School for the Intelligent, Talented, and Gifted

Apple Bloom stared at Spike who kept a straight face. Training with him was the hard part. Now, he was a great fighter and all, but he worried her. She wanted to go easy on him, but apparently he didn't want her to do so. As she started to fight hard like he wanted, she would see something in his eyes. AB would actually feel bad for hurting him, but her partner gave her a blank expression. She didn't understand. However, it was finally over as she was seen walking with her partner who seemed to be thinking about something.

AB stopped in front of the lockers and turned towards him. "You sure you okay?"

Spike ignored her and walked in the boy's restroom and slammed the door. Apple Bloom sighed. She didn't know what she was doing wrong. Dodging everypony else, she was finally in the girl's restroom, behind the door, panting. Her orange eyes saw Scootaloo washing her hooves, purple eyes looking in the mirror. Sweetie Belle was nowhere to be seen. Maybe she could talk to her about it. She was much more rational than her unicorn friend, and she would not rat a friend out no matter what.

"Hey Scoots," she greeted from behind.

"Hey AB," she greeted back, not taking her eyes from the mirror.

"Where's Sweetie Belle?"

"Getting ready for lunch," she answered as she moved her hooves from the sink, causing it to turn off on its own.

"Is anypony else in here?"

Scootaloo dried her hooves with an automatic dryer. "No. Why?"

The yellow filly sighed in relief. "I have to talk to you in private," she admitted, locking the door.

The orange pegasus levitated and placed her elbow on the sink. "What's up?"

She hesitated. "Well, it's about Spike."

"What about him?"

"It's... Well... He's a little weird."

"How?"

"Other than the fact that he doesn't eat, I tried training with him, and he didn't even make an expression. However, it may be some home problems he's dealing with."

Scootaloo raised her eyebrow in confusion. "What makes you say that?"

Apple Bloom lowered her head in shame and guilt. "I may have spied on his conversation with his older sister when Applejack left to find our classes," she admitted.

This caused her pegasus friend's eyebrows to raise up in shock. "You... What?"

"Look, ta more was said, ta more Ah listened alright? And it was quite sad..."

" You felt sympathy for somepony? Even after you told AJ that "filles don't have sympathy"?" She asked in AB's second voice,which is rough, a bit deep, comprehensible, British, yet clear and a bit southern. Sometimes her southern accent can block out her voice, but only for specific reasons. Scootaloo did a great impression, though.

She closed her eyes tightly. "Yes, even then."

"Well, what did you find?"

"Apparently he shuts everypony out cause of some complex situation only him and sister know. He doesn't go out, he seems to be ignoring everypony he knows, and his sister Twilight seems to do everything to help him anyway she can. I also sense that they don't have a father or a mother, or siblings."

Scoots eyebrows went down in sadness, biting her lip. Her wings surrounded in flames.

Bloom's eyes were filled with sadness as well. "What's wrong Scoots?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. Just... Nothing. You... You said he shuts everypony out?" Scoots asked, changing the subject.

Apple Bloom, not wanting to push it further, nodded. "Yeah. I don't know how, but..." She stopped when they heard a firm knock on the door. AB opened it and saw a filly with a pink cloak on. The hood was down, so her features was seen. She had light blue eyes, purple and white hair, pink skin, and her expression was a bit annoyed.

"Oh. Sorry we locked the door."

The filly smirked. "It's alright," she said, walking to the stalls and closing the door.

AB and Scoots walked out and closed the door.

They were seen by the lockers, apparently waiting for Sweetie Belle to hurry. It shouldn't take her this long to get her lunch. Then again, as rich as her family is, it may take a long time to get to the "fancy place" and back. Not like hours long, but long. Spike came from the boy's restroom the same time the young filly came from the girl's restroom. She saw them and walked towards them.

"My name is Diomand Tiara by the way," she says.

"I'm ganna call you DT for short. My name is Scootaloo."

"Apple Bloom."

A locker cracked, causing the three filles to turn around. Spike walked swiftly on the ground, not paying attention to them. Once he was out of sight, the locker was fixed once again. 'Like the window,' AB thought. Diomand Tiara turned towards them.

"Do you know him? Is he okay?"

"We know him. His name is Spike, and I don't think so DT. I don't really know what's going through his mind right now, but he's depressed alright."

AB remained silent.

"Should we confront him?"

AB shook her head.

"Should I confront him?"

"You don't even know him," Apple Bloom said.

"I could get him to open up, though."

Scoots smirked playfully. "Alright, but don't end up like Sweetie Belle, alright?"

"Who?"

"Our other friend. You'll see her when she comes back for lunch."

DT nodded. AB sighed. "Fine. Do it."

She smiled, walking in the same direction Spike. The filly was about to address him until he stopped in, causing her to do the same.

"Who are you and what do you want?"

"Diomand Tiara. Are you okay?"

"Why do you want to know?" he snapped.

DT flinched. "I... I just want to make you feel better..."

"You don't even know me."

"Well, your friends are..."

"Friends? What friends? Those three filles? I already know their deal. They'll care for me, have concern for me. But once they figure out what's wrong with me, they'll turn their backs on me. Just like everypony else. It's just life."

Diomand gasped. "I know I just met them, but I know they'll never do that!" She didn't mean to yell at him. She just couldn't picture anypony doing something like that.

"Well, your wrong. Just accept it. That's what I have to do," he said, walking away from her, causing DT to narrow her eyes.
"Oh no, your not leaving me with that!" she exclaims as she starts to gallop after him.

Spike stopped and looked over his shoulder, causing her to stoop at her tracks. "Stop following me you freak!"

DT bit her lip, eyes glowing green. A laser was sent his way, causing him to levitate. The laser had went onto the floor, which didn't get destroyed, which was confusing. "Sorry, sorry. Th... That was an accident. Just... gotten triggered there," she laughed.

"Whatever," he spat, walking away. Although she was hurt being called a freak because of... past experiences... she still wanted to cheer him up. "Hey wait!" she yelled, catching up with him.

"Please, I just want to talk to you!"

Spike levitated once more, this time higher. He flied faster than Diomand Tiara has ever seen. However, that wasn't going to stop her. She flied up in the air as she started to follow him. Through flight.

"Leave me alone!"
"Not until you cheer up!"

Spike growled at her, magically throwing objects at her, who destroyed them with her lasers.

"No!!!! Don't destroy the objects in the school!!!!!" AB yelled as she and Scoots were running, trying to catch up with them. Scoots would fly, buy unlike Spike and Diomand Tiara, she could only levitate. Of course, the objects that were destroyed were rebuilt. Like the windows and the locker. Strange.

DT flied faster towards him. "Please, just let me help you!" Spike, looking over his shoulder and saw this, causing his eyes to glow. "LEAVE. ME. ALONE!"

A shield was thrown into DT's direction. She was going to use her lasers to destroy it, but she was to late. The shield collapsed on her, causing her to let out a glass breaking scream.

"DIOMAND TIARA!"
"DT!"
They both galloped towards her, making sure she was okay.

Spike floated there in guilt in realization. He... He didn't mean to harm her... did he? No! No of course not! But he did. He lowered his head."I'm... I'm sorry," he said in a whisper, floating away.

"Wait!" Diomand yelled, trying to raise to her hooves.
"What are you doing!?"
Her hoof was consumed in green energy. "Talking to Spike!" And just like that, she was gone.

Diomand Tiara was outside with a lighting flash. Nopony was seen out here. "Spike?"

She then teleported with her lighting powers. She was soon in an empty classroom. "Spike!?" Her "senses" tell her that he wasn't here. She was then seen in the closet. "SPIKE!!!!!?"

She sighed and slumped her back on the wall, her mind in thought.

"Go... away..."
"Spike..."
"Get away from me..."
"Spike just let me..." She paused at the sound crying.

"Are you... crying?"
No response. Only crying.
"Spike please, just let me talk to you."
"What good would that do hu? Nothing."
DT sighed. "It's better than running from your problems."
Spike was shocked at her words, but try to not come off as shocked as he truly was."I don't run away from my problems. "
"Yes you do. You just flied at a maximum speed... just to avoid me."

Spike's eyes sparkled in amazement and sadness. "How do you do it?" he asked quietly, knowing she would still hear him.

"Do what?"

"Despite my rage, I called you a freak which you said triggered you, but you laughed it off and was still determined into talking to me." He finally looked up to her. "How do you do if Diomand Tiara? How do you enjoy life?"

"Spike... I know you didn't mean what you said..."

"But I still said it..."

She sighed. "Look, what you may be going through is tough, but know that everything in this world happens for a reason. And forgetting the pain of somepony betraying you is hard. But you can't let things ruine your ways of living. I may not get through to you today, but when i do, this conversation will be brought back. I know it."

Spike stood in awe. "Th... Thanks..."

"And another thing. Don't be ashamed of who you are."

Spike's eyes widened. "I'm... I'm not..."

" Your hood, Spike."

"What... What are you talking about....?"

"With that hood on your head, your hiding from the outside world."

"But... When you see me..."

DT had her pink hooves on his hood, causing him to cry even more. "Please... don't..."
Diomand pulled the hood off, revealing a purple dragon with green spikes, emerald, hazel like eyes, and a red scar across his right eye.

"Your... your a..."

"What? Ganna make fun of me? Reject me? Blast me? Kill me?! Do it! I don't deserve this life! I never did!"

She stood in shook. She didn't know what to say. "I..."

"Do it! Don't even hesitate to do it Diomand Tiara! I know you want to!"

"I... I don't want to..."

"Your... your lying..."

"I'm not."

Spike grabbed tightly on Diomand's arm. "YOUR LYING!"

She tried getting out of his hold, but his grip was too tight. "Spike... I'm not lying to you... I won't hurt you..."

"LIAR!"

"But... I swear to you... I won't..."

"Do you think you were the first person to tell me that? The first person to tell me that was close to me. He was family. But he betrayed me... even after he promised that he wouldn't no matter what. The only person I trust is my sister Twilight! She was the only person in this world that loved, cared,and stayed by me this whole time I was alive! At birth, when she noticed my dangerous powers, when we had to leave Canterlot because of it! She still treated me like I was a regular person! She still tried her best, she still cared for me, she still protected me when nopony else did! NOPONY!"

DT saw the rage in her eyes. She didn't know how to calm Spike down without hurting him. She could only ask him. "Spike, can you please calm down...?"

Spike turned towards her angrily. "DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!"

She felt tears burning her eyes. "YOU NEED TO!"

"CAN YOU JUST SHUT UP!?!?!"
She stood there hurt, causing Spike to soften his look. "I... I didn't mean... I just..."

"Spike, please stop."

"Alone," he said out of nowhere.

"What?"

"Are you alone?"

"Yes."

"Sorry."

"It's fine."

"Do you still like me?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever had a friend before?"

"Are you my friend?"

"...Yes..."

"Yes."

He sat on the ground. "Does things ever get easier for you?"

She sat on her hunches. "No."

"No."

"Do you like the sound of silence?"

"Best sound I could ever hear."

"Sometimes it frightens me."

"How?"

"Knowing that nopony is ever there."

Silence.

"Favorite type of music?"

"Rock."

"Mines too. Favorite animal?"

"I like bears."

"I'm more into cats."

AB, Sweetie, and Scoots was seen by the table. Sweetie Belle had finally came to lunch and just in time too. AB was going to look for the two, but the teacher said go to the cafeteria. She was going to disobey, but her voice was so confusingly strict. And not the, " mother angry at her filly because he accidentally broke something," it was more of a "demon not destroying the right universe and scolding his minions for it" strict. She tried taking her mind off of it though.

Sweetie Belle did get a fancy lunch though.

Diomand was then teleported by them. "Nice to meet you!" squeaked SB. "I have to tell you guys something in private..."

"But we can't leave the cafeteria."

Diomand gave her a mischievous, yet playful smirk. "Who said anything about leaving?"

They were then behind a corner filled with loads of space and nopony was near them.

Scoots smirked. "DT, I like you even more."

She laughed. "Thanks. Now, this is about Spike."

Bloom sprinted up. "What about him?"

"He's no pony. He's a... dragon..."

The CMC were silent.

"What?" squeaked Sweetie Belle after silence.