Button Mash pauses a moment as he examines himself in my true body using the reflection of a store window. I have to say that he looks like me with my mane hidden under his brown, white, and yellow stripe propeller hat on. Since the hat is small enough, it is tilted at the back end of my true body's head which allows for easy access for my horn at the forward end.

We also did go with painting over his cutie mark with mine option since we wanted to be thorough. Aside from that, we just couldn't convince him to put on a dress to cover it up despite a little peer pressure from us to do it, and I fiercely objected to him wearing ugly brown shorts as an alternative.

Well, ugly on my body, at any rate. If my sister saw me wearing something like that, I'm sure she'd have a heart attack.

While he examines my body in the reflection, I approach behind him. As a result, my own reflection starts to stand out. With a little extra effort and practice, I managed to morph into a form that is still a foal but has pretty tall legs for the age. My hide is now yellow and my mane is a mixture of silver and gold. The tips of my mane and tail curl up a bit. I still decided to go with the glasses because I just wanna but Button convinced me to part with the silly nose and mustache. I think the end results look a little less fun but my big sister might approve instead of fainting with dread which I totally wish I could see. The breed I've chosen is a unicorn as well because I want an excuse to continue to use my magic. When I do, I have the same light green aura color that I usually do which matches my eyes. Both details are very small hints of my true form.

“Look at us,” I encourage with a playful grin as I snuggle my face beside Button's. “We're practically identical twins now, huh?”

Button rolls my eyes and gives me a grin before turning around and facing the rest of the CMC.

“So, girls, now that you've twisted my leg and finally convinced me to come out with you, where exactly do you wish to go?” he checks with us.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both glance at each other simultaneously. Seconds later, they shrug simultaneously. After that, they both look back at Button but only Scootaloo speaks.

“Beats me. I just wanted to do stuff together. You know . . . hang out.”

“There's lots of stuff tah do out in Ponyville,” Apple Bloom put in. “Trust me. Me an' thah girls here know the ins and outs of Ponyville lahk the back of our hooves.”

“Comes with the territory of working so hard to get our cutie marks,” I add while I wiggle my nose a bit. I'm a little unaccustomed to the weight of the glasses but I still like the look. It boggles my mind to think the glasses in question are actually me in disguise. They feel just like normal glasses.

“But what exactly do you all wish to do specifically?” Button emphasizes.

“Well, like I said,” Scootaloo speaks up. “There's kayaking.”

“Scuba diving,” adds Apple Bloom.

“Hang gliding,” I add.

“Roller skating,” says Scootaloo.

“Horseshoe tossing,” says Apple Bloom.

“Beauty salon,” I say.

“Zip lining,” says Scootaloo.

“Mountain climbing,” says Apple Bloom.

“Dog walking,” I say.

Button Mash sits down and wipes both of my hooves in front of him as he says, “Okay, okay, okay! I get it! There are lots of options, but which, of those, do you all specifically want to do now?” Button emphasizes.

We Crusaders give each other a questioning look. Moments later, our silent expressions communicate a mutual decision. After that, we look back at Button simultaneously as I say, “We have decided that you should decide.”

Button looks taken aback as he asks, “Me? Why me?”

“Because this is the first time we're really hanging out as friends,” Scootaloo explains. “And we want to get to know you.”

“We're basically up fer ennah'thang anyway,” Apple Bloom puts in. “As long as we do it tah'gether as fray'ends. So, whatever you decide, we can be all fer it.”

“Really? You're all up for that?” Button double checks with the rest of us to be sure.

We Crusaders nod at him simultaneously and enthusiastically.

“Well . . . okay. If you're all sure.” Button stands back up then taps my bottom chin with a thinking pose for a second. During that time, he squints one of my eyes nearly shut. Two seconds later, he brightens as he comes up with an idea then looks between us as he announces. “Alright. In that case, I have decided we should all go to the arcade.”

My expression sinks to a dull one as I point out, “Okay, so we left your house with all of those video games you proposed to play only to go outside and play still more video games?” I facehoof as I say, “I should have seen this coming.”

“Hey!” I look back at Button to notice the fur on my white body bristle a bit and my tail straighten. “You all said for me to decide what to do, and that is what I've decided. Don't knock it till you try it. You're all about trying new stuff anyway, right? And you all said you wanted to get to know me better.” Button looks in the direction of the arcade as he adds, “Plus, at the arcade, there are some video games there that I don't have at home.” Now Button straightens my body and closes my eyes as he adopts a smug look while he announces, “And, at the video game arcade, I'll show all of you fillies what I can really do! I'm quite the stud at the arcade!”

“Huh?” asks a mare beside us which draws all of our attention, including Button Mash. There, we see a pink hide earth pony mare with a green mane/tail and green eyes. She has a cutie mark of a bunch of white daisy flowers which also happens to be her name, Little Miss Daisy. She is standing next to a friend of hers that we Crusaders only recently met. This is a somewhat chubby, light pink mare with a deeper pink mane and tail that coils into beautiful curls. She's wearing an elegant dress that conceals her cutie mark. We happen to know that this friend of Daisy is named Rose Quartz.

Both mares have paused in their tracks in order to give Button a strange expression because of what he said. In particular, they are likely perplexed that he referred to himself by the term, “Stud”.

“Uh . . . haha,” Button fake laughs with an obviously very embarrassed expression. “Nice day we're having, eh . . . fellow ladies?” Following that, he gives the two mares a very sheepish grin and seems to hope that they agree with him then quickly trot on.

The two mares continue to regard Button strangely so I decide to intercede on his behalf.

“We're role-playing right now,” I explain to Daisy and Rose. “Sweetie Belle here is pretending to be Button Mash right now, her own special somepony, in order to get inside his head and figure out how best to please him later.”

While Rose actually still looks suspicious for some reason, Daisy immediately brightens upon hearing that explanation. Her smile transfers from me to Button as she says, “Oh! Well good for you, Sweetie Belle! You’re always being a considerate little filly, aren’t you?”

“Yeah!” Button agrees with a slightly twitchy eye. “That's me. A good little filly.”

Daisy suddenly gets a mischievous look as her eyes get shifty for a second before leaning forward, applying a hoof beside her mouth in a conspiratorial way, and says in a hushed tone, “Well, if Button ever decides to return the favor by dressing up and pretending to be you, then you let me know.”

Button suddenly deadpans as he says flatly, “Lady . . . you have no idea how ironic your statement is.”

“Huh?” Daisy looks confused again as she lifts her head back up.

Button shifts my face back to sheepish as he says, “Which is exactly what Button would have said if he was me.” He taps my head as he explains, “In my attempt to get into character, I have to consider how he'd respond if he really was standing here pretending to be Sweetie Belle.”

“Wow!” Daisy expresses in amazement. “You're a really good actress, Sweetie Belle.”

“Of course she is,” I put in a little insistently. “She's also a play writer, song composer, director, set and costume designer as well. Don't you remember the play she and her friends put on a few years back?”

“Huh?” Daisy asks me then thinks back. “Well, I ah . . .” She suddenly brightens in recollection. She triumphantly declares, “Wait! Now I remember!”

“You do?!” I ask brightly as I wag my tail in excitement.

“Oh yes!” Daisy confirms brightly. “I remember that she wore a very nice pink dress with lots of frills, sparkles, and a cute little pink bow on her back.”

My expression immediately goes flat as I say very dryly, “Why thank you, Daisy. I'm sure Sweetie's older sister would love to hear about how much you're complementing the dress.” I growled the word “sister” and my left eye twitched for a second in annoyance.

A moment later, though, my expression softens since I do recall that my sister really did put a lot of “T-L-C” into that dress on that day. That really was sweet of her. I just find it so annoying how none of the other ponies in town seem to remember anything that I put into that play.

Daisy now looks very confused at me because she thinks she's never met me before so I shouldn't be recalling that play so well. Moreover, it should be “Sweetie Belle” bragging about her performance more instead.

“Come on, Daisy,” Rose Quartz encourages. “Let's leave these little fillies to their silly little games.”

“Oh, you're right,” Daisy agrees then waves us goodbye with a hoof as she turns about and trots off. “Bye-bye, little fillies! You girls have fun with whatever you're doing.”

Button waits for the two mares to trot out of hearing distance before looking down with a sad sigh then paraphrases, “'These little fillies', 'You girls'.” He frowns. “This is humiliating. No pony out here really sees me anymore. That makes me feel so empty inside.”

I frown as well as I look back at Button. I know very well what that empty feeling is like. It might be that I'm smelling that emotion off of him now as well. If so, it is already bringing back some painful memories.

“You'll get used to it, I think,” Scootaloo tries to console but with a shade of doubt. “And it's not so bad being a filly. There's lots of cool stuff we can do. Also, physically, we're capable of just about anything the boys can do.”

“And then some,” Apple Bloom adds with an expression which holds a slight bit of mischief. “But we don't have to discuss those abilities until we're way older.”

“I . . . I want you to know that I understand how you feel,” I express sympathetically to Button. “We're out here to get to know each other and to have fun, so let's do it!” I brighten. “Let's hit the arcade!”

“There you fillies are!” a familiar-sounding filly cries out from somewhere nearby. We search around to locate the source of the voice. What we spot is a dull pink earth pony with a lilac color mane and a thick white stripe tracing through it. If that isn't distinctive enough, the diamond tiara she wears on her head is a literal dead giveaway to her identity. She's calling at us from inside a horse-driven carriage through the open window on the side, but it is currently halted. Excitedly, she opens the door with her mouth then hops outside. Once she's done that, she waves at us to come over.

We glance at each other curiously, shrug, then head on over to meet Diamond. All of us are curious about what she has to say.

Of all of us, I probably have the best idea of what Diamond is going to say since I'm the primary one whose been negotiating with her earlier. I'll just have to wait and see if Diamond confirms my theory.

“I'm so glad I finally found you all!” Diamond cheers triumphantly when we arrive next to her. “I've been searching all over town looking for you . . . four?” Diamond regards me with surprise and without recognition.

I widen my eyes as it suddenly dawns on me that we might have a problem. Diamond doesn't see me as Sweetie Belle anymore. Instead of that, she's going to judge Button in that manner.

This could be a problem!

“Who are you?” Diamond asks me curiously but also politely. There is a slight shine of delight in her eyes as if she's excited about the prospect of meeting a potential new friend.

After Diamond asks that, all other eyes are now on me.

“I'm, ah . . .” I use my magic to adjust my glasses for a second in a manner that reminds me of Sunburst. I then introduce, “I'm Shimmering Spectacles!” As I lean forward in order to whisper something conspiratorially. Diamond copies me cooperatively. “I'm a librarian with a mysterious past.”

Diamond suddenly looks confused. She backs her head to have it straight again as she lifts an eyebrow at me curiously before saying, “You don't say.” We all pause for an awkward moment except for me. I raise and lower my eyebrows several times because I know I came up with a very clever backstory.

Beside me, Button facehooves for some weird reason.

Diamond suddenly brightens as she declares, “Well, any friends of the Crusaders is a friend of mine.” She dramatically swings a leg towards the entrance of her carriage as she encourages, “Come on in. All of you.”

“Ah . . . Diamond,” Scootaloo pipes up, “we kinda, sorta, had our own plans.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?” Diamond challenges pretty blatantly.

“We were thinking of going out to the arcades,” Scootaloo admits honestly, then shrugs. “We haven't tried it yet so we thought it might be fun.”

In response, Diamond laughs briefly then says, “That's cute.” She then jabs a point into the carriage and demands insistently, “Now get in the carriage.”

“Yes Ma'am!” we all say simultaneously which, for once, includes Button Mash. After that, we all scramble into the carriage before we even fully realize what happened.

Then I recall what Diamond claimed she got her cutie mark for.

Once inside, we notice that Silver Spoon is in the carriage too. The gray hide and white mane earth pony filly is looking a little bored as she gazes out the window of the other side of the carriage. When our eyes meet, she narrows her eyes at me a little with a questioning look of “Who are you?” but she also gives me a small but polite wave hi. I return the gesture.

“Besides, I got a great surprise for you Crusaders,” Diamond says excitedly as she climbs back into the carriage. “You are going to looooove iiiiiit!” She squees in giddy excitement. Using her tail, she closes the carriage door as she enters. After that, she knocks on a small shut window at the front of the carriage. Moments later, a senior gentlepony slides the window open.

“Yes, Milady?” the driver asks Diamond.

“Take us to the Ponyville Spa,” Diamond commands with noble dignity.

“Yes, Milady,” the driver repeats in confirmation before shutting the window. Moments later, we feel the carriage lurch forward, pulled by the healthy group of stallions ahead.

“The Ponyville Spa?” Scootaloo echoes questioningly. “That's why you hijacked our evening?”

“That's just our first stop,” Diamond responds. “One of many.” She arrogantly fluffs her mane as she goes on to say, “I need you fillies to all look your best if you are to attend with me to the grand opening of 'My Fair Mare'!” She squeals in excitement. “I just got us V-I-P tickets to the hottest stage show that will début right here in Ponyville! How cool is that?!”

“Really?!” I ask excitedly while the rest of my friends, including Button, look even further confused. “You got us tickets for that show tonight?! And V-I-P tickets at that?!

“Ooooo!” I squirm excitedly. “Does that mean backstage passes too? Do we get to meet the cast members?”

Diamond blinks at me in surprise as she says, “Ah . . . I didn't expect you to come around so I didn't purchase you a ticket.”

“Oh,” I say in disappointment as my ears lower.

“But don't worry!” Diamond says with renewed brightness. “Each of our tickets will allow us to bring a plus one. As far as I know, the Crusaders are not bringing a plus one so you can be one of theirs or one of ours.” She gestures between herself and Silver Spoon. She smiles at me as she says happily, “I didn't know we'd be bringing another enthusiast of the theater arts. I'm so glad you're coming along!”

Hearing that cheers me back up. I say with relief, “Oh good!”

“What's, 'My Fair Mare'?” asks Scootaloo curiously. Her expression shifts to caution as she asks, “Is it anything sappy?”

“It is a play that has a five-star review!” Diamond announces happily. “And I'm taking all of you to see it . . . but first we'll freshen up at the Ponyville Spa. After that, we'll swing by Carousel Boutique for some fancy dresses. After all, if we're going to a fancy theater show, we have to dress the part.”

With every item that Diamond lists, Button seems to grow sicker and sicker. Diamond eventually notices and lifts an eyebrow curiously at Button.

“What's wrong with you? Are you sick?” Diamond asks Button in concern. “I thought you'd be the most excited.”

“Oh? Is that what you think?” Button asks tightly.

Diamond grows even more suspicious as she repeats to Button, “What's wrong with you? You're not acting like yourself at all.” She eyes Button from the tip of my horn to the bottom of my hooves, then back up to my true body’s eyes as she asks, “And what's with the stupid hat? You look ridiculous in that thing.”

“What?!” Button asks in shock then he growls tightly, “I beg your pardon!”

Diamond now narrows both of her eyes at Button as she asks, “What's wrong with you today? You're acting really strange.”

Button gains a pouty face but also slowly removes his hat from my head. Once that is done, both Diamond and Silver gasp and widen their eyes in astonishment as they behold my mane.

“What in the world have you done to your mane, girl!” Silver Spoon asks Button in astonishment. “You look like a hobo.”

Button frowns at Silver as he argues, “No I don't! I, just ah . . . trying something different, is all.” He pats the tight bun on my mane. “I'm a Crusader so it means I like to try new stuff. Well, now I'm trying a new mane style so that I can sympathize with others who also change their manes?” he finishes with a questioning inflection as if hoping his listeners will buy his story.

Diamond asks in astonishment, “What? Are you trying to do research in order to help a foal get a cutie mark for failing mane therapy?

“My goodness! Now I realize that it's a really good thing that I'm treating you all to the Ponyville Spa first! This is a fashion emergency!

“Good grief, girl. I expected way better fashion sense than this from the little sister of Rarity. She should have taught you better than this.”

I cringe in my seat because I realize Diamond has a point. My big sister has taught me better than this, and I was already sensitive to my mane being messed with in the first place. I only accepted his tampering because it was the only way to convince him to accompony us out of his house. We also promised him that it would just be the four of us this evening. How was I supposed to know that Diamond was hunting us down?

But my goodness, though. My Fair Mare? Oooo! I am getting goosebumps just thinking about it! And V-I-P seats, too! I can't wait!

That probably means backstage passes as well. It really pays off to have good friends in high places.

“Why are you wearing that ridiculous hat anyway?” Diamond goes on to ask. “That thing looks about as stupid as the hat Button Mash wears.”

I knew there is going to be trouble the moment I saw Button Mash grimace in anger.

“Oh yeah? Then why don't we talk about that stupid tiara that you always wear on your head?” Button Mash snaps.

Everypony in the carriage collectively gasps in shock due to his words. Maybe even Button himself.

There is a few seconds of an awkward pause inside the carriage before Button looks down sadly and says, “I'm sorry, Diamond. That was out of line. I don't know what came over me.” He looks back up at Diamond above my head as he says, “Maybe I'm actually a little jealous of that tiara? It's probably made of real diamonds, after all.”

Since those in the carriage remain in stunned silence, Button sighs before going on to say, “Again, I'm sorry, Diamond. It's just that . . . Button Mash did give me this hat so I have some sentimental attachment to it. He is my special somepony, after all.”

Finally Diamond's expression changes from stunned to sympathetic. She says, “Oh that's right! And Button Mash is still in the hospital comatose. I bet you're really worried about him, huh?”

“Ah . . . yeah,” Button says honestly. “I really am. I have a lot of personal investment in that stunning and wholly manly stallion.”

I hiss through my teeth while I think to myself, “Careful, Button. Ease it back a bit.”

“Honestly, Sweetie, what do you see in that little weirdo?” Silver Spoon asks Button insensitively.

“Hey, Silver!” Diamond snaps at her friend. “Cut it out! Sweetie is already going through a tough time with his loss.” She applies a hoof to her chest as she declares, “I'm worried about him too! He's our classmate and I wish him well.”

“I don't wish him ill, if that's what you're thinking,” Silver explains to Diamond. “I just want to know what Sweetie sees in the little guy.” Silver returns her gaze to Button as she requests, “Please enlighten me.”

“We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” I declare boldly and proudly before realizing I just made a severe slip of the tongue. “Uh . . . I mean . . . they are the Cutie Mark Crusaders. It's their job to see the hidden potential of others.”

With a raised eyebrow extending above the silver rim of Silver Spoon's glasses, Silver transfers that look from me to Button as she asks, “Right, and I want to know what hidden potential you see in him because I want to see it myself. It's quite possible that I deeply underestimated the guy and I'll fully acknowledge that the Crusaders do, indeed, have a knack for spotting hidden talent. I just want to know what that potential is so I can appreciate that quality in him myself. That's all.”

I can smell the fact that Button is feeling a little hurt and he's struggling to remind himself that these two fillies see him as me rather than himself. He's struggling not to be offended but he isn't having an easy time of it.

Also, he's deeply surprised in a bad way. He thought the other foals in school looked up to him.

“Button has a lot more potential than you think,” Button insists. “His mother tells him that all the time, and I believe her.”

“Why?” Silver continues to challenge rather blatantly.

Button shakes with barely constrained fury as he complains, “By Celestia, you're one insensitive little filly.”

“Do you really want me to stop asking? Or do you want to convince me of your point?” Silver bargains.

I see Button widen his eyes for a second as he realizes something. He then looks over at me as it probably dawns on him that he isn't too certain what I see in him. I think I have told him why but it might have gone in one ear and out the other and now he's paying the price.

“I, ah . . . well . . .” Button looks from me to Silver with worry at first but then it shifts to determination as he answers, “Love doesn't need an explanation. When you have it, it's not something we can easily explain. If you have it, you have it. If you don't, you don't. You'll see what I'm talking about when you fall in love someday. When that day comes, I dare you to explain it to somepony else. It's like trying to describe a color no pony else has seen or a sound no pony else has heard. Love is an experience, not a how-to manual.”

Stunned silence descends in the carriage again as his words slowly sink into us. Once again, Button, himself, feels the same way. I can smell it.

Diamond Tiara is the first to clomp her hooves in a clap which gains more speed and enthusiasm. As she does that, the rest of us gradually copy her.

“Well said, Sweetie Belle,” Diamond commends. “None of us are in a fair position to judge you until we have gone through the same thing, and as you said . . . when it happens, we might find it just as hard to explain it to others. I sympathize with that.

“Moreover, I'm actually jealous, too. Romance is something that we fillies often long for. We think about it and yearn for it every day of our lives. We're always hoping we'll meet some hyper-romantic prince charming while also secretly afraid we'll end up marrying a frog.”

Diamond looks up with yearning in her eyes as she says, “I long for the day when I can fully express my feelings to somepony who shares and understands the way I feel. Somepony who will look at me as if I'm the most precious pony in the world.” She looks back at Button. “And not just because of my money either. A pony who would gladly marry me anyway regardless of how much or how little money I have. A pony who loves me for me. You actually have that blessing right now and I'm so happy for you! And I sincerely pray for Button's recovery because I know you both deserve all the happiness in the world!”

The ponies in the carriage are stunned again, but this time in a good way. I feel my little heart melt with bubbly visions of romantic passions.

“Thank you . . . Diamond!” Button tells Diamond in stunned awe. “I mean it. I . . . I know in my heart that Button Mash has heard your feelings for him. On his behalf, I'd like to thank you for your very kind words.”

Diamond smiles brightly as she shakes her head before saying, “No, thank you, Sweetie Belle. You and all of your fellow Crusaders,” she amends as she sweeps a gaze to include Apple Bloom and Scootaloo with those words.

But, notably, not me. While understandable, that does make me feel a little excluded. I know she meant to include me in that declaration, too, but Diamond does not acknowledge that with eye contact this time. I try to remind myself that this isn't her fault and it's the thought that counts.

“You all helped me to find happiness again!” Diamond says happily and proudly. “And I can't thank you enough for it. Even tonight, what I'm doing is just a small gesture in an attempt to repay that debt, for without you . . . I'd still be the miserable little bully that I was. You all changed me for the better and that's why I'm convinced that you three have something really special to offer the world.”

Diamond Tiara sits up straighter in her seat as she starts to adopt a more serious facial expression and pose. I realize she's about to get down to brass tacks and I have a pretty good idea what it is.

“I must admit that I do have an ulterior motive for inviting you all tonight,” Diamond admits seriously. “By no means does it mean that I am not sincerely grateful to you all. It just means I have an extra motive for wanting to get invested in your business.”

“Yeah. I remember Sweetie Belle mentioning this a few days ago,” Scootaloo recalls. “She said you wanted to become our new business partner and you wanted to turn our business into a legit business.”

“Yes, I do,” Diamond concurs. “Mainly for two reasons.

“Number one; I want to prove to my parents, as well as to myself, that I have what it takes to manage big business. What can be more proof than that than by helping to turn a small business into a thriving one?

“Number two; I genuinely think you Crusaders have something very special to offer the world and I want to see you succeed. As a satisfied client myself, I can speak from experience that the services you offer can be life-changing.

“However, I've also noticed that your business is floundering on a financial front and that really concerns me because I don't want to see you three fail. You three are doing too much charity work and it's putting your income in the red zone. You're spending more money than you're making and that is not a sustainable business model.”

“Well,” Scootaloo begins but pauses for a second as she glances at the other members of the Crusaders. I notice that Diamond notices Scootaloo glance at me and not Button Mash. After Scootaloo looks at the three of us, she looks back at Diamond as she says, “We thank you for the offer but we do things our way for a reason. Our services cater mostly to young ponies because those are the clients that have yet to discover their cutie marks. They can't pay big bits for our service and we know that. We can't, in good conscience, slam the door on their faces just because they aren't rich.

“Ah,” Scootaloo rubs the back of her neck in sudden discomfort as she says in apology, “No offense.”

“None taken,” Diamond says with a dismissive wave of a hoof. “I'm not offended by the pony I am or the status to which I am born. You are also forgetting one very crucial thing. Those foals you're talking about have parents that can pay for the service. There's nothing wrong with that. It's just like them paying to give their foals dance classes or some other kind of elite education.”

I suddenly smell hurt feelings from Scootaloo and I know why. That pony's parents have been pretty distant for most of her life. It's forced her to be rather independent.

Diamond appears to realize the mistake of her words upon observing Scootaloo's suddenly hurt reaction, so she says, “Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be insensitive to your situation.”

Scootaloo shakes her head as she says far more bravely than she actually smells, “That's okay. I'm used to it.”

“That just makes it worse!” Diamond complains sadly and sympathetically.

Scootaloo shakes her head again as she says, “You don't understand. What I've gone through has made me the pony I am today.” She puffs her chest out as she proclaims, “I am proud of the pony I am today! It has made me very independent and I have two of the best friends in the world! Plus I am the honorary sister to the coolest pony in all of Equestria! Rainbow Dash is the best flier and Wonderbolt who has ever lived! How many other pegasi can say that they caused a legendary Sonic Rainboom on multiple occasions? She can cause the impossible to happen at will! How cool is that?!” Scootaloo asks so brightly that it puts a smile on all of our faces. I can smell her pride so I know she's being sincere right now.

Scootaloo pauses a moment as she looks out the carriage window. During that time, we spend a moment in silence which gives us a chance to digest Scootaloo's words and feelings. That is quite a blessing because we need it.

“My point is,” Scootaloo eventually continues as she looks back at us, “I have no regrets. I am proud of the mare I've become. I am proud and happy to live in this town and be surrounded by all my friends on a daily basis, so don't feel sorry for me.” She shakes her head. “There's no reason to because I'm actually one of the luckiest ponies in the world!”

Once again, we feel driven towards another applause, only this time it is towards Scootaloo.

“I'm glad you feel happy about your life,” Diamond says honestly and happily. “I really am.” Her smile drops a little as she goes on to say, “Please don't misinterpret my motives here. I am aiming for financial success but for very personal reasons. More than any other business in the world, I am determined to see you Crusaders succeed. For that to happen, realistic initiatives have to be in place. Surely, by now, you've noticed that as you've gotten older, your business expenses have gradually increased.”

Diamond now turns to look directly at Button Mash as she says to him, “You told me about this yourself. I asked you about this in concern and you were honest with me. You admitted that costs have been getting steadily higher and your income hasn't been keeping up. You said you've done charity work for many other businesses by offering them the services of the foals who are trying to find their own cutie mark. In exchange, they have happily donated some supplies to help you with your other ventures.”

“Yeah,” Scootaloo agrees. “We can just keep that up.”

Diamond shakes her head at Scootaloo as she says, “No, you can't, because the demand for your business is increasing, especially after you added the Cutie Mark Daycamp to your list of services. It's a smart idea on paper but it inevitably has certain costs attached to it. Costs that you are not really keeping up with and it isn't fair to constantly rely on the generosity of your donors which will eventually run dry.”

“Well we get by just fine,” Scootaloo argues. “Sweetie gets some allowance from both her sister and her parents. Apple Bloom gets a cut of the profits from the sale of apples because she's a fellow worker on the farm. As for me, I get a stipend from my parents once a moon. My aunts also chip in from time to time, so we're fine.”

Diamond shakes her head again as she says, “Allowances that go right back into your Crusader business just to keep up with expenses. Don't you ever want to get paid for your valuable service instead? How do you think you'd feel if you can go to Sugar Cube Corner, for example, and purchase a treat that you earned with your own money? Huh?”

That question takes Scootaloo aback and makes her more thoughtful.

“You three have a thriving business on your hooves because you're offering an invaluable and unique service,” Diamond points out further. “So you deserve to get paid for it. It's not evil to ask for money. It's normal and even healthy for the economy. If you make more money then you spend more money for your town and Equestria at large. You'd be contributing to the economic health of everything and that really is important. Far more than you fillies know.”

Diamond pauses a moment as she sighs and takes the time to recollect her thoughts before going on to say, “Making money and spending it is not evil. Morality rather depends on how you make and spend that money. It's just like anything else. Tools are not inherently bad or good. It's rather how you use them that determines things like that.”

We feel the carriage come to a halt. Shortly later, the driver knocks on the window and announces through it, “Milady, we have arrived at the Ponyville Spa.”

“Thank you, Randolph,” Diamond says back courteously to the elderly driver. “Now please open the door for us. We shall be departing forthwith.”

“Very good, Milady,” Randolph replies outside before we hear him climbing down to do as instructed.

“Please just think about my offer,” Diamond encourages us. She almost looks like she's begging us. “I just want to see the Cutie Mark Crusaders succeed. With my help as Treasurer, I think we can not only sustain your business but help it to grow. If you do, then you can help even more ponies!

“Just think about it,” is Diamond's final words to us before she departs from the carriage after her loyal aide opens the door for her and offers a very aged hoof to courteously help her down. Shortly later, Silver Spoon also quietly departs which leaves the rest of us looking at each other in thoughtful silence.

Author's Note

I wonder how many of you saw this coming. Finally Diamond Tirara gets some focus in this story after being mentioned as early as chapter three. And this, of course, is the reformed version of Diamond Tiara which, unfortunately, did not get much focus at all in the show past "Crusaders of the Lost Mark". How many of you also thought that was a shamefully lost opportunity?

Well here, at least, you can gain a glimpse into the way I see her development past the show. She's still bossy and can be critical of certain things, but she's far more kind in this version.

Also, I'm curious if you agree or disagree with her argument about the status of the Crusaders and if her involvement is necessary or not.

Let me know your thoughts on this chapter. I'd love to read it.

Down below are Daisy

and ponyfied version of Rose Quartz respectively.