Well let's give a big hand to the winner of the poll... Diamond Tiara. [How the buck did this happen?] Uhh... Yeah folks, you read that correctly. This chapter's POV will be from Diamond bucking Tiara's perspective. [Why God?] Oh well, I put up the poll, and now I must honor it. As a side note, this chapter is shorter than most. Just be glad I could actually write it.

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Chapter Eleven – The Rough in the Diamond

A pink filly ran through the streets of Ponyville, face red with either anger or shame. She couldn't decide which it was. She almost ran into a mint-colored unicorn, but the pink filly did not slow down.

"Stupid Glass. What does he know anyway?" Diamond Tiara muttered to herself under her breath. The answer: a lot, apparently. Diamond didn't know how Obsidian Glass had found out. She herself had only barely begun to contemplate the possibility of liking him. The only reason she had gone looking for him was a vain attempt to convince herself that the feelings hadn't been real.

It had not gone as planned.

Ever since Glass had stood up to Diamond Tiara during recess, she'd had a weird feeling about him. Clearly, the white colt had been a threat to her, but that hadn't been it. When Glass dampened her attempts to humiliate Applebloom in class, that's when she realized what that feeling was and what it meant.

She liked Glass.

Diamond hadn't really comprehended how that was possible at all. At least, not until he had set her feelings on display for everypony to see. Now Scootaloo knew, which meant that the rest of her blank flank friends would find out before school next Monday.

The pink filly was not entirely concerned about that. She could handle a couple of blank flanks when the time came. It was the gray filly trying to catch up to her that presented a bigger problem.

"Diamond, wait up!" Silver Spoon called out to her friend.

"Just go away, Silver!" Diamond Tiara yelled over her shoulder. She couldn't face the silver-maned filly. Not now. She needed time to come up with an excuse, some way to convince her that Glass had been lying.

"But Diamond, I–"

"NO!" Diamond Tiara yelled at her friend, turning her head while still running. "Just leave me alone! I've got to–" The pink filly was interrupted when she crashed into a mare wandering around the streets. As they both recovered, the mare spook.

"Oops, are you okay?" The blonde mare asked.

"I'm fine, just watch where you're going!" Diamond responded.

"Sorry, I just don't know what went wrong." The gray mare said before trotting off. Diamond was about to continue running, but it was too late. Silver Spoon had caught up to her.

The pink filly gave an awkward smile at her friend while she considered her options. Resuming the chase now would be pointless. Talking it out with her friend was certainly not desirable. Silver's eyes were narrowed, silently demanding answers. Finally, Diamond sighed, conceding defeat.

"What happened back there?" Silver Spoon asked her. "How could you let that blank flank walk all over you?"

Diamond sat down on the ground – which was filthy, but she couldn't muster the energy to stand back up – and said, "I can't tell you."

Silver Spoon didn't seem to like that answer. "Yes you can." She said. Diamond shook her head fervently, face red with embarrassment. Silver frowned, and sat down next to her friend.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" Silver asked her. Diamond nodded, biting her lip to keep from speaking, for she was afraid of what she might say. "Then I have to know one thing." The gray filly told Diamond, looking her dead in the eye.

"Do you like Glass?"

Diamond sensed that Silver immediately regretted asking the question so bluntly. It was too late to take it back however. The band-aid had been ripped off. Not wanting to answer, but not able to say nothing, Diamond Tiara resorted to the one thing she'd felt like doing since Glass had revealed her feelings.

She broke down crying.

Silver Spoon was so shocked that the glasses fell off of her face. Diamond had let the first tear escape, and then the dam had burst. The pink filly sat in the middle of the road, water streaming down her face as she desperately tried to choke back each sob.

Not willing to let her friend suffer alone, Silver wrapped a hoof around Diamond's shoulder. Patting her back lightly, Silver said, "You okay?"

"I'm… Yes." Diamond said. "I just… oh Silver Spoon." The pink filly wrapped her forelegs around her surprised friend, and continued crying hysterically. Silver returned the embrace without hesitation.

"It's true." Diamond finally managed, shakily. "I can't believe it, Silver, but it's true. I like Glass." The words rolled out of her mouth easier than she first imagined. With the big secret out, Diamond began to calm down. The two friends released each other, and Silver retrieved her glasses. They had been covered in a bit of dirt, and she had to rub it off. As she did, Diamond kept talking.

"I- I don't even know how it happened. I can't even explain why, but it's true, everything Glass said is true."

"I don't understand though." Silver said. "He's insulting, and a blank flank, and well…"

"I think he's cute." Diamond sniffled out.

"Oh." Silver said.

"And he stood up to me. Nopony has ever done that before. Not even my parents. Everypony has just given me whatever I wanted in life. Then when I met him, that changed. It's different, but I like it. If he had just lied down and rolled over like any other blank flank, then I wouldn't have respected him. And now I... now I like him for it." Diamond couldn't stop rambling. She wasn't lying, but she wished she was. The truth – this truth – was painful to admit. The fact that she had developed feelings for Glass was… humiliating at best. Her chances of ever getting him to return those feelings were pitiful.

"He probably thinks I'm some sort of pompous, irritating, preppy rich girl or something." Diamond said, still sniffling. "You must think I'm a fool."

"It's okay, Diamond." Silver Spoon said. "I don't think any less of you for liking Glass." Diamond brushed her purple and white mane out of her eyes, and stared at her friend.

"You don't?" She asked.

"No." Silver said honestly. "How could I? You're my best friend. Nothing would ever change that. Not even falling in love with a blank flank."

"I'm not in love with him." Diamond mumbled. Silver grinned coyly at her. "I have a crush on him." Diamond said in an effort to justify herself. "That doesn't mean I love him."

"Yeah, sure." Silver Spoon said with a hint of sarcasm. "You only think he's cute, nothing else to it."

"Well… he is." Diamond said, feeling like saying it had become slightly more natural.

"Eh… maybe." Silver admitted. "On the bright side, it could be worse."

"How could this be any worse?" Diamond asked.

"You could want to join the Cutie Mark Crusaders." Silver asked. The joke eased the mood slightly, as both fillies found themselves laughing. Eventually, Silver stood up. She offered a hoof to Diamond Tiara, who accepted it and stood up as well.

The two friends began walking towards their homes on the other side of Ponyville. It was a long walk though, and Diamond had a question of her own.

"Hey, Silver Spoon?" Diamond asked.

"Yeah, what is it?" Silver replied.

"Do you think Scootaloo likes Glass?" For a moment, Silver Spoon just had on a face of deep thought.

"I thought that was just you trying to get under her skin. Did you really mean it?"

"Well…" The pink filly started. "I didn't really think so at first. But then she just started blushing so much after I said it. What do you think it means?"

"I don't know." Silver admitted. "I guess it means she likes him." Diamond's spirit dampened when she heard that. Her head slowly lowered.

"Oh." She said.

"Are you worried that you have some competition for Glass's love?" Silver asked, teasing her again.

"Stop saying that!" Diamond demanded. "… but yes, I am. He already is hanging around with her a lot. What if he likes her too? I'm really worried, Silver."

The gray filly was silent for only a moment, probably digesting what the pink filly had just told her.

"Well you shouldn't be." Silver Spoon finally said. Diamond raised her head when she heard that. "You're way better than Scootaloo. Just look at your Cutie Mark if you need proof." The pink filly did, the tiara on her flank confirming what her friend told her.

"Yeah," Diamond said. "You're right. You're absolutely right." Silver grinned, happy to have cheered up her friend. "Glass should feel lucky that I like him, and Scootaloo should feel grateful he isn't already spending all of his time with me!" Diamond's confidence was soaring now.

Eventually, they came across Silver Spoon's house, and the gray filly waved good-bye to her pink friend. Diamond waved back, only half paying attention.

She continued to walk home, her head held up high. Her thoughts on the other hoof, were pretty low down. For as she walked home, Diamond Tiara planned Scootaloo's downfall.