A Diamond in the Roughby Amethyst_DawnChaptersA Diamond in the RoughWill it Always be this Tough?One More Try Should be EnoughA Diamond in the RoughTick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock, tick... That stupid clock on the wall just clicks over and over again, the hands restlessly inching closer to each other. The main event of this year’s Sunset Festival- the Sunset Concert -is supposed to start any second now, but so far you’re the only one here. Even the band is absent from the stage. You suppose everypony else is still hanging about the Elements and their friends, and as much as that bugs you, you can’t blame them: it’s not every day that every single Princess and heroine of Equestria stops by a small town in the middle of nowhere. Oh yeah, and Discord was out there, too. You couldn’t help but notice that despite his ego, he doesn’t seem to like crowds gathering around him just for admiration. Might just remind him of his time in stone, or he’s been hanging out with the Element of Kindness too much. Butterscotch, or something. You don’t really keep up with their names. Ponies often ask you how you could care so little about Equestria’s greatest heroes, and while you don’t really know for sure, you suppose the main reason for that is because of how they treated Starlight Glimmer. After all she’d done, after how many she hurt, they just forgave her as if they were the only ones who suffered from her actions. Yes, yes, you forgave her too, along with the rest of Our Town. But, it’s going to take a lot more than an apology to let you trust her again. Not that she cares about your trust. Not that she even remembers your name, or how much she stole from you. It starts to boil your blood again as you think of it. All she stole like a thief in plain sight with that blasted magic of hers: she took your talent, your Cutie Mark, your identity, your hometown… him. And even though the others might seem more severe, it’s the last theft that really makes you see nothing but red. The day it all began was the day you had sworn to tell him, to confront him, to do something about your feelings once he came down from those slopes. But, when he did return... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Six Years Ago -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- “Anon! Anon!” Brushing your mane out of your face, you look up to see the object of your affections running straight for you, a broad smile on his face. Despite that this is what you’ve always dreamed of, something seems off. You pick up on it as soon as he stops in front of you, it was that smile. That smile was bad news, and it was being broadcast at the strongest signal possible. Looking closer, you also see that his normal white coat and mane have become dimmer, as if he gathered dust that sunk into his fur. But his coat was still clean, and it’s obvious to you that he is under some form of manipulation. Whether it was mental or magical, you can’t tell. He also seems oblivious to your concerns, as he gestures to his left with an extravagant wave of his forehoof. “You won’t believe the magnificence of the mare I just met!” He babbles, immediately setting your nerves on edge. “Her name is… Starlight?” His smile wavers for only a second when he notices the lack of a pony by his side, but you hardly notice. You’re frozen stiff once you tilt your head, and catch sight of the mare heading your way. Her mane bobbed in a style that stood out, yet felt modest and conforming at the same time. Her eyes twinkled with a mischievous light, and her mouth was curved in a grin that could only be described as an impossible mix of evil, smug, and caring. You didn’t need to look twice to believe this was the witch responsible for whatever happened to Double Diamond, as the bizarre staff she carried in her aura had his Cutie Mark snared within its grasp. Curiously, you tilt your head to look at your friend’s flank, but to check on his Mark this time. And you are horrified to find it replaced with a plain, grey, equal sign. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Present Day -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- He had… changed so much that day. In the space of one afternoon, his personality and mind had been molded from one of the laid-back athlete to one similar to that salesmare for that one insurance company. Possessive, or something. From then on: his face was plastered with that creepy smile, and he was babbling on about nothing but acceptance, equality, and the immeasurable wisdom of the mare he had met. Then, he introduced her: Starlight Steal-your-Life Glimmer, to the town. Ranting as if she was the greatest pony in the world. And the way he looked at her… it hurt you. You could tell he was under some sort of spell, but there was a sincere admiration under there. The one kind of look you wished he would give you after that day, and there he was, so focused on her that he didn’t even see the world around him. You weren’t a mare most would call ‘sappy’, but your heart was broken by that look. In the end, you had joined her cult as well after watching the rest of your town give in one by one. Maybe for survival, maybe as another chance to get closer to him, you still can’t tell. But you could tell that he never left her side unless she was in her home, and even then he sat by her porch as if he was some hound: constantly smiling like a possessed clown. You can’t help but send a thankful prayer to whatever is out there that those days are over now, and that you’ve gained the strength to accept that he might never be yours. And you… might never be his. You’re stirred from your melancholy thoughts when a bright flash draws your attention to the figure now sitting on the opposite side of the row of chairs you’ve chosen, and it takes you barely a second to recognize the serpentine form, and the clashing antlers. He doesn’t notice you yet, as his weird yellow eyes are glued to the door. Smirking, you decide to have some fun with him. “Sorry, bub.” You grunt, barely holding back a mischievous giggle as the Draconequus jumps straight into the air and stares at you with eyes like dinner plates. “I think the band is still distracted by the celebrities.” Discord groans, and scrapes the ranch dressing off of his eyes with a small brush he pulled from… somewhere. “Must you always sneak up on ponies, Anon?” You quirk your brow as your smile drops. “You actually remember me?” You inquire curiously. Despite the calm tone of your question, you are genuinely surprised. It’s not often a mare like you gets recognized by anypony after a full year. Then again, you suppose it’s not often that a mare like you can manage to sneak up on the lord of chaos, twice. He slowly reclines in midair with that smug grin of his. “Believe me, I’m just as surprised as you.” Your smirk returns as you wink at him. “I can tell, you jumped high enough.” His grin wavers for just a second, but still long enough for you to catch before his smile shows teeth, and he gently pushes on your snout with a talon. “Believe me, if the first thing anypony saw when they teleport into a room is that mug, they’d jump even higher.” Remembering last year’s game, you bat your lashes at him playfully. “If that’s how ponies react to beauty, they’d bury their head in the sand when they saw you.” He lazily examined his claw for dust, and brushed it on his chest. “It’s only natural for ponies to kneel before a god, and jump from a snake.” Your eye twitches, and you feel a giggle try to jump from your throat. ‘No!’ You scream inwardly, ‘I can’t let him get the upper hand this time!’ “That’s only because they’d rather stare at dirt than have to look at you.” “I guess that explains why you’re so well-known in this town, then.” Finally, that last one got you to start snickering. “Alright, alright, fine! You win!” He’s obviously proud of himself as he is instantly showered with confetti, and summons a golden medal with a bright #1 on it. “Naturally, my dear.” He purrs, bowing slightly as he glances back to you. “Though, I must admit, it’s hard to find someone with a wit like yours around here.” You feel a sudden weight on your neck as a white flash shoots from your chest, and look down to see a plastic medal with sloppy silver paint, bearing the inscription “An Attempt Was Made”. “Although I confess that I’m curious about one thing,” Discord states, twirling in the air like a ribbon before settling in the seat next to you. “Forgive me if I sound sexist, but how does a mare learn to trade lines like that with the best of them, and remain in good humor?” You shrug your shoulders. “I dunno, I guess I never cared enough to be bothered by ‘em.” He takes a turn at shrugging, and glances back to the door with a slight worriedness as the sound of hurried hooves rushes close, and then passes the door completely. You open your mouth to ask him what he’s running from, but he cuts you off without even turning around. “So, what were you moping about?” You just sit there in stunned silence, and made an attempt to clean your ear with a hoof. Was that actual sentiment in his voice? “What do you mean?” You ask, brain trying to comprehend the lord of chaos actually showing concern for a pony. He glances back at you with a rather unamused expression. “Trust me, you can’t spend every tuesday with the Element of Kindness and not pick up on a few signals that ponies are being bothered by something.” He says with a roll of his eyes. “And Fluttershy insisted that I need to practice my compassion and empathy, so forgive me if I see an opportunity here.” Once you get over your confusion, and see that he’s actually sincere, you decide that you haven’t run out of ways to mess with him: and you slowly make yourself tear up. After a solid minute of buildup and scheming, you throw your hooves around his stomach while bawling your eyes out as overdramatically and ridiculously as possible. It obviously takes him by surprise as he tenses up immediately, and you can tell he’s extremely uncomfortable. You’re actually a little confused that he’s buying this. Seeing your chance to go for the kill, you look up at him with the saddest eyes you can manage, and scream: “I think I’m in love with you!” And, just as planned, his face goes from confused to horrified, and he turns red as a beet. Eyes once again wide as dinner plates- but lacking any sauce this time -he lifts his talon with a feeble “Nope,” and teleports out of the auditorium with a snap. It barely takes a second before you’re doubling over with maniacal laughter, actually crying from the hilarious mental image of Discord scampering away from the building like he’d just seen a ghost, alternating between red as a beet and white as a sheet. After your laughing fit draws to an end, you find yourself thinking back again, to long before Starlight ever came to Our Town. In fact, back before it was even known as Our Town, and you had only lived here for a round a day… -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Ten Years Ago -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- “Yo, hots, you new here?” You grunt as you set the last box onto the porch, and turn to glare at the approaching idiot. Sportscolt in appearance, white coat, blue eyes. Kind of cute for a jock, and seems innocent enough, but his greeting was just unacceptable. With practiced ease, you shoot him a glare. “What did you just call me?” Your expression of disgust barely seems to register as he struts right up to you, and gives you a friendly pat on the back as he gestures out to the… twelve other houses with his other forehoof. You would have protested this invasion of your personal space, but he was obviously an idiot anyways, and in all probability wasn’t trying to make any advances. “Welcome to Flintlocke!” he declared with grandeur, pride ringing in his laid-back tone. He slowly stepped back until he was face-to-face with you again with surprising grace, and stayed at a respectful distance at this point as he gave you a lazy grin. “We don’t usually get new ponies moving in here, so you might want to expect us locals to be a bit of an annoyance at first.” He leaned only slightly closer as he held a hoof beside his mouth and whispered. “Especially ignore my mother, she’s been trying to matchmake for everyone, and she might consider you fresh fuel for the local colts.” In the meantime, you find yourself simply staring at the good-natured moron. Neighborly fellow, to be sure, especially for a colt his age. Based on the appearance, you’d guess him to be not much older than you: perhaps seventeen or so. Most colts his age are complete dolts when it comes to being decent, but he seemed to only have a normal amount of ditz expected of stallions. With a sincere smile- something you haven’t managed in a while -you extend your hoof with a nod. “I’ll keep that in mind, thanks.” He keeps his leisurely grin, and shakes your hoof with a firm grip that somehow remained gentle. “I’m Double Diamond, local skiing expert, and currently the only teenager in the village.” You feel your smile grow a bit, and you feel your mischievous side spark. “Nice to meet you, Diamond Diamond. My name is Anon: the new teenager in town.” You stop when you see him frown slightly, and then smirk as he lets out a laugh. “Ha! I see what you did there, Miss. Tell you what, I’ll make it easy on you: call me Deedee. Most ponies do anyways.” “Very well,” you giggle, “Deedee.” -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Present Day -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- You feel yourself growing sad again at the memory, but at least being able to prank the lord of chaos made the sting a little less this time. One last small tear tickles your cheek as you stand up off the floor, and get back onto your seat. You can’t help but wonder why your brain is so focused on him, today of all days. The notice that the band has started to make their way onto the stage from the back, and are beginning to set up their instruments. At least some lighthearted music would cheer you up, or at least keep you from slipping into depression again. The band starts up once ponies start coming in, and you feel your expectations shatter as they begin the first song, and a grey mare steps forward with her cello. I comb the crowd But I can’t see your face out there, no I’m playing now Won’t wait on love. I’m paralyzed By all these whispers in my brain, yeah... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Two Hours Later -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The rest of the first day of the festival turns into a blur as you slump back to your house, feeling like crud. You did try to find Double, but never could locate him amongst the sudden influx of attendees. You thought you found him once, but it turned out to be an insecure changeling. Mothball or something. Go figure. You were just about to open your door when you feel a hoof tap on your shoulder. You turn around to glare at the pony, but your stare melts into mild surprise as you see the Princesses Luna, Celestia, and Cadence smiling back at you. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t at least a little intimidated, but you were also a little tipsy from the punch, so the effect was less than it would have been. Which is saying something. Cadence- being the one who tapped you on the shoulder -cleared her throat. “It’s- uh… I’m a little embarrassed for not checking with you earlier,” she admits with a sheepish smile, “but can we stay here tonight? Aunt Celly was in charge of making reservations, but she muffed it.” You glance calmly up to Celestia, who gives her niece a playful pout. “I was sidetracked, dear Cadence, and nopony bothered to remind me.” “And this time the diversion was beyond understandable, as that cake caught even our attention.” Luna laughed, holding a hoof to her mouth. You choose to study them for a few moments, processing your answer. You know it will inevitably be yes, you’re just preparing yourself for the fact that your sovereign rulers are asking you for room for the night. Silently, you open the door, and gesture in as you step aside. They each beam at you as they walk in, and give you thanks in turn. “I’m afraid I only have the one extra bed in the guest room,” you inform them, your tone a bit more apologetic than you intended, “but mine should be large enough if one of you doesn’t mind bunking with me.” “Any accommodations are suitable enough for us,” Luna states with a smile, “which way to the guest room?” “Up the stairs, door straight ahead.” She nods to you in thanks before escorting her sister up the stairs, and you turn into the kitchen to grab one last drink before you head to bed. After retrieving four sodas from the fridge, intending to give the rulers one each, you notice that Cadence followed you in. Her horn is glowing slightly, and you feel a little warm. A slightly awkward silence passes as you just give her your deadpan stare, and wait for her to open her eyes. After around a minute, her eyes slide open, and she gives you a determined look. “We need to Talk...” Author's Note Here it is! The first part of my much-hyped third installment of 2nd-Person romances, and the first time I tried doing this from a female point of view, though I suppose Rarity, POW did offer some practice. Unlike the last two installments, it might be a little while before I put out the next half for two reasons: A) This one took more work- but no less heart -than the last two. B) It's been getting harder to work with Bucky without having her freeze all the time. (And for those unfamiliar with my blog, Bucky is the name of the computer I use. Because she freezes a lot... MCU reference...?) I'm hoping to ask my mom if we can get my computer fixed sometime soon, but I'm that type of imbecile who likes to wait until the right moment. And you guys know what my life is like... there's almost never a "right moment". Special thanks to Galaxina the Unicorn for prereading this for me. Seriously, go check out her stuff, she's amazing. As always: please feel free to notify me of any mistakes, inconsistencies, typos, etc. Until Next Time, God Bless You! ~Amethyst Dawn. Will it Always be this Tough?It doesn’t take you long to find yourself seated on your favourite velvet fanback as Princess Cadence silently stares at you from your couch, the furniture having been adjusted so that you could speak face-to-face without needing to share the same piece. Plus, her lankier size tended to require an entire couch, but you wouldn’t say that out loud. She continues to stare at you in silence, the small Fizz~N~Fluff soda you offered her held gingerly in her hoof, still unopened. Her wings shuffle slightly at her side as if uncomfortable, but you get the impression that might just be a tick of hers while she thinks. Several more minutes of uncomfortable silence pass. “So…” You drone, lifting your hoof to roll it in midair. “I don’t mean to be rude, your--” “Cadence, please.” She cuts you off briefly, before gesturing for you to continue. Slightly irked, you decide to play with her a bit. “I don’t mean to be rude, Your Cadence, but exactly what do we need to talk about?” She gives a slight frown at your joke, but her face brightens a bit once you ask, and she immediately relaxes. “You’re in love,” Silence again as Cadence gives you an expectant look. You blink in confusion. She frowns once more. “What?” She asks, confused. You give her a blank stare. “No shit, Cadence.” You say with a quiet snort. Normally, you’d be hesitant about mouthing off to a Princess, but that observation hit a rather tender nerve. And unfortunately for your patience, she seems to be befuddled by your little fit, if the raised eyebrow and tilted head mean anything. Another minute of silence, and you decide to start counting her blinks. Blink. Blink. “You... know?” You roll your eyes. “Yes, yes I do. How is that a surprise?” Blink. Blink. Blink. “I just… your heart says you’ve held these emotions for years with no resolution.” “Then can you tell it to shut up?” Blink. Is she gonna? Is she gonna? Yep, Blink. “Does he know?” She asks, before her eyes widen. Blink. “Is it a he?” Your hoof finds a very comfortable home on the bridge of your nose. “No, no HE doesn’t. And if he does, he became a total jerk over the years.” Blink. Ooh! A double blink! High score! “Why doesn’t he know?” You open your eyes into narrow slits, your bitterness starts to boil as old emotions well up yet again. “Why doesn’t he know?” You repeat, your tone harsh. “Because his eyes are glued to your sister’s student, that’s why!” In a huff, you close your eyes and slam your forehoof onto the cushion beneath you, and you feel like your heart has been torn open all over again. “I passed hints like crazy, I flirted in every way I knew, but he still wouldn’t look past her! Even after he discovered she was just using him, he still forgave her like it was nothing!” You rise to all four hooves as you start to rant, and your interrogator’s pupils shrink. “You want to know why he doesn’t know? Because I gave up on him! I still love him like no one else ever could, but I gave up trying to get him to realize that long ago! It’s been two months since I even spoke to him, and he lives right down the freaking street from me… and there’s only the one street it this stupid town!” Cadence finally opens her soda as you feel tears welling up in your eyes, and takes a calm sip as your volume increases. “I only stay in this town because all my friends are here! I literally have no other friends outside of this Celestia-forsaken dustbowl, unless you count that idiot Discord! I want to leave!” You punctuate that last statement with another stomp of your hoof, and by now you’re practically screaming as you feel your throat start to hurt, and your voice becomes raspy and choked. Spent, you fall back onto your haunches, and sob quietly as you hiccup through your words. “I want to leave... I want leave because every *hic* time I step outside of my *hic* door he’s going to be the first pony I notice... because each time I turn a *hic* corner I dread that *hic* I’ll bump into him… because talking to him never gets any *hic* easier… and because... I see him every day, and it feels like my heart is being *hic* thrown in a blender of emotions I *hic* don’t *hic* want.” You feel a warm hoof wrap around your side, and look up through blurry eyes to see Cadence embracing you. With no strength left to hold the tears back, you throw your forehooves around her in a return, and start bawling. You pride yourself on not being a cryer, but you feel like you’ve wanted to say these words for years. Now, it’s like an anvil has been taken off your heart. Tears trickle down your cheeks in a steady stream as you hug her tighter, and she starts to stroke your mane. “There, there.” She coos: her motherly tone a much-needed comfort. “It’s alright, let it all out.” The two of you stay that way for what seems like minutes, but was probably closer to an hour. You start to feel more peaceful than you ever remember as you let go of the Princess, and wipe your eyes with the back of your hoof. You can clearly see the mussed-up area on her shoulder where your tears have made her coat stick in odd shapes, and you laugh sheepishly as you retrieve a towel for her. “H-here you go,” you stammer, still shivering slightly. She accepts the cloth, and calmly dries her shoulder as she continues to give you a comforting smile. “You know, Starlight Glimmer is actually a friend of mine.” Cadence affirms, taking another sip of her drink. “If it’s any consolation, her heart’s for someone else. A poet of some sort, I believe. It won’t be like stealing from another mare if you move now.” You open your mouth to protest that that wasn’t the reason you were hesitant, but decide to shut it just as quickly once you start to think. Is that the reason you’ve given up? Because it would feel like stealing? You were a smartass, yes, but no coltfriend-grabbing-- well… You look back up to Cadence. “What if he’s still after her?” Cadence taps her chin as her smile fades into a thoughtful line, and she looks out the corners of her eyes. “Who is he? I can check tomorrow, without invading too much privacy.” “Double Diamond,” you state boldly. You’re surprised when the Princess’ pupils shrink, and rotate back to look you in the eye. Her silence suddenly makes you uncomfortable as she just stares at you. “What?” “I see…” she almost purrs, her blank face transforming into something more… knowing as she tilts her head upwards slightly, and holds her eyelids at half mast as one of her eyebrows stretches upwards. “Seriously, what’s happening?” You ask again, not sure whether you should run and hide or pursue the subject out of curiosity. Cadence titters quietly, and takes her soda as she retreats. “Oh, nothing~” She sing-songs, trotting into the hallway. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The Next Morning -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- You practically chug your coffee as you desperately try to erase the massive migraine thundering through your head, instantly regretting drinking a caffiene-free soda after… however many glasses of the spiked punch you’d ingested. You would try harder to remember the number, but your head says that now’s not the time. And it says so in a very painful manner. “Outside of having a baby now, that’s one reason I quit alcohol.” Cadence chirps from behind you, before going back to watching as Celestia playfully flips a pancake into the air in tune with whatever she’s humming. You open your mouth to retort, but shut it as you watch your Princess skillfully juggle pancakes in your kitchen like a common cook. At the sight, you once again find it partially annoying that once you offered breakfast, Celestia insisted- no -pleaded that you let her cook it. If more ponies were like these three, you might open a boarding house. You’re interrupted from your thoughts once the bathroom door opens, and a cloud of steam billows out at the same time as Princess Luna. “I’m afraid I may have used more of the hot water than I intended, Anon.” She admits, her face a little ashamed. You wave a hoof dismissively at her. “Eh, that’s alright. I think a cold shower might do me more good than a hot one.” She smiles thankfully, though it’s clear she thinks you’re just being polite. You don’t push the matter further, as you’ve had enough experience in where that conversation would lead. Kind of funny, as you were actually being sincere this time. Damn hangovers. As you walk towards the bathroom, Celestia pipes up: “Breakfast should be ready by the time you’re out, Anon!” You offer a quick thanks before ducking inside, and shutting the door with a near slam. Exhaling a tired sigh, you trot to the shower and turn it to ‘Hot’, at least attempting to salvage some warmth. You reach into the stream for a quick temperature test, and are pleasantly surprised to find it neither too cold, nor uncomfortably warm. Just perfect for what you need. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Half an Hour Later -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- After a refreshing shower and a delicious breakfast, you and your houseguests decide to separate for the day. They went to the festival games, you made your way to the punch. You plan on going for the non-spiked barrel this time. Halfway there, you spot a familiar serpentine shape near the lemonade, and cheer up a little bit as you approach the Draconequus from behind. “Hello!” You call, a little louder than you meant. Thankfully, only a couple ponies turned their heads. Discord lazily turned to look at you, and offered an expression mixed somewhere between a polite smile and a death glare. “I suppose you think that was a terribly clever prank yesterday, hmm?” He hums, giving you a small pang of guilt as you remember what he had said about practicing empathy. “Sorry,” you chuckle, “I just saw an opportunity, and I took it.” His smile grows a little more mischievous, and he snickers gleefully. “Whatever do you have to be sorry for? Nopony has ever caught me off-guard before!” He paused to think. “Unless you count that time Fluttershy started shouting at the ponies attending her ‘Find-a-Pet’ event, but that was another universe that Amethyst might get in trouble for referencing…” “What?” “Nevermind, lemonade?” You’d be lying if you said you weren’t a little bit relieved that your friend was still able to confuse you: at least he’s consistently inconsistent. You grab the lemonade with a thank-you, and prepare for a conversation with-- “Sorry to interrupt, but can I talk to you for a second?” ‘No.’ You scream at yourself as you cringe, refusing to turn around. ‘No, no no no, N-O NO! Not here! Why was he here? What could possibly bring him to the only beverage table at the town’s festivities in the middle of this warm summer morning?’ ‘Wait…’ With a gulp, you look over to the pony on your left, forcing a smile onto your face as you feel tears welling up. “Diamond?” Author's Note Cliffhanger! I'm only a little sorry! As you can probably guess, yes: this is going to be a three-parter. Writing from a female perspective is a lot harder than I thought, yet not as difficult as I expected at the same time. Does that make sense? I think that makes sense. Anywho, I'm going to try my best to wrap this up in a believable manner, so please bear with me if this takes a while. This chapter alone went through more edits than I'm used to! Until Next Time, God Bless You! ~Amethyst Dawn. One More Try Should be EnoughSo here you are, talking to the god of chaos when the stallion who captured your heart and locked it away comes up from behind you and asks to talk with you. Your mind can’t help but wonder how many mares have said that over the years. Regardless, it’s happening. And you can’t figure out how or why for the life of you, but you strongly suspect Candace-- err, Cadence has something to do with it. If she put him up to this against his will, you swear that you’re going to kill her. “Sure,” you shrug, withholding your emotions from presenting themselves on your face. “What’s up?” Diamond hesitates for a moment, and he looks unsure of what he’s about to say before he finally presses forward. “Have you been avoiding me?” Damn, you’d almost forgotten how little this dolt beats around the bat. In spite of your shock, you find yourself chuckling. “C-come again?” His eyes narrow, and he leans his head closer to you. “I’ve been trying to start up a conversation with you for the past… forever, and yet whenever I see you, you’re heading in the opposite direction.” He states bluntly. “Is it too much to ask why? I can’t place my hoof on it, but I get the feeling that you don’t want to hang out with me anymore.” Oh, how wrong he was. By now, you’d give anything just to go back to a time when it was possible for him to return your feelings, and your heart didn’t ache just at the mere sight of him. You’d trade your Cutie Mark to be back in those days when your friendship was magic. “Well,” Discord chirped suddenly with a clap of his paw and claw, his body slowly walking away to the left as his neck stretched to keep his head in place. “I can see this is going to be too awkward even for me to stand and watch, so I’ll just excuse myself and go find a parsnip to prune, or something. Toodles!” With a rubbery snap, his head retreated to his body as he strolled off. Perfect, just when you were about to look to him for some sort of help. Then again, asking him for help with anything is probably a stupid idea anyways, he’d probably sing a song about provolone cheese on pumpernickel and the letter Q. Reluctantly, you return your attention to Diamond, and he seems set on getting an answer. Well, you suppose it’s time to give him one he likely won’t forget. Strengthening your resolve: you swiftly manage to give him a quick yet firm peck on the lips, turn around, and book it before he has any idea what hit him. Your face feels like it’s being pumped full of magma, but you pray to whoever’s listening that he’ll get the message. Though, in hindsight, how could he not? At the speed you’re going, it barely takes you thirty seconds to retreat into your own home from the field. And by the time you shut the door behind you, your body is threatening to break down crying, but you manage to calm yourself down as you head to the fridge. You hope that you have something stronger than Fizz~n~Fluff to drink, but as soon as you open the icebox, you hear your front door open again. ‘Lovely…’ “Hello?” You call, making sure you’re only loud enough to be heard by the intruder. Finding nothing alcoholic, you pull out your last Fizz~n~Fluff, and turn to look at who entered. Your nerves are instantly rested once you see Cadence holding a small filly in her forearm, smiling sheepishly at you. “Flurry here wanted to stay with me for today, and possibly into the night. Would that be a bother?” Your gaze is fixed at the toddler, and feel your heart warm. The sight of the child brings up a rather cherished memory. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Six Years Ago -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- “If you ever had a foal, what would you name them?” Your neck nearly snaps at the speed you turn it as your eyes pop open, and your face grows hot as you stare in disbelief at Diamond. He continues to stare into the mountains from his spot on the picnic blanket, completely oblivious to the surge of confusion and battling emotions going on in your head. Heart racing, you take a deep breath, and calm yourself enough to consider an answer. “I’m not really sure,” you admit. “I suppose it would depend on the coloration, but I always liked to think my kid would have a sort of… silver coloring?” You glance at his face with a hopeful smile for a minute, praying he got the hint... ... Nope. Idiot. You give an annoyed sigh. “Silver Streak was one that I’ve planned on.” “One?” He chuckles, finally looking your direction with that stupid smile of his. “Sheesh, how many foals would you want?” Face, meet fire. Fire, face. You’re really resisting smacking him right now, if only because he’s an imbecile. Once again, you wonder why your heart attached itself to this doofus, until the next thing he said reminds you. “Though for a mare like yourself, I suppose as many as someone can give you.” Yup, he’s an idiot. But, for the foreseeable future, he’s your idiot. You remember that he’s going into the slopes to ski again tomorrow. Once he comes back down, then you’ll tell him. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Present Day -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- “Hello? Anon?” “Huh?” You shake your head, and feel your cheeks cool down. Cadence has her hoof on your shoulder, and is giving you a look of motherly concern. It looks like she had set Flurry down a moment ago, as the foal is currently gnawing on a stuffed snail. “Are you alright? You kinda zoned out for a few minutes.” She squinted her eyes at you, and her tone became stern. “And don’t think I couldn’t tell what you were thinking about, your face went as red as a beet.” Frustrated, you gently push her hoof away, and walk past her as you open the soda. You take care not to step on the baby as you take a generous swig of the fizzing liquid, and start muttering angrily to yourself. “Stupid, stupid, stupid!” You fume, storming into your living room, and tiredly fopping onto the couch with a groan. You want to scream, you want to break something, you almost want to ram your hoof through a wall, but you can’t even summon the willpower to move. You hear Cadence’s hoofsteps approach you slowly from the kitchen, but you speak up before she does: lifting your head just enough to prevent your voice from being muffled by the cushion. “Before you say it, I did it. I did something stupid, Diamond finally knows how I feel, and I feel like I’m going to puke. Wherever it goes from here, not even Celestia can tell, but I did it.” The steps pause for a moment, before you feel a tiny thump land just beside your head. Wearily, you roll your neck, and open your eyes. Little Flurry was smiling down at you from her perch on the arm of the couch, and once you looked up, she stretched her little forelegs out to you with a quiet coo. Quietly, you pull yourself upwards, and just sit there. You slowly reach out after a moment, pick up the little foal, and hold her in your hooves as you gently cuddle her. “Huh,” you hear Cadence chuckle, prompting you to turn your head. “You never seemed like the mother type to me…” she catches your expression, and smiles gently. “That’s not an insult, just a statement.” “I know,” you deadpan, gently starting to rock the child back and forth. “I just... I want one someday. A little foal to teach, and raise, you know?” She nods, “I know, trust me.” You smile at her. It was a small smile, but a sincere one. More sincere than most you remember. It felt… good. Something outside the window catches your eye, and you turn to see Double Diamond walking up to your patio. He’s carrying what looks like a bouquet of flowers, and he looks to be blushing. Normally, you’re not the type of mare to be easily wooed by flowers, but you feel… warmed by the gesture. Out of the corner of your eyes, you barely see Cadence follow your gaze, and her smile widens as she trots up to you. “If you want, I can take Flurry and go out the back?” She offers, extending her hoof. “Thanks,” you say with a giggle as you give her the- now snoring -foal. “but I think I’ll be going out the front.” She gives you a nod as you stand to your hooves, and walk up to the door quietly. After you hear a quick knock, you open it, and wipe the smile off your face as you shoot a glare at the stallion on the other side. “Quiet!” You hiss. “You want to wake the baby?!” His face goes whiter… somehow, and his jaw drops as he stutters. “I-I-I’m sorry, I-I-...” He trails off when you start giggling, and the confused look on the doofus’ face just causes you to laugh harder. “I’m messing with you, dummy!” You gasp, before quickly regaining composure. “Now, onto business. I assume those are for me?” You nod your head to the flowers. Diamond, thought obviously still looking for answers as to what just happened, gives a goofy grin and holds out the fresh flora. “Yeah, these are yours. I was going to ask you out back there, but… you kinda made the answer obvious.” He waggles his eyebrows, and you give one more giggle. Yes, he is an idiot, but you can’t help but love him. After all… He’s just your Diamond in the Rough. Author's Note Finally finished! I'll ring in the update- and my social hiatus -with this final chapter of heartwarming Romance! And just to clarify from my blog: I respect Knighty's decisions for this site, they are his to make. I just don't agree with all of them. Also: special thanks to Whitelight_yo for proofreading this chapter. Until Next Time, God Bless You All! ~Amethyst Dawn.
A Diamond in the RoughTick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock, tick... That stupid clock on the wall just clicks over and over again, the hands restlessly inching closer to each other. The main event of this year’s Sunset Festival- the Sunset Concert -is supposed to start any second now, but so far you’re the only one here. Even the band is absent from the stage. You suppose everypony else is still hanging about the Elements and their friends, and as much as that bugs you, you can’t blame them: it’s not every day that every single Princess and heroine of Equestria stops by a small town in the middle of nowhere. Oh yeah, and Discord was out there, too. You couldn’t help but notice that despite his ego, he doesn’t seem to like crowds gathering around him just for admiration. Might just remind him of his time in stone, or he’s been hanging out with the Element of Kindness too much. Butterscotch, or something. You don’t really keep up with their names. Ponies often ask you how you could care so little about Equestria’s greatest heroes, and while you don’t really know for sure, you suppose the main reason for that is because of how they treated Starlight Glimmer. After all she’d done, after how many she hurt, they just forgave her as if they were the only ones who suffered from her actions. Yes, yes, you forgave her too, along with the rest of Our Town. But, it’s going to take a lot more than an apology to let you trust her again. Not that she cares about your trust. Not that she even remembers your name, or how much she stole from you. It starts to boil your blood again as you think of it. All she stole like a thief in plain sight with that blasted magic of hers: she took your talent, your Cutie Mark, your identity, your hometown… him. And even though the others might seem more severe, it’s the last theft that really makes you see nothing but red. The day it all began was the day you had sworn to tell him, to confront him, to do something about your feelings once he came down from those slopes. But, when he did return... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Six Years Ago -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- “Anon! Anon!” Brushing your mane out of your face, you look up to see the object of your affections running straight for you, a broad smile on his face. Despite that this is what you’ve always dreamed of, something seems off. You pick up on it as soon as he stops in front of you, it was that smile. That smile was bad news, and it was being broadcast at the strongest signal possible. Looking closer, you also see that his normal white coat and mane have become dimmer, as if he gathered dust that sunk into his fur. But his coat was still clean, and it’s obvious to you that he is under some form of manipulation. Whether it was mental or magical, you can’t tell. He also seems oblivious to your concerns, as he gestures to his left with an extravagant wave of his forehoof. “You won’t believe the magnificence of the mare I just met!” He babbles, immediately setting your nerves on edge. “Her name is… Starlight?” His smile wavers for only a second when he notices the lack of a pony by his side, but you hardly notice. You’re frozen stiff once you tilt your head, and catch sight of the mare heading your way. Her mane bobbed in a style that stood out, yet felt modest and conforming at the same time. Her eyes twinkled with a mischievous light, and her mouth was curved in a grin that could only be described as an impossible mix of evil, smug, and caring. You didn’t need to look twice to believe this was the witch responsible for whatever happened to Double Diamond, as the bizarre staff she carried in her aura had his Cutie Mark snared within its grasp. Curiously, you tilt your head to look at your friend’s flank, but to check on his Mark this time. And you are horrified to find it replaced with a plain, grey, equal sign. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Present Day -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- He had… changed so much that day. In the space of one afternoon, his personality and mind had been molded from one of the laid-back athlete to one similar to that salesmare for that one insurance company. Possessive, or something. From then on: his face was plastered with that creepy smile, and he was babbling on about nothing but acceptance, equality, and the immeasurable wisdom of the mare he had met. Then, he introduced her: Starlight Steal-your-Life Glimmer, to the town. Ranting as if she was the greatest pony in the world. And the way he looked at her… it hurt you. You could tell he was under some sort of spell, but there was a sincere admiration under there. The one kind of look you wished he would give you after that day, and there he was, so focused on her that he didn’t even see the world around him. You weren’t a mare most would call ‘sappy’, but your heart was broken by that look. In the end, you had joined her cult as well after watching the rest of your town give in one by one. Maybe for survival, maybe as another chance to get closer to him, you still can’t tell. But you could tell that he never left her side unless she was in her home, and even then he sat by her porch as if he was some hound: constantly smiling like a possessed clown. You can’t help but send a thankful prayer to whatever is out there that those days are over now, and that you’ve gained the strength to accept that he might never be yours. And you… might never be his. You’re stirred from your melancholy thoughts when a bright flash draws your attention to the figure now sitting on the opposite side of the row of chairs you’ve chosen, and it takes you barely a second to recognize the serpentine form, and the clashing antlers. He doesn’t notice you yet, as his weird yellow eyes are glued to the door. Smirking, you decide to have some fun with him. “Sorry, bub.” You grunt, barely holding back a mischievous giggle as the Draconequus jumps straight into the air and stares at you with eyes like dinner plates. “I think the band is still distracted by the celebrities.” Discord groans, and scrapes the ranch dressing off of his eyes with a small brush he pulled from… somewhere. “Must you always sneak up on ponies, Anon?” You quirk your brow as your smile drops. “You actually remember me?” You inquire curiously. Despite the calm tone of your question, you are genuinely surprised. It’s not often a mare like you gets recognized by anypony after a full year. Then again, you suppose it’s not often that a mare like you can manage to sneak up on the lord of chaos, twice. He slowly reclines in midair with that smug grin of his. “Believe me, I’m just as surprised as you.” Your smirk returns as you wink at him. “I can tell, you jumped high enough.” His grin wavers for just a second, but still long enough for you to catch before his smile shows teeth, and he gently pushes on your snout with a talon. “Believe me, if the first thing anypony saw when they teleport into a room is that mug, they’d jump even higher.” Remembering last year’s game, you bat your lashes at him playfully. “If that’s how ponies react to beauty, they’d bury their head in the sand when they saw you.” He lazily examined his claw for dust, and brushed it on his chest. “It’s only natural for ponies to kneel before a god, and jump from a snake.” Your eye twitches, and you feel a giggle try to jump from your throat. ‘No!’ You scream inwardly, ‘I can’t let him get the upper hand this time!’ “That’s only because they’d rather stare at dirt than have to look at you.” “I guess that explains why you’re so well-known in this town, then.” Finally, that last one got you to start snickering. “Alright, alright, fine! You win!” He’s obviously proud of himself as he is instantly showered with confetti, and summons a golden medal with a bright #1 on it. “Naturally, my dear.” He purrs, bowing slightly as he glances back to you. “Though, I must admit, it’s hard to find someone with a wit like yours around here.” You feel a sudden weight on your neck as a white flash shoots from your chest, and look down to see a plastic medal with sloppy silver paint, bearing the inscription “An Attempt Was Made”. “Although I confess that I’m curious about one thing,” Discord states, twirling in the air like a ribbon before settling in the seat next to you. “Forgive me if I sound sexist, but how does a mare learn to trade lines like that with the best of them, and remain in good humor?” You shrug your shoulders. “I dunno, I guess I never cared enough to be bothered by ‘em.” He takes a turn at shrugging, and glances back to the door with a slight worriedness as the sound of hurried hooves rushes close, and then passes the door completely. You open your mouth to ask him what he’s running from, but he cuts you off without even turning around. “So, what were you moping about?” You just sit there in stunned silence, and made an attempt to clean your ear with a hoof. Was that actual sentiment in his voice? “What do you mean?” You ask, brain trying to comprehend the lord of chaos actually showing concern for a pony. He glances back at you with a rather unamused expression. “Trust me, you can’t spend every tuesday with the Element of Kindness and not pick up on a few signals that ponies are being bothered by something.” He says with a roll of his eyes. “And Fluttershy insisted that I need to practice my compassion and empathy, so forgive me if I see an opportunity here.” Once you get over your confusion, and see that he’s actually sincere, you decide that you haven’t run out of ways to mess with him: and you slowly make yourself tear up. After a solid minute of buildup and scheming, you throw your hooves around his stomach while bawling your eyes out as overdramatically and ridiculously as possible. It obviously takes him by surprise as he tenses up immediately, and you can tell he’s extremely uncomfortable. You’re actually a little confused that he’s buying this. Seeing your chance to go for the kill, you look up at him with the saddest eyes you can manage, and scream: “I think I’m in love with you!” And, just as planned, his face goes from confused to horrified, and he turns red as a beet. Eyes once again wide as dinner plates- but lacking any sauce this time -he lifts his talon with a feeble “Nope,” and teleports out of the auditorium with a snap. It barely takes a second before you’re doubling over with maniacal laughter, actually crying from the hilarious mental image of Discord scampering away from the building like he’d just seen a ghost, alternating between red as a beet and white as a sheet. After your laughing fit draws to an end, you find yourself thinking back again, to long before Starlight ever came to Our Town. In fact, back before it was even known as Our Town, and you had only lived here for a round a day… -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Ten Years Ago -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- “Yo, hots, you new here?” You grunt as you set the last box onto the porch, and turn to glare at the approaching idiot. Sportscolt in appearance, white coat, blue eyes. Kind of cute for a jock, and seems innocent enough, but his greeting was just unacceptable. With practiced ease, you shoot him a glare. “What did you just call me?” Your expression of disgust barely seems to register as he struts right up to you, and gives you a friendly pat on the back as he gestures out to the… twelve other houses with his other forehoof. You would have protested this invasion of your personal space, but he was obviously an idiot anyways, and in all probability wasn’t trying to make any advances. “Welcome to Flintlocke!” he declared with grandeur, pride ringing in his laid-back tone. He slowly stepped back until he was face-to-face with you again with surprising grace, and stayed at a respectful distance at this point as he gave you a lazy grin. “We don’t usually get new ponies moving in here, so you might want to expect us locals to be a bit of an annoyance at first.” He leaned only slightly closer as he held a hoof beside his mouth and whispered. “Especially ignore my mother, she’s been trying to matchmake for everyone, and she might consider you fresh fuel for the local colts.” In the meantime, you find yourself simply staring at the good-natured moron. Neighborly fellow, to be sure, especially for a colt his age. Based on the appearance, you’d guess him to be not much older than you: perhaps seventeen or so. Most colts his age are complete dolts when it comes to being decent, but he seemed to only have a normal amount of ditz expected of stallions. With a sincere smile- something you haven’t managed in a while -you extend your hoof with a nod. “I’ll keep that in mind, thanks.” He keeps his leisurely grin, and shakes your hoof with a firm grip that somehow remained gentle. “I’m Double Diamond, local skiing expert, and currently the only teenager in the village.” You feel your smile grow a bit, and you feel your mischievous side spark. “Nice to meet you, Diamond Diamond. My name is Anon: the new teenager in town.” You stop when you see him frown slightly, and then smirk as he lets out a laugh. “Ha! I see what you did there, Miss. Tell you what, I’ll make it easy on you: call me Deedee. Most ponies do anyways.” “Very well,” you giggle, “Deedee.” -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Present Day -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- You feel yourself growing sad again at the memory, but at least being able to prank the lord of chaos made the sting a little less this time. One last small tear tickles your cheek as you stand up off the floor, and get back onto your seat. You can’t help but wonder why your brain is so focused on him, today of all days. The notice that the band has started to make their way onto the stage from the back, and are beginning to set up their instruments. At least some lighthearted music would cheer you up, or at least keep you from slipping into depression again. The band starts up once ponies start coming in, and you feel your expectations shatter as they begin the first song, and a grey mare steps forward with her cello. I comb the crowd But I can’t see your face out there, no I’m playing now Won’t wait on love. I’m paralyzed By all these whispers in my brain, yeah... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Two Hours Later -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The rest of the first day of the festival turns into a blur as you slump back to your house, feeling like crud. You did try to find Double, but never could locate him amongst the sudden influx of attendees. You thought you found him once, but it turned out to be an insecure changeling. Mothball or something. Go figure. You were just about to open your door when you feel a hoof tap on your shoulder. You turn around to glare at the pony, but your stare melts into mild surprise as you see the Princesses Luna, Celestia, and Cadence smiling back at you. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t at least a little intimidated, but you were also a little tipsy from the punch, so the effect was less than it would have been. Which is saying something. Cadence- being the one who tapped you on the shoulder -cleared her throat. “It’s- uh… I’m a little embarrassed for not checking with you earlier,” she admits with a sheepish smile, “but can we stay here tonight? Aunt Celly was in charge of making reservations, but she muffed it.” You glance calmly up to Celestia, who gives her niece a playful pout. “I was sidetracked, dear Cadence, and nopony bothered to remind me.” “And this time the diversion was beyond understandable, as that cake caught even our attention.” Luna laughed, holding a hoof to her mouth. You choose to study them for a few moments, processing your answer. You know it will inevitably be yes, you’re just preparing yourself for the fact that your sovereign rulers are asking you for room for the night. Silently, you open the door, and gesture in as you step aside. They each beam at you as they walk in, and give you thanks in turn. “I’m afraid I only have the one extra bed in the guest room,” you inform them, your tone a bit more apologetic than you intended, “but mine should be large enough if one of you doesn’t mind bunking with me.” “Any accommodations are suitable enough for us,” Luna states with a smile, “which way to the guest room?” “Up the stairs, door straight ahead.” She nods to you in thanks before escorting her sister up the stairs, and you turn into the kitchen to grab one last drink before you head to bed. After retrieving four sodas from the fridge, intending to give the rulers one each, you notice that Cadence followed you in. Her horn is glowing slightly, and you feel a little warm. A slightly awkward silence passes as you just give her your deadpan stare, and wait for her to open her eyes. After around a minute, her eyes slide open, and she gives you a determined look. “We need to Talk...” Author's Note Here it is! The first part of my much-hyped third installment of 2nd-Person romances, and the first time I tried doing this from a female point of view, though I suppose Rarity, POW did offer some practice. Unlike the last two installments, it might be a little while before I put out the next half for two reasons: A) This one took more work- but no less heart -than the last two. B) It's been getting harder to work with Bucky without having her freeze all the time. (And for those unfamiliar with my blog, Bucky is the name of the computer I use. Because she freezes a lot... MCU reference...?) I'm hoping to ask my mom if we can get my computer fixed sometime soon, but I'm that type of imbecile who likes to wait until the right moment. And you guys know what my life is like... there's almost never a "right moment". Special thanks to Galaxina the Unicorn for prereading this for me. Seriously, go check out her stuff, she's amazing. As always: please feel free to notify me of any mistakes, inconsistencies, typos, etc. Until Next Time, God Bless You! ~Amethyst Dawn.
Will it Always be this Tough?It doesn’t take you long to find yourself seated on your favourite velvet fanback as Princess Cadence silently stares at you from your couch, the furniture having been adjusted so that you could speak face-to-face without needing to share the same piece. Plus, her lankier size tended to require an entire couch, but you wouldn’t say that out loud. She continues to stare at you in silence, the small Fizz~N~Fluff soda you offered her held gingerly in her hoof, still unopened. Her wings shuffle slightly at her side as if uncomfortable, but you get the impression that might just be a tick of hers while she thinks. Several more minutes of uncomfortable silence pass. “So…” You drone, lifting your hoof to roll it in midair. “I don’t mean to be rude, your--” “Cadence, please.” She cuts you off briefly, before gesturing for you to continue. Slightly irked, you decide to play with her a bit. “I don’t mean to be rude, Your Cadence, but exactly what do we need to talk about?” She gives a slight frown at your joke, but her face brightens a bit once you ask, and she immediately relaxes. “You’re in love,” Silence again as Cadence gives you an expectant look. You blink in confusion. She frowns once more. “What?” She asks, confused. You give her a blank stare. “No shit, Cadence.” You say with a quiet snort. Normally, you’d be hesitant about mouthing off to a Princess, but that observation hit a rather tender nerve. And unfortunately for your patience, she seems to be befuddled by your little fit, if the raised eyebrow and tilted head mean anything. Another minute of silence, and you decide to start counting her blinks. Blink. Blink. “You... know?” You roll your eyes. “Yes, yes I do. How is that a surprise?” Blink. Blink. Blink. “I just… your heart says you’ve held these emotions for years with no resolution.” “Then can you tell it to shut up?” Blink. Is she gonna? Is she gonna? Yep, Blink. “Does he know?” She asks, before her eyes widen. Blink. “Is it a he?” Your hoof finds a very comfortable home on the bridge of your nose. “No, no HE doesn’t. And if he does, he became a total jerk over the years.” Blink. Ooh! A double blink! High score! “Why doesn’t he know?” You open your eyes into narrow slits, your bitterness starts to boil as old emotions well up yet again. “Why doesn’t he know?” You repeat, your tone harsh. “Because his eyes are glued to your sister’s student, that’s why!” In a huff, you close your eyes and slam your forehoof onto the cushion beneath you, and you feel like your heart has been torn open all over again. “I passed hints like crazy, I flirted in every way I knew, but he still wouldn’t look past her! Even after he discovered she was just using him, he still forgave her like it was nothing!” You rise to all four hooves as you start to rant, and your interrogator’s pupils shrink. “You want to know why he doesn’t know? Because I gave up on him! I still love him like no one else ever could, but I gave up trying to get him to realize that long ago! It’s been two months since I even spoke to him, and he lives right down the freaking street from me… and there’s only the one street it this stupid town!” Cadence finally opens her soda as you feel tears welling up in your eyes, and takes a calm sip as your volume increases. “I only stay in this town because all my friends are here! I literally have no other friends outside of this Celestia-forsaken dustbowl, unless you count that idiot Discord! I want to leave!” You punctuate that last statement with another stomp of your hoof, and by now you’re practically screaming as you feel your throat start to hurt, and your voice becomes raspy and choked. Spent, you fall back onto your haunches, and sob quietly as you hiccup through your words. “I want to leave... I want leave because every *hic* time I step outside of my *hic* door he’s going to be the first pony I notice... because each time I turn a *hic* corner I dread that *hic* I’ll bump into him… because talking to him never gets any *hic* easier… and because... I see him every day, and it feels like my heart is being *hic* thrown in a blender of emotions I *hic* don’t *hic* want.” You feel a warm hoof wrap around your side, and look up through blurry eyes to see Cadence embracing you. With no strength left to hold the tears back, you throw your forehooves around her in a return, and start bawling. You pride yourself on not being a cryer, but you feel like you’ve wanted to say these words for years. Now, it’s like an anvil has been taken off your heart. Tears trickle down your cheeks in a steady stream as you hug her tighter, and she starts to stroke your mane. “There, there.” She coos: her motherly tone a much-needed comfort. “It’s alright, let it all out.” The two of you stay that way for what seems like minutes, but was probably closer to an hour. You start to feel more peaceful than you ever remember as you let go of the Princess, and wipe your eyes with the back of your hoof. You can clearly see the mussed-up area on her shoulder where your tears have made her coat stick in odd shapes, and you laugh sheepishly as you retrieve a towel for her. “H-here you go,” you stammer, still shivering slightly. She accepts the cloth, and calmly dries her shoulder as she continues to give you a comforting smile. “You know, Starlight Glimmer is actually a friend of mine.” Cadence affirms, taking another sip of her drink. “If it’s any consolation, her heart’s for someone else. A poet of some sort, I believe. It won’t be like stealing from another mare if you move now.” You open your mouth to protest that that wasn’t the reason you were hesitant, but decide to shut it just as quickly once you start to think. Is that the reason you’ve given up? Because it would feel like stealing? You were a smartass, yes, but no coltfriend-grabbing-- well… You look back up to Cadence. “What if he’s still after her?” Cadence taps her chin as her smile fades into a thoughtful line, and she looks out the corners of her eyes. “Who is he? I can check tomorrow, without invading too much privacy.” “Double Diamond,” you state boldly. You’re surprised when the Princess’ pupils shrink, and rotate back to look you in the eye. Her silence suddenly makes you uncomfortable as she just stares at you. “What?” “I see…” she almost purrs, her blank face transforming into something more… knowing as she tilts her head upwards slightly, and holds her eyelids at half mast as one of her eyebrows stretches upwards. “Seriously, what’s happening?” You ask again, not sure whether you should run and hide or pursue the subject out of curiosity. Cadence titters quietly, and takes her soda as she retreats. “Oh, nothing~” She sing-songs, trotting into the hallway. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The Next Morning -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- You practically chug your coffee as you desperately try to erase the massive migraine thundering through your head, instantly regretting drinking a caffiene-free soda after… however many glasses of the spiked punch you’d ingested. You would try harder to remember the number, but your head says that now’s not the time. And it says so in a very painful manner. “Outside of having a baby now, that’s one reason I quit alcohol.” Cadence chirps from behind you, before going back to watching as Celestia playfully flips a pancake into the air in tune with whatever she’s humming. You open your mouth to retort, but shut it as you watch your Princess skillfully juggle pancakes in your kitchen like a common cook. At the sight, you once again find it partially annoying that once you offered breakfast, Celestia insisted- no -pleaded that you let her cook it. If more ponies were like these three, you might open a boarding house. You’re interrupted from your thoughts once the bathroom door opens, and a cloud of steam billows out at the same time as Princess Luna. “I’m afraid I may have used more of the hot water than I intended, Anon.” She admits, her face a little ashamed. You wave a hoof dismissively at her. “Eh, that’s alright. I think a cold shower might do me more good than a hot one.” She smiles thankfully, though it’s clear she thinks you’re just being polite. You don’t push the matter further, as you’ve had enough experience in where that conversation would lead. Kind of funny, as you were actually being sincere this time. Damn hangovers. As you walk towards the bathroom, Celestia pipes up: “Breakfast should be ready by the time you’re out, Anon!” You offer a quick thanks before ducking inside, and shutting the door with a near slam. Exhaling a tired sigh, you trot to the shower and turn it to ‘Hot’, at least attempting to salvage some warmth. You reach into the stream for a quick temperature test, and are pleasantly surprised to find it neither too cold, nor uncomfortably warm. Just perfect for what you need. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Half an Hour Later -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- After a refreshing shower and a delicious breakfast, you and your houseguests decide to separate for the day. They went to the festival games, you made your way to the punch. You plan on going for the non-spiked barrel this time. Halfway there, you spot a familiar serpentine shape near the lemonade, and cheer up a little bit as you approach the Draconequus from behind. “Hello!” You call, a little louder than you meant. Thankfully, only a couple ponies turned their heads. Discord lazily turned to look at you, and offered an expression mixed somewhere between a polite smile and a death glare. “I suppose you think that was a terribly clever prank yesterday, hmm?” He hums, giving you a small pang of guilt as you remember what he had said about practicing empathy. “Sorry,” you chuckle, “I just saw an opportunity, and I took it.” His smile grows a little more mischievous, and he snickers gleefully. “Whatever do you have to be sorry for? Nopony has ever caught me off-guard before!” He paused to think. “Unless you count that time Fluttershy started shouting at the ponies attending her ‘Find-a-Pet’ event, but that was another universe that Amethyst might get in trouble for referencing…” “What?” “Nevermind, lemonade?” You’d be lying if you said you weren’t a little bit relieved that your friend was still able to confuse you: at least he’s consistently inconsistent. You grab the lemonade with a thank-you, and prepare for a conversation with-- “Sorry to interrupt, but can I talk to you for a second?” ‘No.’ You scream at yourself as you cringe, refusing to turn around. ‘No, no no no, N-O NO! Not here! Why was he here? What could possibly bring him to the only beverage table at the town’s festivities in the middle of this warm summer morning?’ ‘Wait…’ With a gulp, you look over to the pony on your left, forcing a smile onto your face as you feel tears welling up. “Diamond?” Author's Note Cliffhanger! I'm only a little sorry! As you can probably guess, yes: this is going to be a three-parter. Writing from a female perspective is a lot harder than I thought, yet not as difficult as I expected at the same time. Does that make sense? I think that makes sense. Anywho, I'm going to try my best to wrap this up in a believable manner, so please bear with me if this takes a while. This chapter alone went through more edits than I'm used to! Until Next Time, God Bless You! ~Amethyst Dawn.
One More Try Should be EnoughSo here you are, talking to the god of chaos when the stallion who captured your heart and locked it away comes up from behind you and asks to talk with you. Your mind can’t help but wonder how many mares have said that over the years. Regardless, it’s happening. And you can’t figure out how or why for the life of you, but you strongly suspect Candace-- err, Cadence has something to do with it. If she put him up to this against his will, you swear that you’re going to kill her. “Sure,” you shrug, withholding your emotions from presenting themselves on your face. “What’s up?” Diamond hesitates for a moment, and he looks unsure of what he’s about to say before he finally presses forward. “Have you been avoiding me?” Damn, you’d almost forgotten how little this dolt beats around the bat. In spite of your shock, you find yourself chuckling. “C-come again?” His eyes narrow, and he leans his head closer to you. “I’ve been trying to start up a conversation with you for the past… forever, and yet whenever I see you, you’re heading in the opposite direction.” He states bluntly. “Is it too much to ask why? I can’t place my hoof on it, but I get the feeling that you don’t want to hang out with me anymore.” Oh, how wrong he was. By now, you’d give anything just to go back to a time when it was possible for him to return your feelings, and your heart didn’t ache just at the mere sight of him. You’d trade your Cutie Mark to be back in those days when your friendship was magic. “Well,” Discord chirped suddenly with a clap of his paw and claw, his body slowly walking away to the left as his neck stretched to keep his head in place. “I can see this is going to be too awkward even for me to stand and watch, so I’ll just excuse myself and go find a parsnip to prune, or something. Toodles!” With a rubbery snap, his head retreated to his body as he strolled off. Perfect, just when you were about to look to him for some sort of help. Then again, asking him for help with anything is probably a stupid idea anyways, he’d probably sing a song about provolone cheese on pumpernickel and the letter Q. Reluctantly, you return your attention to Diamond, and he seems set on getting an answer. Well, you suppose it’s time to give him one he likely won’t forget. Strengthening your resolve: you swiftly manage to give him a quick yet firm peck on the lips, turn around, and book it before he has any idea what hit him. Your face feels like it’s being pumped full of magma, but you pray to whoever’s listening that he’ll get the message. Though, in hindsight, how could he not? At the speed you’re going, it barely takes you thirty seconds to retreat into your own home from the field. And by the time you shut the door behind you, your body is threatening to break down crying, but you manage to calm yourself down as you head to the fridge. You hope that you have something stronger than Fizz~n~Fluff to drink, but as soon as you open the icebox, you hear your front door open again. ‘Lovely…’ “Hello?” You call, making sure you’re only loud enough to be heard by the intruder. Finding nothing alcoholic, you pull out your last Fizz~n~Fluff, and turn to look at who entered. Your nerves are instantly rested once you see Cadence holding a small filly in her forearm, smiling sheepishly at you. “Flurry here wanted to stay with me for today, and possibly into the night. Would that be a bother?” Your gaze is fixed at the toddler, and feel your heart warm. The sight of the child brings up a rather cherished memory. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Six Years Ago -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- “If you ever had a foal, what would you name them?” Your neck nearly snaps at the speed you turn it as your eyes pop open, and your face grows hot as you stare in disbelief at Diamond. He continues to stare into the mountains from his spot on the picnic blanket, completely oblivious to the surge of confusion and battling emotions going on in your head. Heart racing, you take a deep breath, and calm yourself enough to consider an answer. “I’m not really sure,” you admit. “I suppose it would depend on the coloration, but I always liked to think my kid would have a sort of… silver coloring?” You glance at his face with a hopeful smile for a minute, praying he got the hint... ... Nope. Idiot. You give an annoyed sigh. “Silver Streak was one that I’ve planned on.” “One?” He chuckles, finally looking your direction with that stupid smile of his. “Sheesh, how many foals would you want?” Face, meet fire. Fire, face. You’re really resisting smacking him right now, if only because he’s an imbecile. Once again, you wonder why your heart attached itself to this doofus, until the next thing he said reminds you. “Though for a mare like yourself, I suppose as many as someone can give you.” Yup, he’s an idiot. But, for the foreseeable future, he’s your idiot. You remember that he’s going into the slopes to ski again tomorrow. Once he comes back down, then you’ll tell him. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Present Day -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- “Hello? Anon?” “Huh?” You shake your head, and feel your cheeks cool down. Cadence has her hoof on your shoulder, and is giving you a look of motherly concern. It looks like she had set Flurry down a moment ago, as the foal is currently gnawing on a stuffed snail. “Are you alright? You kinda zoned out for a few minutes.” She squinted her eyes at you, and her tone became stern. “And don’t think I couldn’t tell what you were thinking about, your face went as red as a beet.” Frustrated, you gently push her hoof away, and walk past her as you open the soda. You take care not to step on the baby as you take a generous swig of the fizzing liquid, and start muttering angrily to yourself. “Stupid, stupid, stupid!” You fume, storming into your living room, and tiredly fopping onto the couch with a groan. You want to scream, you want to break something, you almost want to ram your hoof through a wall, but you can’t even summon the willpower to move. You hear Cadence’s hoofsteps approach you slowly from the kitchen, but you speak up before she does: lifting your head just enough to prevent your voice from being muffled by the cushion. “Before you say it, I did it. I did something stupid, Diamond finally knows how I feel, and I feel like I’m going to puke. Wherever it goes from here, not even Celestia can tell, but I did it.” The steps pause for a moment, before you feel a tiny thump land just beside your head. Wearily, you roll your neck, and open your eyes. Little Flurry was smiling down at you from her perch on the arm of the couch, and once you looked up, she stretched her little forelegs out to you with a quiet coo. Quietly, you pull yourself upwards, and just sit there. You slowly reach out after a moment, pick up the little foal, and hold her in your hooves as you gently cuddle her. “Huh,” you hear Cadence chuckle, prompting you to turn your head. “You never seemed like the mother type to me…” she catches your expression, and smiles gently. “That’s not an insult, just a statement.” “I know,” you deadpan, gently starting to rock the child back and forth. “I just... I want one someday. A little foal to teach, and raise, you know?” She nods, “I know, trust me.” You smile at her. It was a small smile, but a sincere one. More sincere than most you remember. It felt… good. Something outside the window catches your eye, and you turn to see Double Diamond walking up to your patio. He’s carrying what looks like a bouquet of flowers, and he looks to be blushing. Normally, you’re not the type of mare to be easily wooed by flowers, but you feel… warmed by the gesture. Out of the corner of your eyes, you barely see Cadence follow your gaze, and her smile widens as she trots up to you. “If you want, I can take Flurry and go out the back?” She offers, extending her hoof. “Thanks,” you say with a giggle as you give her the- now snoring -foal. “but I think I’ll be going out the front.” She gives you a nod as you stand to your hooves, and walk up to the door quietly. After you hear a quick knock, you open it, and wipe the smile off your face as you shoot a glare at the stallion on the other side. “Quiet!” You hiss. “You want to wake the baby?!” His face goes whiter… somehow, and his jaw drops as he stutters. “I-I-I’m sorry, I-I-...” He trails off when you start giggling, and the confused look on the doofus’ face just causes you to laugh harder. “I’m messing with you, dummy!” You gasp, before quickly regaining composure. “Now, onto business. I assume those are for me?” You nod your head to the flowers. Diamond, thought obviously still looking for answers as to what just happened, gives a goofy grin and holds out the fresh flora. “Yeah, these are yours. I was going to ask you out back there, but… you kinda made the answer obvious.” He waggles his eyebrows, and you give one more giggle. Yes, he is an idiot, but you can’t help but love him. After all… He’s just your Diamond in the Rough. Author's Note Finally finished! I'll ring in the update- and my social hiatus -with this final chapter of heartwarming Romance! And just to clarify from my blog: I respect Knighty's decisions for this site, they are his to make. I just don't agree with all of them. Also: special thanks to Whitelight_yo for proofreading this chapter. Until Next Time, God Bless You All! ~Amethyst Dawn.
