”Hey DI!” Silver Spoon called happily when Diamond came inside. She was just packing up the books for today in her saddlebag. Her mane was made up in a more careful braid than usual, and her grey coat was groomed to silken texture. ”How do I look?” She turned around with a giddy sound and looked hopefully at Diamond.
”Well, if Featherweight says no to that, then he sure doesn’t know perfection when he sees it,” Diamond replied. ”But seriously Silvy, are you sure he is the one you want as a date? Isn’t he a bit… I dunno, goofy?”
”He makes me laugh, that's all,” Silver Spoon answered with a blush. ”Do you really think I have a chance? I kinda worries he just thinks I’m a bully, or maybe he doesn’t even know I exist at all.” Silver put her ears back.
”Silvy, that’s so not you,” Diamond scolded. ”Now come on or we’ll be late. You know that very moment we wait, some other lucky filly might ask him out, right?” That argument worked wonders; Silver Spoon gave a small gasp and then finished packing in a matter of seconds before trotting outside. Diamond grinned as she followed. It was amusing seeing Silvy this bashful.
The two fillies went in silence to the schoolhouse. Silver Spoon looked like she wanted to part gallop ahead and part gallop back and hide under the nearest piece of furniture. Diamond had a hard time suppressing her giggles. Slightest sound made Silver Spoon blush and look up shyly with her braid in front of her mouth. She must have taken lessons from Fluttershy.
When they arrived Silver Spoon was pretty flustered and kept staring at the ground in front of her. Diamond shook her head and looked around. Silvy would obviously not make the first move unless Diamond ”helped” her.
”Hey, Featherweight!” Diamond called to the few colts hanging by a corner of the schoolhouse. Featherweight looked up, as did his friends, Button Mash and Rumble. Diamond ignored her friend’s pleading look. ”Would you come over for a little bit? I think Silvy wanted something!”
”Morning,” Rumble said casually in his, for a colt, very melodic voice.
Damond felt like somepony had put a noose around her throat and pulled; she could not speak properly. Instead she just stood still and stared at the cloud white pony with the windswept, steel gray mane and lilac eyes. His wings were still pretty small, but Rumble was still a better flyer than most foals his age. He was strong too for a pegasus. Diamond had (in a not-at-all-creepy way) happened to walk just the same way Rumble did after school a couple of times, and thus knew that he and his brother Thunderlane liked to hit the gym at Thursday and Monday afternoons.
Diamond approved of that, since Rumble’s muscular yet limber build was like candy to her eyes.
”Uh, so what did you want?” Featherweight asked sheepishly. ”Look, Diamond, if this is about another exclusive interview about you, I don’t think the Foal-Free Press is interested…”
Featherweight’s comment snapped Diamond back to reality, just in time for her to realize that she had been glancing over at Rumble for seconds in complete silence.
”N-no!” Silver Spoon squeaked. ”I… uh,” she looked at Rumble and Button Mash, who made no show of leaving to give her any privacy. Silver Spoon gulped and pushed her glasses up on her muzzle. ”Featherweight… you know the annual Harvest Ball is coming this weekend and I was thinking…” she trailed of, blushing profoundly. ”IwasthinkingthatmaybeifyouhadthetimeIcouldbeyourdate?!” She shouted in one breath before she retreated back behind her braid.
”Uh… come again?” Featherweight asked.
”She just asked you out, you dingus,” Button Mash said with a huge grin on his face. ”Come on, what do you say to that?”
”But… but… me?” Featherweight asked no pony in particular. ”Hey, Silver Spoon, are you sure you meant to ask me?”
”Don’t you think she knows which pony she wants to go out with?” Rumble asked dryly.
Diamond took pity on her shaking friend. ”Helooooo? It’s not nice to keep a mare waiting, you know! And Silvy, aren’t you forgetting something?”
”Yes!” Featherweight blurted to Diamond. ”Of course I will take her to the ball, I’d be honored to.”
Diamond facehoofed, gripped Featherweight’s head in between her hooves and turned it to Silver Spoon. ”Then don’t tell me, tell her.”
”Right,” Featherweight said, now joining Silver Spoon in her blushing. ”I’d gladly take you to the ball, Silver Spoon. Uh… can I pick you up at six at Sunday?” An awestruck Silver Spoon nodded.
Diamond edged closer to her friend. ”Ahem, rose,” she said with a fake cough.
Silver squeaked and dug through her saddlebag. Belatedly she got out her red rose and offered it to Featherweight. The colt swallowed nervously, accepted the rose and bit into the tender petals.
The five ponies stood in silence, none of them knowing what to say in this situation. They were saved by the clamor of the school bell. ”Right…six in the evening at Sunday?” Featherweight asked one last time.
”Yea, that will be perfect,” Silver agreed, now able to speak. Featherweight joined his friends and went into the classroom. Both Button Mash and Rumble thumped their friend in the back. The moment they were out of sight, Silver Spoon’s face broke into an overjoyed smile. ”He said yes! He actually said yes!” Silver let out a small chipper and bounced on the tip of her hooves.
”Pff, I knew he would,” Diamond said loftily. ”But that’s still fun for you.”
Silver returned from cloud nine to Equestria and fixed a compassionate look on her friend. ”And what about yourself, DI? Do you still like Rumble?”
With five words, Silver Spoon removed all happiness from Diamond’s mind and instead filled it with self-loathing and regret. ”I guess I do,” she answered with a sigh. ”I have tried not too, for Scootaloo's sake, but he is just so…” she fumbled for the words. ”I really like him. He is determined, confident, funny…”
”Don’t forget good looking and a pegasus,” Silver said with a teasing tone. ”Just think abut him flying you through the sunset and then gently setting you down in a sunlit meadow. Only you two and the golden sunset.”
”Oh, shut up Silvy,” Diamond mumbled, a bit of color spreading over her face. ”Not helping.”
”Humph,” Silver Spoon struck a snooty pose. ”Well, I say that if you really like Rumble, then you don’t have to care if Scootaloo does too. First come, first served, simple as that.”
”It’s not that easy, Silvy, and you know it,” Diamond said. ”Like, all the class except for Rumble knows Scootaloo has a crush on him. If I invite him to the ball, Scootaloo will think it was to bully her.”
”But it isn’t!” Silver exclaimed. ”You like him just as much as Scootaloo, so Rumble is fair game for you too!” Silver Spoon got a wry grin on her face. ”You’ve really changed, DI. Old Diamond would never let anypony stop her from getting what she wanted.”
”She did not have many friends either,” Diamond replied glumly.
”I’m just saying that not all changes since you befriended the crusaders were for the better,” Silver shrugged. ”I don’t like my friend hurting herself by not doing what she wants.”
”Even if doing what I want would hurt others?” Diamond asked in a resigned tone.
”Well, if you don’t ask Rumble out, you are the one who gets hurt when Scootaloo does instead. So somepony will be sad either way, and then I’d rather it is Scootaloo.” Silver Spoon said with a shrug.
”That’s pretty nasty, you know,” Diamond said.
”Is it nasty to look out for your oldest friend?” Silver asked and pushed her glasses up on her muzzle. ”I kinda like the crusaders, but I like you much more.” Diamond was silent, taking in what her friend said. ”At least think about it, won’t you? Come on, Cheerilee is probably getting impatient with us.”
Diamond nodded and followed her friend in, now with yet another thing demanding her attention. She had a feeling concentrating on Cheerilee’s lecture on the Navier-Stokes Equations in Spherical Coordinates would be hard.
*****
After school, three fillies were slowly making their way over to Rarity’s boutique. One of them, a white unicorn, was excited as can be while the other two looked rather dubious about their course. However, it was open to debate whether Sweetie Belle would hear any complaints, lost in bliss as she seemed.
”Uh, Sweetie Belle, why’re we goin’ to Carousel Boutique?” Apple Bloom asked nonetheless. ”Ya’ll have been lookin’ giddy all day. Somethin’ good happened?”
”Yes!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed with a wide grin. ”Because I convinced Rarity to make us each a dress for the ball at Sunday!” Sweetie Belle looked like she might burst from excitement. ”Do you understand? We three will have the most beautiful dresses in the whole town, just for us! And then I will get Button to wear a tuxedo!”
”Hey, that is cool,” Scootaloo said. ”Thanks a bunch, Sweetie Belle.”
”Yea, that’s real kind of you,” Apple Bloom agreed and sped up a little bit. She was considerably more eager to get to Rarity’s now that she knew what treat awaited. Scootaloo followed her example, and before they knew it they were running towards Carousel Boutique. Scootaloo got there first and found Rarity waiting on the doorstep. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle followed suit, the latter grinning widely at her sister.
”Hey, Rarity! You remember what you said last evening right? You will still help us with our dresses, right?”
”Oh, of course Sweetie Belle,” Rarity said. ”Do come on in you three, and we will see what we can come up with. Rest assured, you three will be the crème de la crème of beauty.”
”Thanks so much for helpin’ us like this Rarity,” Apple Bloom said, somewhat bashful for the unicorn’s generosity. ”Are you sure you have the time? Ah know AJ’s got a lot of food to prepare for the ball, an’ you must have work too, don’t you?”
”Think nothing of it,” Rarity said as she magicked out bolts of fabric and put them on her working desk. ”I know how to manage my time. And for that matter, the more of my couture there is at the ball, the better for my business. So I really ought to thank you three, not the other way around.”
”Well, if you're sure,” Scootaloo said and looked over the rolls of fabric. She stopped before a yellow one. ”Wouldn’t this make me look totally awesome? Like one of Celestia’s royal guards in their gold armor? And then with that blue for a hat?”
Rarity cringed as her mind conjured up the four way clash colors that the combination would make with Scootaloo’s coat and mane. If she made that ensemble she might as well close her boutique; nopony would ever want to be associated with a fashion monstrosity like that.
”Now, let’s calm down a little, Scootaloo. I shall have to take your measurements first, then we can start looking at the fabrics.”
”But don’t you already have those?” Sweetie Belle asked and tore away her eyes from a pale lilac fabric. ”You took them she we listened to your cutie mark story that one time, remember?”
Rarity chuckled, a cute, fluttering sound. ”Oh, Sweetie Belle, that was a long time ago. You three have grown a lot since then. Now, stand over there, by the mirrors, please.” The three fillies complied and Rarity began to put her measuring tape around them, quickly jotting down numbers and notations.
”So who are you guys going to take with you?” Sweetie Belle asked as Rarity’s measuring tape rounded her barrel. ”I’m taking Button Mash, obviously, but are you going to invite somepony too?”
”Like… a date?” Apple Bloom asked. Her friend nodded energetically. Apple Bloom absently thought that Sweetie Belle and her sister must share their interest in gossip. ”Well… Ah was sorta thinkin' of invitin’ Pipsqueak, but…” She trailed of, blushing slightly. She looked over to Rarity, feeling a little shy about having her listening.
”Then you totally should!” Sweetie Belle said and jumped slightly in excitement, earning her a scoff from her older sister. ”I went with Button last year, and it is much better if you are with somepony you like!”
”But Ah can be with you two,” Apple Bloom reminded.
”Well, I was actually planning on spending that evening with Button Mash,” Sweetie Belle said, slightly dejected when she saw her friend’s look. ”I don’t get to dance with him any other time,” she defended.
”And I was thinking about inviting Rumble,” Scootaloo said casually. ”I have sent him anonymous letters for months now, so he’s got to be expecting me to ask him out then, right?” She looked hopefully to her friends, wishing she could feel half as confident as she sounded.
”Sure thin', Scoots,” Apple Bloom said. ”Ah mean, he must recognize your way of writing, right? Or your hoof writing? He’s probably waitin’ just for you.”
Scootaloo blushed, not because she thought Rumble was waiting for her, but because she realized that it might not have been her smartest move to write all her love letters with the pen in her hooves instead of her mouth, just to make sure Rumble would not pick up on who she was. She had just been so shy; she didn’t want him to confront her. She wanted to have full control of when she confessed her feelings for him. She did not want him to ask her out, it was her place as a filly to take the first step.
”You know, if both of you are gonna have dates, then Ah think Ah might just ask Pip,” Apple Bloom said as the measuring tape went over to her. ”Think he’ll say yes?”
”I’m sure he will,” Sweetie Belles replied encouragingly. ”I mean, he came to us for help with his campaign, so he must like us.”
”Yea, and you are both earth ponies,” Scootaloo pointed out. ”You fit perfectly together.”
”You an’ Rumble too,” Apple Bloom said.
”Hey, what about me and Button?” Sweetie Belle asked in a worried tone. ”Doesn’t we fit together too?”
”If you two have been together for more than a year, then I dare say you fit very well together,” Rarity interjected calmly. ”Don’t you fret, darling. Once he sees you in this dress, he will never want to leave your side again.”
Sweetie Belle smiled, accompanied a small squee. ”And both of you will have dates too! This is going to be perfect!”
”You know I haven’t asked Rumble out yet right?” Scootaloo said with a small blush. ”I’m not that good with mushy stuff…”
”Have you ever tried though?” Apple Bloom asked.
”Nope.”
”But then how do you know you aren’t good with it?” Apple Bloom continued. ”Maybe you’re really good at it, an’ you just have to give it a go?”
”Yea, I bet you are like a real Trottsanova if only you try,” Sweetie Belle said. ”I waited for weeks before I dared to ask Button to be my very special somepony, and then found out he had just been to shy to ask me out. We could have been together for even longer if only one of us had dared to ask the other.”
”Huh, I’ve never thought of that,” Scootaloo said dreamingly. ”Maybe he thinks about inviting me too? Maybe I should really ask him…”
”You should totally ask him!” Sweetie Belle said. ”Then we will all have dates for the ball! Won’t that be exciting?”
Sweetie Belle was so swept up in her imagination she did not catch Rarity’s small smile, and the mare was sure to hide it quickly. It was just oh so cute to hear the three making plans for the ball. She felt a pang in her heart when she recalled that she would not have company herself.
*****
”Father?”
Filthy Rich looked up from the newspaper. A glance was enough to tell him that his daughter was confounded about something. That way she bit her lip was a dead giveaway. ”Can I help you with anything, little diamond?”
”Yea, you can,” Diamond said. ”I… have this friend who is thinking about inviting a colt to the Harvest Ball at Sunday.” Diamond did not like lying, but she needed the unbiased opinion; she could not let her father’s love for her cloud his decision. ”But there is another pony who everypony thinks has a crush on the same colt.”
”Triangle drama?” Filthy asked. Diamond nodded, even if she did not like that name. It sounded like something out of a clichéd romance novel. ”Well, I have never been in that situation, but provided that the colt can accept both suitors, I guess whoever asks first will go with him for the ball.”
”But my friend and the pony who has a crush are friends, and my friend is worried that their friendship might be injured,” Diamond said anxiously. ”Like… she think that the other pony is really expecting to go with this colt.”
Filthy scoffed. ”Well, as a businesspony I can’t agree to that argument. Whoever gets the deal first wins, simple as that. Besides, if this other pony is angry because your friend invites a colt she loves, then she is not a good friend, is she?”
Diamond sighed inwardly while her stomach filled with butterflies. Some little part of her had hoped that Filthy would disagree with her quandary, as that would be the simplest solution. Still, another part of her wanted to jump up and cheer. Both her father and Silver Spoon thought it was okay for her to invite Rumble. That must mean something. ”I guess not, thanks,” Diamond said quickly and went to her room.
She placed herself in front of the silver framed mirror and looked over herself.
She had a pretty appealing color, she liked to think. Coats as pure pink as hers were rare, and it matched her mane perfectly. Said mane also held two very distinct colors, a rare feature on the earth race. She had inherited her father’s frost blue eyes, which accented her bright colors perfectly. The icing on the cake was her trademark piece of jewelry, her diamond tiara.
All in all, she was beautiful as a diamond, as her mother liked to say. The only problem with her appearance was the expression; the nervousness in her face would not be out of place on a minefield. Was she really about to do this? Did she really dare to ask Rumble out? Did she really have a chance?
”I’ll need help,” Diamond mumbled. She had not made up her mind yet, but she knew one thing; if she was not going to do it, then it would be because she chose not to. She would not let the chance of being turned down stop her. Diamond swallowed, then put on a confident face and nodded to herself.
She would make herself feel certain that she could ask him out if she cared to, and then she would have to choose whether she really wanted to or not.
She left her room and went up to the second floor of the mansion, to the master’s bedroom. She knocked respectfully. ”Come in, and if it is you, Randolph, water the flowers by the pool; it looks like they are getting dry.”
”No mother, it’s me,” Diamond said carefully and peeked into the room. She and her mother had been a bit on edge with one another since the incident at the school. Still, Diamond needed professional help with this case.
”Diamond?” Spoiled sounded genuinely surprised. ”Well, then what do you want?”
Diamond swallowed. ”You know of the Harvest Ball at Sunday, right?” she began tentatively.
”Well, that was when I met Filthy for the first time, so I would know it as well as anypony, I imagine,” Spoiled scoffed and returned to her mirror. ”Why?”
No turning back now. ”Well, I was kind of thinking about inviting somepony… a colt in class… and I thought maybe you could help me with makeup and… stuff,” Diamond said in a progressively quieter voice.
Her mother dropped the bottle of perfume she was holding. She turned to Diamond again with an expression of having seen Discord appear in the pool outside. Diamond felt her heart sink through the floor. ”Oh no! She will kill me if that perfume was expensive,” Diamond thought before Spoiled went up to her and swept her into a heartfelt hug. ”What…?” she gasped before she could stop herself.
”My little filly is finally starting to take interest in the right activities.” Spoiled sounded really happy. ”Don’t you worry, little one. When I’m done with you, he will fall head over hooves for you. And that’s a promise.” Diamond smiled and hugged back. Her mother would help style her. It made her feel… good. Grown up.
Spoiled let go of her daughter, took a step back and looked her over. ”Right, first things first.” She turned away and opened a window. ”Randolph, get down to the spa and book every place they have for Sunday! I don’t want any peasants getting in the way of my daughter’s perfect treatment, whatever the cost and whoever you have to physically throw out! Nopony else will be there on Sunday, understod!?” Spoiled turned back to her daughter with a radiant smile. ”You see, little one, the first lesson in beauty is that you are only as stunning as the worst part seen. Coat and tail are of utmost importance. While Randolph deals with the spa, we are going to see to the detail of asking the lucky colt out. Come over here and have a look. What makeup do you think will fit?”
Diamond Tiara giddily stepped forward to the perplexing mess of scents, creams, powders, liquids, salts and more exotic compounds of unknown physical states. She was pretty sure some of them were non-newtonian fluids, like those Cheerilee had talked about earlier. ”Now, you only want to be radiant enough to make sure your future date accepts your invitation,” Spoiled said in an important tone. ”If you are too beautiful now, then he will be underwhelmed when he sees you at the main event, and that would be a disaster. Nothing is more critical to a romantic conquest than the first few meetings. Never forget.”
Diamond wholly sucked up every word that left her mother’s lips. She had never dared to dream of this kind of support from her; it felt unreal. If only Cheerilee’s lectures were half as interesting Diamond would have straight A’s all subjects.
Her mother was happier than she had been for months. Diamond Tiara was preparing to ask Rumble out on a date, a real date.
Could this day get any better?
Well, if Rumble accepted her invitation then… but she shouldn’t get her hopes up too much. She still had not made up her mind, she reminded herself.
”Hmm,” her mother purred. ”Some rouge is a must; that shade of red looks just lovely on you. Wait, I have just the thing; a small dash of copper powder.”
*****
Her mind was made up.
She was going to ask Rumble to be her date for the ball.
And she was going to do it now, in just a few minutes. There would be no turning back now, she had wanted to do this for months, and no time was better than now. The ball was Ponyville’s main time for romance, and it offered the two of them a perfect time to be together for a couple of hours with good food and nice company. An unconstrained evening for them to learn to know one another beyond their school personas.
”Hello, Roseluck,” she said, just barely keeping the excitement out of her voice. ”I want to buy a rose, a red one for the ball.”
”Oh my!” Roseluck exclaimed before she promptly fainted on the counter. She slid backwards slowly before falling off completely. Daisy poked her head out from behind a large boxwood plant and quickly trotted in behind the counter.
”Sorry about that, little sis is easily overwhelmed,” she said with an apologetic smile. ”What did you want?”
The filly wondered briefly if she should not help the fainted mare, but eventually decided against it. She had someplace she needed to be, after all. If she did not get to the gym soon, Rumble would leave and she would miss him for the day. It was not like she could fly up to Rumble’s house. After all encouragement yesterday, it had to be today! ”I want to buy a- a flower,” she changed in the last second. She did not want to knock out another pony right now.
”Okay, which one?” Daisy said.
”I’ll find it myself,” she replied and produced five bits. Expensive, but it was tradition to offer a red rose to the colt one wanted to ask out. If he ate it, then he accepted the invite, otherwise he would return it. Diasy looked at her quizzically, but put the bits away in the cash register.
”But… the only flower we have that costs five bits is…” Daisy did not finish the sentence; she slumped against the desk and then joined her little sister on the floor. The filly took no notice, however, as she was looking over the bouquet of roses by the door, searching for the finest one. It was not lost on her that quite a few roses already seemed to have been bought. A lot of ponies were asking their respective out today, and even married mares offered roses to their stallions.
She picked out one of the pristine flowers and pushed open the door. She began making her way to the gym, her heart pounding hard in her chest. She had spied on Rumble all day in class, playing out this moment over and over again in her head, and each time she felt a little more nervous and excited, nervicited, as Pinkie Pie said. She had never thought she would need that word, but it was definitely the best description for her feelings right now. Her stomach felt like filled with butterflies, and her mouth was locked in a small smile. At the same time, she could not for the life of her look up from the ground, and her legs felt a little shaky.
Whistles followed her, as well as good luck wishes. Everypony could see the rose she held and they knew what it meant. She knew that everypony meant well, and really wished her good luck, but it still made her blush even harder. She did not want an audience for this, it was private! Something between only her and Rumble, nopony else needed to be concerned.
But then again, they would all be at the ball too, so her relationship with Rumble would soon be public knowledge anyway. Still, just thinking about all the ponies who would be there in the gym, watching Rumble judging her, was almost enough to make her bolt back home and in under her bed.
Almost, but not quite. No turning back, not now.
And so she arrived. Before her stood the ponyville gym. It was a one-story building with the traditional earth pony styled thatched roof and walls of wood. It was painted in a neutral red color and had large windows towards the street so that the ponies inside could judge the time by looking at the sun.
In the center of the room laid Bulk Biceps under a massive iron anvil that would have squashed every other pony in town. Bulk must also have brought it to the gym himself, down from his cloud home. While Bulk was as kind as any other pony (if a bit slow at times), his strength and size alone made him imposing nonetheless. Nearby, leaned against a punching bag, stood Rumble’s brother Thunderlane looking at…
At Rumble.
Talking with…
She stopped, trying to comprehend what she saw.
Rumble was talking, looking down into the floor rather bashfully. The other pony held out a single red rose with her mouth. It was shaking. The other filly looked like she was about to bolt.
Rumble looked up, and then took the rose in his mouth and bit. The other filly’s face broke into a grin as radiant as the sun.
And outside the gym stood a crestfallen pony. Tears began to pool in her eyes as she looked at the other filly in there, hugging Rumble. Why wasn’t it her in there? She had wanted for so long. This wasn’t fair, it just wasn’t fair. But it was true nonetheless. She would not have a date for this ball. All those things she had said and planned yesterday were but dust now. She would not have to make herself beautiful. She would not wear that dress.
With a rose tucked under her wing and her trusty scooter at her side, Scootaloo felt her heart break.
*****
”Well then, little one,” Spoiled Rich said with a, for her, kind voice. ”You are going to leave them all speechless. Your father and I will be going to the ball now, so you can pick up your lucky coltfriend as soon as you are ready. Don’t wait for too long, he must get to know you tonight.”
Diamond Tiara managed a small squee of excitement and nervousness in equal measure, but her mother had already left. She looked into the mirror, and could hardly recognize the filly she saw.
She had been at the spa for four hours straight, getting pretty much every treatment they had. She could also hear the grumbles of other ponies who had been denied their treatment when Spoiled bought every place the spa had. After that, her mother had spent another three hours on her mane and makeup. When Diamond finally donned her new amethyst-purple evening dress, her trademark tiara and, just for the occasion, one of Spoiled’s diamond necklaces, she had been left stunned in awe. She had never known she could look like that.
With effort she pulled away from her image. It was time for her to go to the Harvest Ball. With Rumble. She left the Rich family mansion and slowly made her way to the outskirts of the town, to just beneath one of the cloud homes drifting lazily in the evening winds. She swallowed, and was left standing there.
”Come on, Diamond! Don’t be a scaredy-filly now,” she berated herself with a scowl. ”Remember what Silvy told you, this is not the time to be the new Diamond Tiara. Time to be the feisty filly who sent the blank flanks running for the hills!”
”Rumble!” she called up to the house. Her throat felt tangled up all of a sudden. No turning back.
Diamond looked up to the house, and saw a small pony look down. Rumble waved and then jumped down from the cloud, spread his wings and landed in front of her with a confident grin. Diamond’s heart began to beat a little harder when she saw him. He had dressed up too, a coal black suit with a red rose in the pocket.
”Oh, you look… nice. Very nice, actually,” Rumble said, a little bashful. Suddenly Diamond Tiara became very aware of herself. Jewelry, make up, softest possible mane and tail? Maybe she had overdone things a little? She did not want Rumble to feel inferior.
Well, nothing to do about that now. ”You too look very nice, Rumble,” Diamond said truthfully. ”Soo… shall we?”
”Yea,” Rumble said with his typical easy attitude. ”Let’s go.”
Diamond blushed slightly when Rumble took her hoof in his. Slowly the couple started to make their way to the town square. ”Hey, Diamond?” Rumble asked as they went. ”I… how long have you been… you know…”
”…Interested in you?” Diamond filled in for him, thankful that he broke the ice. Rumble nodded. ”A while, actually, but I guess I never had the courage to ask you out…” Diamond smiled uncertainly. ”But I really wanted to go to the ball this year.”
”Yea, me too,” Rumble said, eagerly jumping into a subject he could talk about. ”My brother have always said it’s great, but he has never let me go before.”
”My parents too,” Diamond said. ”They go every year, and never let me come with them.”
”But not this year,” Rumble said with a smirk.
”Count on it!” Diamond said. ”This is going to be great, I just know it!”
Diamond thought for a moment, and eventually decided to get the potentially dangerous element taken care of. She remembered her mother’s advice. Oh, and if you know any other pony who would interfere in your relationship with this colt, it might be a good idea to know his thoughts about it. Just be sure you are subtile when asking; don’t take his focus off yourself. A mare should never talk about other mares with her stallion.
But this was not the time for subtlety, Diamond felt. She knew Scootaloo was in love with Rumble, and after tonight everypony would know about who Rumble had been to the ball with. If Diamond wanted to keep both her budding friendship with Scootaloo as well as Rumble, then she would have to be honest with both parties. And, the practical side of her mind thought, her mother had a point. It was better to have all information on Rumble’s feelings for Scootaloo. Hopefully.
”Hey, Rumble… I really was kinda worried that somepony had already asked you, you know? I can’t the only pony who sees how cool you are,” Diamond said with a shy voice.
”That’s kind of you,” Rumble replied with a cute smile. ”But I’m glad nopony asked me. Then I wouldn’t get to go with you.”
Diamond felt her cheeks redden. ”Really? You wanted to go with me?” She could not keep the overjoyed tone away.
”I… well, I wouldn’t call you my crush, exactly, but if there was one pony I’d like to go with, then it was you.”
”T-thank you, Rumble,” Diamond mumbled. ”That really means a lot to me. I thought you… maybe would consider Scootaloo instead? I mean, she is a pegasus and all…” There, it had been said. Now she could only wait and see how Rumble reacted.
”No thank you,” Rumble said with a shrug. ”Look, don’t take it the wrong way, ’cause I know she is your friend, but she is not my type. She’s to foalish for my liking, to… immature.”
Diamond felt her heart both flutter with joy for herself and sting with sadness for her friend. Maybe it was a good thing Diamond asked Rumble out then? Maybe this was better than Scootaloo getting turned down?
”Here at last!” Rumble woke Diamond from her rumination with his excited voice. Diamond looked up.
The whole town square had been turned into a celebration. Tents stood around Town Hall offering various refreshments with the classical late summer vegetables and fruits. Small crafts booths also sold assorted seasonal items. Handcrafted garden tools, baskets for picking mushrooms, berries and nuts in the forest, marmalade, dried fruits and everything in between could be found tonight. In front of the round building was the actual ball with a clear space for dancing and music being provided by Octavia Melody, Ponyville’s resident musician. The whole area was surrounded by a ring of torches, creating an oasis of light and laughter in the otherwise dark evening.
”Come on! This looks like fun!” Diamond squeed and went into the ring of light with a spring in her step. Rumble followed her eagerly, and nearly went right into Button Mash, who apparently had foregone any formal attire. Instead he wore a red shirt and blue jeans with braces. Diamond had no clue what he was supposed to be. Rumble, however, seemed to know.
”Sorry, Mareio, but this is my princess. Yours is in another castle,” he said proudly.
”Aw, come on, haven’t you seen Sweetie Belle either? She’s been gone for like…fifteen minutes now.” Button Mash shook his head. ”I don’t get it…”
”Psst!” Diamond startled and snapped her head around. Beside her stood Pipsqueak in a suit at least four numbers too large. ”Heya, Diamond, uh, Apple Bloom wanned ta se ya over there for somethin’.” He pointed over to some barrels of cider at the outskirts of the festivities.
”Well, I’m not gonna leave Rumble after we just got here,” Diamond scoffed, annoyed that Apple Bloom even proposed that. Whatever it was she wanted could wait until tomorrow.
”She said that’s why Button Mash is there, ta keep him occupied,” Pipsqueak said, and Diamond could only agree that the plan seemed to work. Button was completely drowning out Rumble’s attempts to politely end the tirade of what Diamond understood was a detailed explanation as to how Button Mash had conquered the world in some video game.
”Okay, but it had better be quick,” Diamond scoffed and followed Pipsqueak back to the barrels. The tiny colt tripped on his sleeves three times during that short walk.
”Hey, Diamond Tiara,” a one part uncertain, one part angry, and many parts sad Scootaloo said when Diamond came around the barrels. Beside their friend stood the two other crusaders, both of them in beautiful dresses. Only Scootaloo had not bothered to wear anything. The flickering light from the torches made it hard, but Diamond thought that Scootaloo’s eyes looked puffy from crying.
”Scootaloo,” Diamond answered warily. She knew this moment would come eventually, but she had not expected it so soon. ”G-good to see you.”
Scootaloo shrugged. Apple Bloom went over to Pipsqueak and together they left.
The three were left in uncomfortable silence.
”Soo… did you want something?” Diamond asked.
”How could you?” Sweetie Belle asked. She pointed an accusing hoof at the earth pony. ”I thought you had changed, I really did! How can you do this to poor Scootaloo!? And don’t even try to say that you didn’t know!”
”It wasn’t to show her up!” Diamond replied with an angry glare. ”I really like Rumble, okay! Have you even thought about that? That maybe I just wanted to invite him because I think he is cute?”
”Yea!? You also like the very same colt as Scootaloo, of all those in class? Very likely!” Sweetie Belle retorted with a louder voice.
”Well sorry if I didn’t know that Scootaloo had dibs one very colt in school!” Diamond retaliated. She could understand Scootaloo being angry and sad at her, and Diamond would do what she could to comfort her, but not Sweetie Belle. Sweetie Belle had no right to berate her for what she had done, and she would not swallow insults from her.
”You really do?” Scootaloo asked with a thin voice that still managed to interrupt Sweetie Belle’s harsh reply. ”Do you really like him? For real?”
Diamond turned to Scootaloo, and felt her residue anger towards Sweetie Belle wash off her. The orange pegasus looked, in one word, pitiful. She was hardly more than a shadow of the normally so perky and optimistic foal. Her ears hung flat around her head, and her fuzzy tail laid nestled around her. She did not quite meet Diamond’s eyes either, but kept looking somewhere just in front of the earth pony’s right hoof.
”Yea, Scootaloo,” Diamond said, as soft as possible. ”I do. I have for a few months.”
”A-and…” Scootaloo hiccuped, ”And what about him? D-does he like you?”
I wouldn’t call you my crush, exactly, but if there was one pony I’d like to go with, then it was you. ”He does. I asked him.”
As gentle as she was able to, Diamond broke Scootaloo’s heart. The pegasus filly moaned lowly, clenched her eyes together and started shaking in barely restrained sobs. Sweetie Belle went up beside Scootaloo hugged the filly tentatively. Diamond stod and watched, uncertain of what she should do. Would Scootaloo even want comfort from her right now? Maybe it was better to let Scootaloo’s older friend console her? Diamond Tiara stood still.
”R-right,” Scootaloo said with a thick voice once she had calmed down a little. She gently pushed Sweetie Belle away, and looked up at Diamond for the first time in this conversation. Her eyes were still swollen and gleaming with tears, but they did not look sad anymore. They seemed to be on fire, and not because the torch reflected in them. ”T-then you go ahead now. Y-you make sure to love him enough for the both of us, o-okay?”
Diamond smiled gently and wiped a tear from Scootaloo’s face. ”I will. I promise. Still friends?”
”Still friends.” Even Scootaloo managed a small, wavering smile. Then she turned away slightly, and Diamond took it as her cue to leave. She backed out from behind the barrels, leaving her heartbroken friend in Sweetie Belle’s comforting company.
”I’m sorry, Scootaloo. You know that, right?” she said as she was about to leave.
”No! Don’t you dare be sorry!” Scootaloo said sharply. Her voice tore up again. ”Y-you shall be happy now; you got Rumble as your date, so you better be happy!” Scootaloo made a queer sound that was equal parts laughter and sob. ”Y-you be happy now. Promise me that.”
”I will,” Diamond said. She could not do more for Scootaloo tonight, other than to leave her in peace.
”There you are!” A relieved Rumble said once she got in sight. ”I’ve been looking all over for you. Where did you go?”
”Nothing,” Diamond said. Her face broke into a genuine smile. It would not be hard to keep her promises. ”Come on, let’s dance!”
”Oh, I…” Rumble put a hoof behind his head and smiled sheepishly. ”I’m not very good at dancing.”
”Don’t you worry, I can teach you!” Diamond said and swept her date with her towards the open space in the middle of the tent ring.
None of them saw the orange filly who spied after them from behind a couple of cider barrels. None of them saw the hoof she held out as if to grab the colt she loved.
None of them heard her sorrowful whimper when the colt was swept away by Diamond Tiara.
Author's Note
Okay, so let's straighten a few things out here. First of all, I like to think of the gender roles in Equestria as reversed to most of those in our world, since the ponies we all know and love lives in a matriarchy (and the gender ratio seem to be like... nine mares per stallion).
Also, you can't blame me for thinking the flower ponies would faint about this too; the faint about everything, I mean come on!
So, that being said, if you would consider telling me what you thought about my story, that would really mean the world to me. Nothing is as enjoyable to an author as to know that something they wrote was provoked a little bit of thought in the reader.
