, racing over to said dresser (which was colored a cyan blue) "Give me a second or two!" and she proceeded to dig the top drawer at a speed that could rival Rainbow Dash. Quick as a flash, Scootaloo found what she was looking for, pulled it out, and showed it to Diamond Tiara.
Sure enough, in the center of the photo stood Scootaloo, who was proudly showing off her new cutie mark. Dizzy Twister stood off to the left side, smiling happily, while Quick Shot looked like he was going to leap out of the photo because of how high he was flying. And yet, he still somehow managed to have a hoof wrapped around his daughter.
"Is that proof enough for you, Diamond Tiara?" Scootaloo asked "I've got at least one other photo I can show you if you still have any doubts."
But the one photo Diamond Tiara saw was all the proof she needed. It was still somewhat possible the photo was edited, but that didn't seem likely to Diamond Tiara at this point. Dizzy Twister hadn't reacted with scorn or sadness when asked about her husband, or anything remotely resembling hesitation.
"You know something, Scootaloo?" Diamond Tiara spoke up "You and I, we actually have more in common than I might have originally thought."
"And what makes you say that?" Scootaloo asked Diamond Tiara.
"Well, we both have fathers who love us dearly, but are always busy and don't spend as much time with us as they would like," Diamond Tiara told Scootaloo "And that means we both end up spending more time with our mothers, though I think we can agree that your mother is a lot different from my mother. In all the right ways no less."
"And what else do we have in common?" Scootaloo asked impatiently.
"We're both Daring Do fans, and comic book collectors," Diamond Tiara went on "If I'd know how much of a comic book fan you were, I'd have brought over some of my collection to share with you. But above all else, we both ran into trouble for being blank flanks."
"Since when was being a blank flank so bad for a pony like you?" Scootaloo replied.
"Mother put a lot of pressure on me to earn my mark as soon as possible, and Father actually started to grow concerned as well when I lagged behind my other classmates in getting my cutie mark," Diamond Tiara explained with a frown "When I got my cutie mark, I thought I my troubles were over, but you know how that turned out. Even now, I still have to put up with Mother's behavior."
Before Diamond Tiara could say anything else, Scootaloo put a hoof around Diamond Tiara as she said "Well, now you can add to the list that we're both Cutie Mark Crusaders! And no matter what, you can count on me to be there for you if you ever need my help again. Maybe we could even arrange for a sleepover at your place with the other crusaders, and perhaps even Babs Seed! If your mother said 'Yes' to this, so maybe we'll get lucky and find a way to get her to say yes again?"
Diamond Tiara's response was to throw back her head and laugh long and hard. Scootaloo quickly joined her. "Let's not get crazy, Scootaloo!" Diamond Tiara said, in between fits of laughter "It was a fluke that Mother said 'Yes' this time. I'd rather not press my luck a second time."
"It was just a joke," Scootaloo told Diamond Tiara "Guess it wasn't a very well thought out one."
"I'll say," Diamond Tiara chuckled, and she and Scootaloo continued to laugh for a little bit longer. But once the laughter died down, an idea came into Diamond Tiara's mind "I know there's no way I can ever thank you and your mother enough for doing this," she said to Scootaloo "But I think I have something in mind that can at least come somewhat close. How would you and your mother like to see Countess Coloratura when she performs in Manehattan a month from now?"
Scootaloo's response was to open her mouth, and have her jaw drop to the point where it nearly hit the floor "No way! You can actually do that?! Tickets to Coloratura's performances have been sold out for months!"
"When you've got a father that knows the right connections, it's as easy as pie," Diamond Tiara boasted "I was thinking about giving one of them to Silver Spoon, and then seeing about inviting you or one of our fellow crusaders, but Silver Spoon's not much of a pop music fan."
"Oh, Diamond Tiara, you didn't have to do that!" Scootaloo said eagerly, embracing Diamond Tiara in a huh "But I'm glad you did! Wait until I tell Mom the good news, she's a HUGE Coloratura fan!"
Author's Note
Now hopefully you know why this takes place before "The Mane Attraction".
Scootaloo's father is one of the stallions we see on the ice towards the end of "Tanks For The Memories". The wiki lists him as an earth pony with no name, but there's no way to know for sure he's not a pegasus since we've never seen ponies playing ice hockey before, and don't know if pegasus players play with their wings not tucked into the uniforms. I think they would reluctantly keep them tucked in, since it probably wouldn't be good to leave the wings exposed to the cold air for long.
Dizzy Twister as Scootaloo's mom is a headcanon that you can thank Matt11 for, I know I've said that a lot, but it's true.
I apologize for this taking so long to be released, but I had to wait a few weeks to get feedback from my proofreader. My other proofreader later backed out when he couldn't find the time to look at the fic.
With the ringing of the school bell, class at Ponyville Elementary was finished for the day. And amidst the crowd of colts and fillies rushing out the front door, a quartet of fillies were talking to themselves.
"Really? You're actually going to let me join your club?!" Diamond Tiara asked excitedly, as a smile broke out across her face.
"Of course," Apple Bloom replied "You're gonna love bein' a Cutie Mark Crusader! That's what you want, isn't it?"
To the surprise of nopony, Diamond Tiara quickly responded with "Hay yeah, it is! But what exactly do I have to do to join? Is there some sort of initiation ritual or something?"
"Nope, just a swearing in ceremony," Sweetie Belle told Diamond Tiara "And hopefully, a certain somepony remembered to revise the initiation speech." Sweetie Belle then turned her attention to Scootaloo, as she glared slightly at her.
"I changed it shortly after Babs became a member," Scootaloo said to Sweetie Belle "I just hope you have a cape in Diamond Tiara's size."
"You mean, I get my own Cutie Mark Crusaders cape as well?!" Diamond Tiara asked, barely able to contain her excitement.
"All members get one when they're sworn in," Apple Bloom explained, as the four fillies left the school grounds "Come on, let's get to the clubhouse so we can start the ceremony."
"Actually, I can't. Not today anyway," Diamond Tiara frowned "Father wants me home as soon as possible today."
"Can't it wait for just a little while?" Scootaloo insisted "The ceremony will only take a few minutes."
"I'd rather not have Father get mad with me too," Diamond Tiara replied with a shake of her head "Mother and I don't really talk to each other much since the school board kicked her out of office, Father's all I really have left. Randolph isn't bad, but he's usually just there for those occasions where both Mother and Father are busy, and can't spend time with me."
"Well, that stinks," Sweetie Belle commented "But I guess if your dad really wants you home, you'd better go. Tomorrow, if you've got time before school, stop by our clubhouse and we'll get you sworn in. How does that sound?"
"Sounds good, I guess." Diamond Tiara sighed.
"Do you want us to walk home with ya?" Apple Bloom asked.
"And risk Mother seeing me with you? No thanks, I'm not interested in getting yelled at again." Diamond Tiara replied, and with that she reluctantly set off for home.
Diamond Tiara always dreaded the walk from the schoolhouse to the family mansion, even more so now that she had turned over a new leaf and made some new friends. For she almost always had to contend with her mother, who was often quick to say something nasty towards Diamond Tiara. On the rare occasion when her mother was silent, the disapproving scowl Diamond Tiara ended up on the receiving end of was enough to make her feel as if she'd been poked with an icicle.
But today was different. For when Diamond Tiara reached the mansion's front gate, her mother was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Randolph stood at the gate with a warm smile, which did not fade as Diamond Tiara approached him.
"Good afternoon, Mistress Diamond," Randolph said politely "Master Rich is waiting for you in his study, shall I escort you inside?"
"No thank you, Randolph, your services will not be required today," Diamond Tiara replied "Where is Mother?"
"Mistress Spoiled is out shopping, she will not be home for several hours." Randolph told Diamond Tiara, which caused Diamond Tiara to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Randolph," Diamond Tiara smiled "That is the best news I could've possibly heard. Don't tell Mother I told you."
"Do not worry, Mistress Diamond," Randolph reassured her, as she walked past him "My lips are sealed. You have my word on that."
With the knowledge that she would have a small window of time free from her mother's overbearing presence, Diamond Tiara happily skipped into her father's study. "I'll just listen to what he has to say, and then see if I can go back and play with The Cutie Mark Crusaders for a little while. Maybe we'll even have time to make me a crusader!"
Filthy Rich rose from his armchair by the fireplace, and turned his attention towards his only child. "Hello, Diamond Tiara. How was your day at school?" he asked.
"Just fine, Father." Diamond Tiara smiled.
"Good, I'm glad to hear you've been havin' nothin' but good days lately," Filthy Rich said, as he playfully ruffled Diamond Tiara's mane for a moment, then he cleared his throat "But I called you here today for an important reason. I'll be out of town this weekend."
As soon as those words escaped her father's mouth, Diamond Tiara's happy mood completely faded, as her jaw dropped open in shock "What?! This weekend?! As in 'This Weekend' this weekend?!" she asked, hoping beyond hope that she had misheard, or that her father was joking with her. Those hopes were quickly dashed.
"Yes, I'm afraid so," Filthy Rich replied unhappily "I've got to attend a business meetin' for Barnyard Bargains."
"But Daddy, you can't go! That'll leave me in the house with just Randolph, and Mother!" Diamond Tiara pleaded, regretting that she had yet to tell her father about her mother's behavior.
"I'm sorry, Diamond, but this meetin' is very important," Filthy Rich explained "It's the annual shareholders meetin', and if I don't attend, Barnyard Bargains may lose all its backers. And then we'd be in trouble."
"Can't you just postpone it, or tell them to have the meeting here like always?!" Diamond Tiara insisted, shooting the best pair of puppy dog eyes she could muster at her father.
Filthy Rich only shook his head "I've been holdin' off havin' this meetin' for weeks, I can't delay it any longer. And unfortunately, this is the first year in which I haven't been able to convince the shareholders to come here. They wanted to hold the meetin' somewhere else," he told his daughter "But I'll only be gone for the weekend, so by the time you come home from school on Monday, I'll be back."
Diamond Tiara felt like her entire world had just come crashing down. An entire weekend with her mother was sure to be a disaster, and it was something she wanted to avoid by any means necessary.
The rest of the day passed uneventfully for Diamond Tiara. And despite her unhappiness with what the coming weekend held in store for her, she was able to fall asleep without much trouble.
Next morning, after a quick breakfast, Diamond Tiara raced out the door. School wouldn't start for at least another half an hour, which gave her plenty of time to get to the CMC's clubhouse.
Immediately upon arriving, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle commenced the initiation ritual for Diamond Tiara. And for a few minutes, Diamond Tiara forgot all about the fact that her father would be out of town for the coming weekend.
"Congratulations, here's your cape!" Scootaloo said, as she tossed the red cape with gold trim to Diamond Tiara.
Diamond Tiara hesitated for a moment, before putting the cape on. But just seconds after doing so, she remembered the unhappy news she'd received yesterday, and her smile was replaced with a frown. This did not go unnoticed by her fellow crusaders.
"What's wrong? Does the cape not fit?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Does it itch when you wear it?" Apple Bloom suggested.
"No, it's got nothing to do with the cape, or with you girls." Diamond Tiara replied unhappily.
"Then what is it?" Scootaloo asked "Whatever it is, you can tell us. We're friends now."
"'Friends'? That feels like a bit of a stretch considering I've only stopped teasing you three for the better half of two weeks now." Diamond Tiara replied uncertainly.
"Well, if you don't want to tell us, that's fine," Sweetie Belle said to Diamond Tiara "But we're not going to just ignore the fact that one of our own is feeling down. The Cutie Mark Crusaders look out for each other, no matter what!"
"Fine, I'll tell you," Diamond Tiara sighed "Father is going to be out of town for the weekend to attend an important business meeting, leaving me at home with just Mother. And you all know what she's like."
None of the fillies said a word, and none of them needed to. The images of Spoiled Rich that played in their mind provided all the words they could ever need.
"So, as much as it pains me to say this, I need your help," Diamond Tiara continued, a rare hint of desperation contained within her voice "Would one of you girls be willing to let me stay at your house for the weekend? You know, like a sleepover, or slumber party, or whatever you wanna call it," Diamond Tiara then paused briefly, before she added "Please?"
A long and uncomfortable silence fell over the clubhouse, as if all of its inhabitants were participating in a contest to see who could be quiet for the longest length of time. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle looked at Diamond Tiara carefully, as if they expected her to reveal at any second that everything she'd just said was all an elaborate joke.
When that didn't happen, Apple Bloom broke the silence by saying to Diamond Tiara "Give us a second, will you?"
"Sure, take as much time as you need," Diamond Tiara remarked "It's not like school's going to start at any minute or anything!"
The Cutie Mark Crusaders ignored that comment, and huddled together in a corner. Their backs were turned to Diamond Tiara, and they whispered quietly to one another, making it impossible for Diamond Tiara to overhear what they were saying. But after only a short amount of huddling together, the crusaders turned around, giving Diamond Tiara their full attention.
"Well?" Diamond Tiara asked nervously. She wanted to say more, but she couldn't think of how to properly phrase the words she wished to use, so they died on her tongue.
Apple Bloom was the first to speak to Diamond Tiara, as she said "I'm sorry, Diamond Tiara, but I can't invite ya over to Sweet Apple Acres. Applebuck Season's almost here, and I've got a lot to do to help my family get ready for it. Otherwise, I'm sure Applejack and Big Mac would say yes."
"Oh, right, Applebuck Season," Diamond Tiara replied with a frown "I forgot all about that. What about you, Sweetie Belle?"
"I can't either," Sweetie Belle told Diamond Tiara, much to the filly's disappointment "I'm staying over at Rarity's yet again, and ever since she opened that second boutique in Canterlot she's been very busy. Plus, I'm kind of supposed to be grounded for the weekend."
"What did you do this time?" Diamond Tiara asked.
"I'd rather not say, it's too embarrassing." Sweetie Belle blushed.
Diamond Tiara decided it was best not to press for further details, and instead turned her attention to Scootaloo. Truth be told, Diamond Tiara suspected Scootaloo still held something of a grudge against her for what happened during the flag carrying contest, so she was more than a little uncomfortable with the thought that her fate for the weekend now rested solely in Scootaloo's hooves.
Diamond Tiara expected Scootaloo to state some sort of reason (or possibly even a made up excuse) as to why she couldn't invite Diamond Tiara over to her house, and mentally prepared to embrace the reality that she would be stuck putting up with her mother's behavior all weekend long.
But Scootaloo didn't say anything about not being able to invite Diamond Tiara over. In fact, she said nothing at all, which Diamond Tiara found to be rather odd.
"So?" Diamond Tiara asked Scootaloo.
"So what?" Scootaloo replied, sounding as if she were wondering why Diamond Tiara was asking her at all.
"What's your reason for why I can't have a sleepover at your house?" Diamond Tiara asked "You must have a reason, or even just an excuse. Whatever it is, just tell me so I can get it over with!"
But much to Diamond Tiara's surprise, Scootaloo responded by saying "I don't have any reason why I can't invite you over, in fact I'm pretty sure my mom will say yes, once I ask her."
"What?! Are you serious?!" Diamond Tiara exclaimed. There was no way that was true, it had to be the set up for a joke. This was the opportunity Scootaloo needed to get back at her for making fun of her possible inability to fly.
However, rather than confirm that her previous statement was indeed a joke, Scootaloo said to Diamond Tiara "Of course I'm serious. Why wouldn't I be?"
"Because of what I did during the contest to see who would carry the flag for Ponyville," Diamond Tiara insisted "I know you've never truly forgiven me for it. Deep down, you've been secretly biding your time until you could think of a way to get even with me. And now the opportunity has presented itself. You have the chance to do something mean to me, so I know how it feels."
"And why would I ever do that?" Scootaloo said in a confused tone of voice "You're right that I've never truly forgiven you for that comment about my flying capabilities, but we're friends now, not to mention fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders. And we look out for each other, no matter what! We never turn our back on a crusader in need! If you really don't want to have to deal with your mother's behavior for a whole weekend, then I'm willing to let you come over to my place for a sleepover, I 'Pinkie Promise'. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!"
Diamond Tiara couldn't believe what she had just heard, she had to be dreaming! And yet, everything seemed as real as ever! Scootaloo had said yes! Without hesitation, Diamond Tiara raced up to Scootaloo, and gave her the biggest hug she could deliver! "Oh, thank you, Scootaloo! Thank you, SO much!" she exclaimed "Did I mention how thankful I am?"
"Yeah, about a hundred times," Scootaloo replied with a slight groan "So, I'll talk to my mom after school, and then I'll meet you back here by sundown so we can work out all the details. It'll be great!"
The four fillies headed off to school shortly afterward, and nothing more was said on the matter for the rest of the school day. But as soon as the bell rang to signal the end of class for the day, Scootaloo raced out the front door as fast as she could. "The sooner I can talk to my mom, the sooner Diamond Tiara doesn't have to worry about spending the weekend with her mom." And this thought remained in the forefront of her mind, as she scooted along the path to her house, far away from the hustle and bustle of Ponyville's market square.
Dizzy Twister was waiting for Scootaloo when she came home. Scootaloo always looked forward to seeing her mom, even if she didn't usually talk about her parents in front of her friends. Her mom and dad were great ponies, but they did have a tendency to unintentionally embarrass Scootaloo more often than she was comfortable with.
"Hello, Scootaloo," Dizzy Twister smiled, as she gave her daughter a big hug "How was school today?"
"It was great!" Scootaloo replied eagerly, her wings buzzing in excitement "We learned about the history of Cloudsdale today, did you know that the first pegasus to govern the town was actually Private Pansy, not Commander Hurricane?!"
Dizzy Twister nodded "Sounds to me like you're learning a lot," then she changed the subject "So, what are you doing back here so soon? I'm not complaining, but you usually tend to stay out until just before sundown."
Realizing that there was no way she could lie to her mother, Scootaloo took a deep breath and in the sweetest tone of voice she could muster up she asked "Can I invite Diamond Tiara over for a sleepover this weekend? Pretty please?"
Scootaloo waited for a response, but Dizzy Twister didn't say anything for a while. She just stood there, eyeing Scootaloo with a look that indicated she believed her daughter wasn't telling her the whole truth. Then she said. "Now, Scootaloo, I know you and Diamond Tiara are friends now. But why do you want to invite her over for a sleepover so soon after patching things up? You didn't have your first sleepover here with Sweetie Belle until a month after you two became friends, and your first sleepover here with Apple Bloom didn't happen until the night of The Grand Galloping Gala when you two weren't going as plus ones. And in both cases, you were very reluctant to let them come and spend the night here."
"So, maybe this time I want to do things a little bit differently." Scootaloo suggested.
"Maybe, but I know you well enough to know when you're trying to keep something from me," Dizzy Twister replied "Whatever it is, I'm not going to be mad about it, but I need to know."
Scootaloo put a hoof to her chin, as she considered what to say next, before she reluctantly decided it was no use trying to hide the truth. Her mom always had a way of finding things out for herself sooner or later, no matter how hard Scootaloo tried. "Diamond Tiara's dad's gonna be out of town this weekend, and she doesn't want to have to spend it at home putting up with her mother's behavior. She already asked Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, and they said they couldn't do it. So, can Diamond Tiara come over, please? I can make her promise to behave if that's what you're worried about."
"I'm not worried about Diamond Tiara's behavior," Dizzy Twister said seriously "But the fact is that it's up to her mother to decide whether or not she can come over, not me. Granted, I may not approve of Spoiled Rich's behavior, but if she says no there's not much I can do. I'm not going to get myself in trouble with Spoiled Rich by letting her daughter come over if she's not okay with. If Diamond Tiara invited you over to her house for a sleepover, I'd at least want you to ask for my permission, so I'd know where you are. And I'm pretty sure Spoiled Rich would want the same thing."
"But I've met Spoiled Rich, and she's not nice at all! She's really mean!" Scootaloo protested.
"I know she is, Scootaloo, but that doesn't change the fact that she holds the final say over whether or not Diamond Tiara can spend the weekend here," Dizzy Twister explained "And if she says no, that's the end of it. So, you're going to have to let Diamond Tiara know about the fact that she needs her mother's permission first. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Mom, I understand. I'll make sure Diamond Tiara's aware of this," Scootaloo sighed unhappily "But I just know she's not going to like it." Scootaloo was certain Spoiled Rich would say no, but her mother was insistent that Diamond Tiara get permission for the sleepover. So, reluctantly, Scootaloo prepared to head back to the CMC's clubhouse to tell Diamond Tiara the news. But that would have to wait until after dinner.
Scootaloo was relieved to see that Diamond Tiara was still out and about when she arrived at the clubhouse. It seemed ironic to Scootaloo that Diamond Tiara was now technically the crusader that spent the most time in the clubhouse, despite rumors from various colts and fillies that Scootaloo was the one who made the clubhouse her home.
Diamond Tiara was gazing out of one the clubhouse windows, at the setting sun in the distance. Her crusader's cape had been removed, and now rested on the clubhouse floor.
Scootaloo cleared her throat, and announced her presence to Diamond Tiara, who spun around suddenly. "Oh, it's just you, Scootaloo," she said with relief "For a moment there, I thought Mother was here. Speaking of which, how did things go with your mother?"
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Scootaloo said nervously "My mom said you had to ask your mom for permission first, and if she said no that was the end of it."
"What?! She wants me to actually go up and ask for permission from the bane of my existence?! Mother's never said yes anything to I've ever wanted, not even once!" Diamond Tiara complained "I've always had to ask Father whenever I want something, and even he's said no a couple of times."
"Well, who knows, maybe this time your mother will say yes?" Scootaloo suggested.
"Come on, Scootaloo, you saw first hoof how mean Mother can be," Diamond Tiara replied unhappily "Do you actually think she's going to let me spend a weekend at your house, even though you now have your cutie mark?"
"You won't know unless you ask. If you'd like, I could come with you, and we could ask together," Scootaloo offered "Maybe she'll agree if I beg hard enough."
"No, Scootaloo, I can't ask you to do that. You shouldn't have to reduce yourself to such a level, just to please my mom for a few minutes," Diamond Tiara reluctantly replied, then she sighed "I'll just have to ask her myself. This is something I want, and I can't get away with not talking to her forever. I should've realized I'd have to tell her about the sleepover one way or another. But don't try to stick your neck out for me if she says no, I don't want her to have reason to suspect I'm hanging out with you and the other crusaders, or I'm sure she'll start calling me home every chance she gets. The more I can keep her in the dark, the better."
"Then, I wish you good luck. Now, I'd better get home before Mom starts to worry about me. See you here tomorrow before school!" Scootaloo said to Diamond Tiara, and then she set off for home once more.
"No point in beating about the bush," Diamond Tiara thought unhappily to herself, as she exited the clubhouse soon afterward "I'll just have to put on the best brave face I can muster, and pray to Celestia that this will be the one time Mother says yes."
It was almost dark by the time Diamond Tiara returned home, and just as she had feared, her mother was standing at the front gate with an angry scowl on her face.
"Where you have been all day, young mare?" Spoiled Rich asked her daughter, not even bothering to hide the obvious anger in her voice "Haven't I made it perfectly clear that you're to be inside by sundown? No ifs, ands, or buts?"
Knowing that it was best not to aruge with her mother when she was like this, Diamond Tiara reluctantly apologized with the most sincere face she could muster, even if it pained her greatly to do so. "Sorry, Mother, I should've been paying attention to what time it was."
"Indeed you should have," Spoiled Rich scolded "Now, inside you go. No complaining. And you'd better not let this happen again, for your sake."
Diamond Tiara obeyed without saying a word, she was too busy thinking about how to best word the question she knew she needed to ask. "Maybe I shouldn't have been so quick to brush off Scootaloo's help," Diamond Tiara thought to herself "At a time like this, I could really use her determination. She probably wouldn't have any trouble at all getting Mother to listen to her."
"Now, your father will be home shortly, and then I'll probably get started on dinner," Spoiled Rich told her daughter "Just go do whatever you feel like, and don't bother me."
Realizing that she probably wasn't going to get another opportunity to ask anytime soon, Diamond Tiara reluctantly swallowed a lump in her throat and nervously said "Actually, there's something I'd like to 'discuss' with you, Mother. It has to do with this weekend."
"Ah yes, I was wondering if Filthy had told you about the business meeting. What is it you want to tell me, it had better be important." Spoiled Rich demanded.
"Well, one of my friends invited me over to their house for the weekend for a sleepover. But their mom said I had to get your permission first," Diamond Tiara said nervously "So, can I go? I can pack everything for the sleepover by myself, and even walk to school on Monday. And I promise I won't stay up past my bedtime."
"One of your 'friends'?" Spoiled Rich asked skeptically, eyeing Diamond Tiara with the most unpleasant scowl ever seen on a pony's face "Was it one of those so called 'Cutie Mark Crusaders'?"
"No." Diamond Tiara lied, hoping her mother would believe her. She didn't.
"Diamond Dazzle Tiara, don't you dare lie to me!" Spoiled Rich shouted "Do you think I'm stupid?! I know you've been spending time hanging out with those former blank flanks since that 'incident' at school. The only reason I haven't said anything until now, is because your father seems quite impressed with the fact that you have friends besides Silver Spoon. And unfortunately, he's more than a little unhappy with the fact that I got kicked off the school board, even if he doesn't know all of the details. But now you want to spend an entire weekend with one of those 'crusaders' that don't even have a purpose now that they've found their cutie marks?"
"Well... yes," Diamond Tiara replied "It's not like they've never had sleepovers before. They wanted to do this."
"More like you asked them to let you have a sleepover, but I suppose that's a moot issue at this point," Spoiled Rich frowned "So, which of those 'crusaders' has invited you over? And don't even think about trying to lie to me again."
"It's Scootaloo," Diamond Tiara replied "She's the only one who could do it this weekend, Apple Bloom's busy and Sweetie Belle's grounded. But she told me that her mother said I needed to get your permission before Scootaloo could let me stay for the weekend."
"Interesting that the only one of your 'friends' who said yes is the one you have practically nothing in common with," Spoiled Rich observed "But at least her mother knows better than to cause trouble for me."
"So, can I go? Just this once?" Diamond Tiara reluctantly asked "I promise I won't ever ask for anything ever again."
"Somehow, I doubt that very much. But do you want to know what my answer is anyway?" Spoiled Rich asked Diamond Tiara.
"Let me guess, no." Diamond Tiara frowned.
"Actually, this time my answer is.... yes," Spoiled Rich said reluctantly "But just so we're clear, the moment you go over to Scootaloo's house, you're not coming back home for anything all weekend long. If you need anything, you're going to have to ask her mom for it. And you can say goodbye to all the luxuries you enjoy here at home, because I can guarantee Scootaloo's house won't have any of those. You'll have to share a bedroom, and probably a bathroom as well. And Randolph isn't going to accompany you like he did when you attended sleepovers at Silver Spoon's place, you're on your own."
Diamond Tiara was speechless. Forget about what had happened earlier today, this had to be a dream. The Spoiled Rich that Diamond Tiara had known for years would never say yes to anything her daughter wanted. So why she was now doing the exact opposite, and allowing her daughter to spend the weekend at the home of one of the fillies she still despised?
"Well, aren't you going to thank me?" Spoiled Rich asked "I've given you what you wanted, or have you somehow suddenly changed your mind and decided you're not going?"
"I still want to go, but what I want to know is, why are you being so nice to me?" Diamond Tiara reluctantly asked "Unless you're just a changeling pretending to be my mother."
"A changeling? Me? Diamond Dazzle Tiara, I don't know where you get such absurd ideas!" Spoiled Rich said angrily "The reason why I'm showing you this display of 'kindness' is simple. I know you don't like being around me, and personally ever since that incident with the school board, I haven't really enjoyed being around you. I was dreading the weekend just as much as you probably were, but now I've got an opportunity to get you out of my mane, if only for one weekend. So, go ahead, go have that little 'sleepover' for all I care. Because I think that's a much better option than the two of us pretending we can be in the same room, unless we're not saying anything. Maybe, once you see just how unluxurious the lives of the common ponies are, you'll understand just how fortunate you are. And then, maybe you'll start to think more carefully about your reputation as a member of the Rich family household."
"Well, I suppose I'll be grateful for that," Diamond Tiara replied uncertainly "In a way, this is the nicest thing you've ever done for me. But I guess there's no reason to suspect this will change things between us."
"Of course not," Spoiled Rich said to her daughter "Now then, if there's nothing else you wish to ask me about, please leave my sight."
"So, were you able to convince your mother to let you come over?" Scootaloo asked Diamond Tiara the next morning, as the two fillies talked in private outside the clubhouse. Scootaloo had to specifically make sure neither Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle were eavesdropping on the conversation from the clubhouse itself.
"Actually, yes," Diamond Tiara replied "But she made sure to phrase it in her own particular way of logic. Guess you can't win 'em all."
Scootaloo cheered, and buzzed her wings in excitement "Sweet! I'll tell my mom the good news after school today, and then we can make the final arrangements! Just bring your sleeping bag and supplies on Friday after school gets out. You know where my house is, right?"
"Yeah, I've passed by it a few times." Diamond Tiara nodded.
"Good," Scootaloo said with a smile that could rival Pinkie Pie's "This weekend is going to be so amazing! We're going to have the best time together!"
"I guess so." Diamond Tiara agreed, but deep down she was not so sure. Spoiled Rich was right when she had said that Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo didn't have much in common.
One thing was for sure though, this was going to be a sleepover to remember for both fillies.
Author's Note
~~This fanfic is part of a triology of fics in which Diamond Tiara is a major character. The first was "Seeing The Light", and the third is going to take place in an alternative universe where she's friends with the CMC before "Crusaders of The Lost Mark".~~
~~Upcoming fanfic aside,~~ It's certainly not easy to write Spoiled Rich, and I'm hopeful I did a decent job with her. Her being kicked off the school board is my personal headcanon, as is Scootaloo not liking to talk about her parents often because they unintentionally embarass her. And I have Matt11 to thank for the idea of Dizzy Twister being Scootaloo's biological mother.
Hopefully, you'll all enjoy this fic, and stick around for part 2.
