Shine Brighter
“Awesome job girls!”
“Good job on them new marks!”
“Simply outstanding my dear sister, I am very proud of you all!”
Sighing heavily, Diamond Tiara sat right outside Sugarcube Corner where the Cutie Mark Crusader’s cute-ceañera. She gave a small smile as she looked back and saw the party start to fade as friends and family alike started to say their goodbyes to the three former blank-flanks.
“Never going to use that phrase again.” She said to herself shaking her head. The past two days have been nothing more than life-changing. If one were to tell her many days ago that she would lose the class election and her best friend, disappoint her mother, only to have the same fillies she bullied help her find the purpose of her Cutie Mark, she would’ve scoffed it off as complete horse apples. And the thought of them getting their own marks sounded utterly impossible.
Lo and behold they all became reality.
Nevertheless she was thankful for what happened. Now her mind felt clear from any doubts about her Cutie Mark. Because of them she was able to stand against her mother and become the pony she always wanted to be. Now she understands what it means for her, she’s happy to finally know what her Mark means.
But the feeling of joy was no less a reminder of how terrible she’s was to everypony. Bullying, intimidation, blackmailing, she did whatever was necessary to achieve her goals whatever they are. Sure she was successful most of the time, but was it really worth it in the end?
“No,” She said to herself, “not at all.”
With a sigh she went outside to find who she was looking for. In the distance she spotted those three Crusaders talking among themselves, no doubt about their new marks. They looked so happy together, was she really going to go up to them and interrupt their fun? They might be nice to her now, but who’s to say they still resent her for all the things she’s done? Maybe she would be better off just leaving them alone.
‘Pull yourself together girl!’ She thought to herself shaking her head. She was a different pony, and now was not the time to be a coward. She cautiously walked towards her three classmates who were far too in their conversation to notice her. “Um…hello guys.”
The three girls turned to see their former bully standing rather meekly before them. Applebloom was the first to smile. “Well howdy there Diamond Tiara, what brings you round here?”
“Oh uh…no reason. What’s up with you?”
Scootaloo strolled over smugly. “Oh just admiring our new and amazing Cutie Marks.” She said looking at her own flanks. “Wow, I still can’t believe we finally got our Marks.”
“You said it Scoots,” Sweetie Belle replied happily, “feels like forever since we started the Crusaders. But all that work finally paid off, I never felt so happy before in my life!”
“I know, just think about what this means for us now. We’re practically grown-ups by now!”
The three started to get caught up in another conversation about their Marks. Diamond gave a small smile, glad that their dreams of Cutie Marks finally came true. Those Cutie Marks looked amazing on all three of them. Never did she wonder what they would look like, but seeing them now she couldn’t imagine better ones at all.
“I’m sorry…”
The three fillies stopped their ranting as they heard the faint voice of Diamond within earshot. “What’s that…ya said somethin’?”
She sighed as she faced the Crusaders. “I’m sorry guys. I’m so sorry about everything I’ve done.”
The three frowned at each other, looks of confusion shared between them. Scootaloo was the first to talk. “Sorry…about what?”
“What do you mean “about what”? I’m sorry I made fun about calling you blank flanks and those other stupid nicknames. I’m sorry for making fun of Scootaloo’s wings, your families, forcing you to write those dumb newspaper stories, and just everything else I’ve done. I’ve been a terrible, horrible pony for so long not just to you, but to everypony in town, and I can never live that down. I don’t expect you to forgive me, but all I can say is sorry.”
Diamond looked down trying to hide her face from the three, her embarrassing blush getting the best of her. That stopped when she felt two hooves placed gently on her shoulders. She looked to see both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle smiling giving her a light hug. Diamond’s only response was to scoff. “I don’t get it…we’re fine just like that?”
“Of course we are!” Applebloom excitedly exclaimed. “What, you thought we still be mad at ya for all ya done? That’s way past us now.”
“N-no! You’re supposed to hate me! I was so mean to you. This isn’t how it’s supposed to work…right?”
Sweetie Belle just shook her head. “I don’t think so…is there something we were supposed to do?
“Yeah,” Scootaloo agreed, “what were you expecting?”
“I don’t know be angry at me, berate me and tell me to get lost, force me be your personal servant to make up for everything. I mean, this is the perfect opportunity to get back at me.”
Applebloom shook her head. “But that’s terrible. Why would you think we do somethin’ like that?”
“I…just don’t want this to be a lie.”
The three glanced at each other with concern, the real feelings of Diamond coming into view. In that moment they huddled together out of earshot to debate about what to say next. After a moment, Scootaloo was first to walk up. “Look we get it; you did a lot of terrible stuff back then. And honestly I’m still pretty irked about that “Pegasus who can’t fly” junk you said way back.”
Diamond cringed at the memory of one of her more infamous moments. “Again, I’m so sorry about that.”
“And again, it doesn’t matter! You’re not the same pony from before. You’re above all that bullying and name calling, right?”
“I…I hope I am.”
Sweetie Belle piped up next. “Of course, you were just doing what you thought you had to do. You don’t have to be mean to get what you want in life. You can be nice and help ponies instead. Just like how your friends are here to help you too.”
Diamond almost flinched when she heard that last sentence. “You mean, we’re actually friends?”
“Only if ya wanna be Diamond. We may have had some bad blood for the longest time, but that can change if yer willing to. And if ya want, we can make ya an honorary member of the Cutie Mark Crusader. We think ya deserve it.”
Diamond started to smile widely at the prospect of becoming a Cutie Mark Crusader. These wonderful ponies were willing to give her a second chance to be the pony she wanted to be. “Thank you girls, and I would love to become a Crusader with you. I’m just glad that I now have friends…like…you…”
A memory from before made her flinch, regrets of who she affected the most rearing its ugly head back to her. She wiped her eyes with her forearm as she stared up at her new Crusaders almost wanting to cry. “Silver Spoon…oh no, I can’t believe how badly I treated her. My best friend and I forced her into my terrible deeds!”
“Calm yerself Diamond,” Applebloom said, “maybe we can find her for you.”
“You don’t understand. She’s been my best friend for so long and she never told me off like that.” Diamond was in a panic as her heart raced and her breath came short. “She must hate my guts…she’ll never talk to me now! Our friendship is over!”
Applebloom immediately wrapped her hooves around Diamond and shook her almost viscously. “Breath Tiara, you gotta pull yourself together.” She watched as her former enemy did just that; inhale then exhale…inhale then exhale. “Feelin’ better?”
Diamond slowly nodded. “Better than before I guess. But I still don’t know what to do. She will never forgive me for what happened.”
“Now there ain’t no need to get worked up now. Since you guys are best friends, I’m sure she’ll forgive ya if ya just apologize.”
“That may work for you, but what about me? I don’t even know the first thing about apologizing…”
Scootaloo gave her a pat on the back. “You’ll never know if you don’t try, trust us we know what it’s like to face fears. Just tell her that you’re sorry and you’ll never do all that bad stuff again. Now where is that…?
“There she is!” Sweetie Belle called out pointing towards the newly built playground. There they spotted Silver Spoon, sitting on a swing as she slowly rocked back and forth. They saw the gray-coated filly gazing off into the sunset.
Diamond looked back at the CMC who all smiled in encouragement. She gulped as she slowly trotted towards her friend. Inside her mind she was thinking of all the possible ways she could approach this, all the words she could say to make her feel better. They will all have to be perfect. But before she could properly prepare herself, she noticed that she was standing right in front of her friend. Giving her best smile she quietly spoke. “H…hello?”
Silver Spoon broke out of her trance by the sound of a familiar voice. Looking forward she saw her…”best friend”. She immediately noticed several things about her, the stance, the vulnerable look of her eyes, and even the sound of her voice made her look completely different. She shook her thoughts away as she went back to staring at nothing particular.
“Uh…Silver…you heard me?” Diamond said waiting for a response. Seconds passed as she realized that she wasn’t getting it. “Um…are you going to say anything?”
Silver huffed. “Well that depends, am I allowed to speak now?”
Diamond flinched at the reminder of what she had done, she might’ve also heard something break inside her. “Yes you are, and I wanted to apologize for what I said. What I said was…”
“Don’t even start. You really think that’s going to work?” Silver questioned as she got off the swing and faced the pink filly. “You think you can just apologize and I’ll go back to being your little partner in your schemes again?
“No Silver, I just want to be friends again. You know just like old times before this whole election. I mean it’s been so long since we ate at Sugarcube Corner, or braid each other manes or even…”
“Made fun of ponies everywhere we went, do whatever we can to make you look better, and overall being the most hated classmates ever!” Silver angrily exclaimed as she jabbed a hoof at Diamond’s chest. “I’m done being the bully; I’m never calling somepony a blank flank again. So forget it, if you’re looking for another follower look somewhere else because we are done here.”
Diamond watched her friend walk away, devastated at what she said. Her words hit her like a Manticore’s sting as she realized what kind of friend she really was. She sniffed as she took a step forward. “You’re right Silver, I’ve been nothing but a terrible friend to you. I forced you to bully others and we always did what I wanted to do. I was bossy, unpleasant, and all kinds of mean, not just to my classmates but to my one and only best friend.
“I never realized how lucky I was to have a friend willing able to put up with me until it was too late. I treated you like dirt and I’m sorry for everything I’ve done to you. I know you might never forgive me and it's fine, after all this is probably what you’ve wanted since day one.”
Diamond turned away and started to walk away, tears starting to obscure her vision not that it mattered to her. She felt like a failure, losing her best friend and it was all her fault. Maybe this was just what she deserved, be a bully and abuse your friend and now you’re all alone.
“Well it’s about time you stop being so melodramatic.”
Diamond looked to see Silver right behind her, and giving her the biggest smile she had. “Silver…you’re not mad I me?”
Silver chuckled. “Of course not, I can’t stay mad at you. Why’d you think I dragged myself into all your schemes?
“I…don’t understand.”
“Because you’re my best friend you dummy. We’ve known each other since we were preschoolers and you were the only one I’ve considered a friend. Then when you started to bully everypony I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t want you to leave me. So I went and played along hoping that one day you would stop. I just wish you didn’t take so long.”
“You didn’t have to do that Silver, you should’ve just left while you had the chance.”
“I could’ve but I didn’t because I care about you Dia,” Silver said calling her by her nickname they both made up long ago. “I hated what I did, but going through all that was worth it to see my friend back the way she was before.”
“But…you voted against me in the election. I…I was so scared that I lost you.”
“It’s fine Dia, because I won’t leave you this time. Even if nopony wants to forgive you for what you did, you will always have me.”
Diamond started to choke up as she feverously wiped her eyes. “Oh…Silvy…you really are the best friend…I ever had.”
“Oh don’t you start with the waterworks again, I hate seeing my friend like this.” Silver felt tears swell up in her eyes as she suddenly embraced her friend tightly. “Plus if you start crying, I’ll start to cry as well.”
“But I…I…Oh Silvy!”
“Oh…Dia!”
“Oh brother…”
The two friends looked behind them to see the CMC, standing aside each other. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle made ‘Aww’ faces at the show of love before them while Scootaloo felt like she was going to gag. “Sheesh, any more of that sappy junk and I might actually get sick.”
“Oh don’t be like Scootaloo, I thought it was adorable.”
Diamond and Silver both back away and wiped the remaining tears away, their cheeks an embarrassingly shade of red at the display the put up. “Um…could you do us a favor and not mention this to anypony please?” The four around Diamond started to laugh it off much to her frustration. But after a second thought she joined along with them as she realized; ‘This is what it’s like to have friends.’
The Crusaders soon said their goodbyes to their new friends, knowing that they will soon hang out as friends for the first time. Diamond sighed a breath of relief as she turned to her friend. “So Silvy, what do you wanna do now, we can do whatever you want now.”
Silver Spoon chuckled at the idea. “So what, does that make me the new leader now?”
“I just want to make up for lost time you know? Let you call the shots now.”
“Well that’s good to know. You were a terrible boss.” Silver chided as she stuck out her tongue.
“Oh you shut up! We both know that I was a great…” She was interrupted by a small shove as Silver started to dash away without much hesitation. “Hey I’m not done! Get back here!”
“You’ll have to catch me first!” Silver shouted back, laughing as she continued to run. Diamond saw what was going on and immediately started her chase. The two fillies sprinted around Ponyville avoiding every citizen in their path. They darted over and under many objects doing their best not to slow down for even a second until eventually reaching the park. Minutes passed as Silver started panting, her hooves were starting to slow down, and Diamond was getting faster.
It didn’t take long for the pink filly to catch up to her target only a mere foot away. When she was closed enough she leaped forward and talked silver to the ground. “Gotcha!” She exclaimed as they rolled along the grass coming to a stop under the shade of a tall tree. While the tumble did give them a few bruises here and there, they were nonetheless laughing about the whole experience.
Their laughing soon fell soon a small sentence was uttered by Silver. “A game of tag.”
“What was that?” Diamond inquired.
“That’s what I wanted us to do first, play a game of tag. We’ve spent so much time messing with others that we really never had the time to just play around like this. I just wanted us to do something normal for once…it’s been awhile.”
Diamond felt an ounce of guilt when she heard that. Have they really gone so long without playing with each other like this? She stood up and looked back at her friend with determined eyes. “Silver, as your best friend I promise to be that best friend you wanted back for so long. I’ll do what I can to make up for all those lost years no matter what it is.”
“A nice gesture, but you still are and always will be my best friend. Of course if you wanna start making it up, we can just lie down like this for a while. Maybe a chocolate milkshake would help too.”
“For you, I’ll give you anything. On one condition though.”
Silver stood up from the soft grass. “Oh…and what is that condition?”
Diamond started to blush. “Could we do our old shake again?”
Silver looked back at her friend in confusion, but it immediately grew into a smile. “A toast to our renewed friendship, may it last forever.”
Diamond nodded. “And may we promise to stay true to each other no matter what.”
“Bump bump sugar lump rump!”
The two friends smiled as the burst into another fit of laughter as they fell to the ground. Looking up at the afternoon sky they started to look forward to the next day at school
