Double Diamond was in this valley once again. He looked at the magnificent mountain covered in snow. He’s always loved winter, just like Marshmellow Coco.
There's was something sad in his eyes. When he was here last time, he and Coco decided to be first ponies who to reach the top of Equestria in winter but she never return home.
He is the one who must do this in her honor.
But as he gets closer to mountains he start lose faith. He still remembered how hopeless he was when suddenly she fall. As earth pony he have no magic and they were too young and reckless. Everypony tells him that is suicidal to go there after a year. That she won’t return even if he go there.
Then from other side of valley, he saw somepony that walk with smile. She had a light Purple coat and darker Purple mane with blue in it.
“Hello.”
She said.
“I’m sorry but it too dangerous to go this road up there.”
She pointed with her hoof his destination.
“I’m afraid that snow storm is coming.”
“Ah, yes.” he said.
“You may be right.”
He look at the sky.
“Would you like go to my home for tea and wait until whether be better?”
She propose. Her smile was so nice that Double Diamond feel comfort just looking at her.
“Well, since I’m stuck here, why not?”
“My name is Starlight Glimmer. Nice to meet you. You are…?”
“Double Diamond.”
He take of his ski and left them there, under a tree. Since there was nopony else here he decide that nothing bad would happened to them.
When they go down he notice that there was only few ponies there. They all seems happy, but he could not believe why all of them suddenly grin to him and says
“Good Morning, sir!”
It was just so nice! He don’t feel so welcomed in years in his hometown after what happened. Marshmellow Coco parents hate him blaming him for her death, and friends were too sad to talk to him. But again, if they know… if those ponies know what he done then they would hate him too. Hate is only thing that he deserves and he knows that too well. It was his life dream and if he never ask Coco to go with him she would not be gone now.
“Please, it is my home.” she open door.
Everything in this town looks so simple and rustics. He come in to mare home and she give him cup of hot tea.
“I’m happy that I find you before you gone.”
She smile. Her voice was so calm and sweet.
“Oh, I would probably just wait in cave until the end of snowstorm.”
“I’m not talking about the storm. I’m talking about your heart”.
She sip from the cup and look in his eyes.
“I can see that something bothers you, even if you don’t like to talk about it yet.”
“No, no, of course not.”
So his emotion were too powerful to hide? He really don’t want talk about it, that one was true.
“Please, have muffin too.”
She lift the plate and give him plain but tasty treat.
“Don’t be scared. I just love to listen other ponies problems and try to help them, you see.”
“So you are a psychiatrist pony?”
He feels angry.
“Sorry, but I already try this. All they know is saying that I should not feel guilty! How that is suppose to help!?”
He scream, but she remain calm. She looks at him with her warm smile.
“I’m not psychiatrist. They want you to pay them for helping you, when I offer you friendly hooves. Sit down and drink your tea, please.”
She look at the window and says:
”As you see there's still too cold to go out. Be my guest and stay for the night.”
But he doesn't listen and gallop in anger into woods.
That pony can say what she wants but he don’t need help or friends! All he needs now is honor the dead of his beloved so everypony finally forgive him!
But as night gets more dark that snow storm grow and Double Diamond start to think. He was galloping so far that he have no idea where he is now. He shivers since he left his scarf in that mare house. His own stupid mind again make him suffer. He don’t know what hour it was but it was so Dark. He was scared, he heard some howling. He feel that something is under the tree.
Suddenly, one timberwolf jump at him. He curl up ready for the end, for second he thought:
“I come to you, Coco.”
But in the same time when he feel that creature breath on his mane some other thought cross his mind.
“No, I don’t want to die yet! Somepony, help me!”
And then, as if he dream the beam of red light shoot that timberwolve and save him.
“Are you alright!?”
Starlight Glimmer pick him from the ground and hug him.
“Why did you…? How…?”
“I galloped after you but I lost your track. Thank Celestia that I saw that timberwolf in time.”
They go back to her home, as she knows way better then him. He go to bed, and she give him warm blanket.
He try to sleep, but after she turn off the light tears start flow from his eyes. Starlight woke up again and pat his mane.
“Please, just tell me.”
He knows that she wants to knows his backstory, and after what happened he actually wants to tell her. She was patient when he talk and somehow he feel so good. She was not like those psychiatrist ponies he see before. He actually trust her. He talks and talks about his love for Coco, how that last year expedition was her gift for him. How she slip and fell from Cliff…
Starlight look at him with great care.
“I know how you feel.”
She said.
“It is a place just for ponies like you.”
“I decided to create this town for ponies who can’t help themselves. That feel too much pain. The best thing for you would be just to forget about it. You are not the one who is guilty of her death. This cutie mark of yours is.”
“What?”
He was too surprise.
“Think about this. You love winter, but why? That cutie mark make you love it. It wasn’t your brain thinking, but Instinct. Coco loves you so she also get blinded by it. She could go with you on summer but she assume that it have to be winter, just because of those three snowflakes on your flank.”
This was crazy, yet It makes sense. Double Diamond look at his cutie mark with disgust.
“Everypony tells you that you have no choice but follow your cutie mark. But nopony ask how many of those stupid marks make us suffer? Maybe it is the time to stop telling us that those are making us special and we always should be proud of this? How can they tell you to be proud of you talent and then hate when you follow it? Is that real friends?”
“Well… “
That was true. He gets his ski from his best friend, but when Coco die, that pony don’t even look at him.
“Let’s go back to sleep.” She said and go to her bed.
The weeks past in, but Double Diamond still don’t go back to the mountains. To be honest, he start to feel at home in that little village. He later notice that ponies here don't really have different cutie marks, but Starlight calm him down telling him that is part of this place.
But he also thinks about the first night in Starlight house and thighs what she says. Is that was true? Does ponies are so sure that cutie marks are good thing that they stop question their own action to get to the goal, even if logic were against it? Maybe his journey was stupid too? Maybe it was time to give up?
Starlight was so understanding. He really feel this time that he found a friend. He saw her and go to her.
“Hello, Starlight.”
He was able to really smile. He don’t do that for such long time.
“Hi, Double Diamond.”
He notice this time she doesn't smile. There was something off with her. She looked at him.
“Today I want you to go on our town meeting. I think you ready.”
“But I’m not town citizen…”
“Oh, please. They knows that you are equal to them and we all love you here.” she said, and ponies from town smile to him shaking hooves.
Double Diamond saw that and feel so warm inside. They really want him to be their friend, not at all like those all ponies who abandon him.
“And since we trust you we want you to share our secret with you. We always welcome our new friends in The cutie mark vault. I show you the way. The meeting would be at afternoon.
She go away, and Double Diamond sit in front of coffee shop. Waitress give him black Coffee without sugar or milk but he likes that. Simple ways of that town makes him see that maybe he always have too much to truly enjoy it?
He looks at pony who give him cup of coffee. She most likely also been hurt in the past. And yet here she was, smiling as if life was non stop holiday. He must know how they all can be so cheerful. He knows that Starlight was the mare he can trust. And now she trust him and love him to share her secret.
On afternoon he go to that place with Starlight. What she call it…? The cutie mark vault? He wonders why they called it that.
Some other ponies go after him and Starlight Glimmer. She got the cave and stand in the middle when other ponies get together.
“Welcome you all on the town's meeting! Today we have are new friend Double Diamond with us!”
She start to speak, and ponies clap by their hooves.
“He, like all of us get fooled by his cutie mark. If only he knows that they don’t give you happiness! Dear Double Diamond, we want you to know that we are your family now, and nopony can hurt you.”
“Really?”
He start to cry. It was just too beautiful to be true! But it was true! They want him to be part of this town. It was not a lie.
“But you have to make your last decision, before you can be equal with us you must cut the last tie to your past.”
“I’ll do anything!”
“We need you to rid off your cutie mark and replace it with symbol of equality.”
She smile, her voice was even more sweet than before.
“It won’t hurt you, at least not as much as your memory's hurts. You can forget all, just get rid off that pain. Do you want to be one of us?”
“I… I…”
Someponies in cave start to cheer him up:
“Please, accept it! We want you to be our friend but we can’t know for sure if you have cutie mark!”
“Yes, we love you, don't say no.”
Double Diamond was scared but he said, “Yes, I do.”
Then the light shoots at him sucking up his cutie mark. He feel big pain as he was about to die.
“Aaaaaaa~!!”
Suddenly all that pain was gone. As he never even know pain in his life.
“We have new friend my beloved!” - Starlight Glimmer hugs him. “Welcome, you finally find right way!”
“Yes, Starlight.”
“Now, I have one last question for you.” She said. “What do you think of Marshmellow Coco?”
Double Diamond looked at her and said with no emotions:
“Thank you, but I would like to drink coffee.”
“Good.” Starlight smiled again, but this time her caring and sweet smile disappear somewhere.
THE END
Author's Note
Oh, boy. I was wandering how would one pony give up his mark. And since I really like Double Diamond I decide to make this story about him. I hope you all like it. I would be happy to write something about him again. ^^ BTW. I didn't know that Marshmellow Coco was a real pony until I finish this story, but that name fits so I won’t change it.
The story was proofread for my by PoisonClaw. Thank you so much