I wake to the smell of pancakes and syrup seeping its way into my room. It's a warming scent. Mostly because it tells me that Dad is home today. The thought of that almost makes me jump out of bed. But, I guess I'm accustomed to having him disappear for random periods of time. Either from Spartan stuff, or just life. Like that one time he had to fight those Time Moles. He was gone for... what, three months? This is normal for him.

The only thing keeping me in bed is the warm cocoon my blankets have provided for me. Tempestive and I were out late at the Gala in Mooseden last night, so sleep is much more appealing. Nothing against Dad, but he'll probably be there in ten more minutes-

THUD

"WAKE UP!"

"AH!" I let out a small scream when Dad kicks the door open and yells. My blankets go flying and my protective layer of warmth escapes immediately. Before I can say anything further he grabs me with his magic and starts to drag me out of bed. I try to grab on, but all I manage to do is bring a pillow with me.

In the hallway I see Tempestive floating with me. Though he's much happier about the sudden awakening. Dad brings us down to the kitchen and drops us into our seats just as a tall stack of pancakes drops onto the plate in the middle of the table. I continue to cling to my pillow and Mama Luna trots around, pausing to kiss Dad, and takes a seat at the other end of the table.

"Dig in everypony!" Mama Luna declares. They all happily start to dig in, everypony serving themselves. I set my pillow down and take a look around.

"Everything okay kiddo?" Dad asks with a mouthful of food.

"Um... yes?" I ask, eyeing him confusingly. "Everything good with... you?"

"Couldn't be better!" He declares happily, taking another large bite of food. I stare at him for a moment longer before slowly serving myself some food.

"So, you got school today, right Shadow?" Dad asks joyfully.

"... yeah." I mutter, taking a small bite.

"So, I was thinking, after you get back we should all go out for a picnic or something. Maybe go to the lake? What do you guys think?"

"Yeah!" Tempestive exclaims, throwing both hooves up into the air.

"We haven't been to the lake in ages!" Luna comments happily... too happily.

"Lake it is then! I'll head to Mooseden to drag Butterscotch and E'Claire along too. Should we invite other too?" Dad asks. The three of them have an excited conversation about the day. It sounds like it's turning into a small party at the lake really. I try to listen to it, but it just seems too... weird? I don't know. Something just doesn't seem right right now. I have to ask something.

"Um... Dad?" I ask, getting his total attention. "Is... everything okay?" He stares at me for a moment before setting his fork down.

"Look, I know things were... heated, before. But everything is fine. Better than fine even! For once things seem to be getting better. I'm sure you'll see in time, but I don't want to spoil any surprises until then. So just trust me and let's enjoy the day! Sound good?"

I stare at him for moment longer before nodding back to him. I know I can trust him. I have no reason not to. Whatever apprehensions I had before I push aside for later. I'm sure it's actually nothing.

"Actually, the girls and I were going to meet up after school to work on a project. It probably won't take too long. We can meet everypony at the lake if that would be better?" Dad agrees to the plan and breakfast continues as normal. I dip out early when I remember that we were going to meet up before school too.

Today is the day. Today I begin our plan to enact my revenge on Diamond Tiara.

I start out by meeting up with everypony in front of school an hour before classes start. With everypony here we get to work on making Diamonds day as terrible as possible. We pull out all the stops. Booby trapping her locker to drop red paint on her when she opens it. Putting itching powder in her gym cloths. Lacing all of her desks with invisible inks that I had to spends days enchanting to only activate when I set it to.

I really hate enchanting now.

We went to all of her favorite places to hang out and put up posters mocking her there. We muddied up the area under the bleachers so she wouldn't be able to slut her issues away! We went to all of the vending machines and bought out her favorite snacks and drinks. We removed the seats from the benches she took ownership of at the cafeteria and hid the umbrella. We went to each of her desks and put posters in them mocking her even further.

We really lucked out that Pipsqueak has it in with the janitor... It also really worked out that the janitor used to work for her father, was fired, and holds a huge grudge about it. Scootaloo was willing to break into all of the rooms. But it's better to not have to break into school.

On top of all of that we have an ambush ready for after school. She usually takes a specific route home and we're ready for it. Large sling shots have been set up to pelt her with water balloons filled with ink and gum wads. The hope is that it'll stain her coat and matte her mane and tail. And that's on top of the paint and invisible inks!

Day one of our plan is our show of force. We're going to take her good looks away from her. Day one, her looks. Day two, alienate her from her friends. We have some dirt that will draw most of her little fanatics away from her. There are a few loyalist that will stick with her, but we have plans to drag them to the outer reaches of society and destroy their self image. Day three, bring the fight to her family.

We've got several plans on what to do here, but it mostly involves us going around town and making comments bad mouthing Barnyard Bargains. If his business is legitimate, which it probably isn't, but if it is he can't go on for more than a month or two while losing ten percent of his business. If the last five days of surveillance are any indicator of that at least. It was a busy week, but if my research is accurate he basically operates on a ten percent margin practice. From there, it's up to volume to make up the difference. If I can drop him ten percent in one month, he'll start to panic. There goes Diamonds little shopping sprees.

It won't be enough to make his business collapse, but that's where the vandalism come into effect. After reading his insurance policies, courtesy of drone footage from Dad's workshop, we know how to make him hurt. Day in, day out. He'll be fine with one or two mishaps. But when his rates quadruple in the span of one month, he'll start to bleed bits.

And that should be it. Though I'm still floating the idea of burning down their house. Sweetie made some persuasive arguments for it, but I think arson is taking it a bit too far. I want them to suffer. Not potentially die. And leaving town would be too easy. I don't want them to have the option to start over somewhere else. I want to the to become trapped. I want them to feel the pressure of everyday being on the brink of financial collapse.

But today, I want drag Diamond down into the dirt.

"Damn... what luck." Scootaloo chimes, getting smacked from Applebloom. "What? How were we supposed to know Diamond would start home schooling the rest of summer school? Who does that?"

"Or that Shadow would get all of her seats and lockers." Sweetie Bell adds.

"Do you think she knew?" Button asks. "She couldn't have known, right?"

"Nopony knew besides us." Scootaloo says, glaring at the others. "Right."

"It doesn't matter." I tell them. "We'll have to get her later when the school year actually starts. Right now we're moving to the next part of the plan."

"Umm..." We all stop and look to Pip. No... I know that look. Don't tell me... "I think that part is going to have to go back to the drawing board."

After a quick explanation we all rush to Barnyard Bargains. Or maybe I rushed there and they all followed, who knows really. When we make it to the font of the store I slide to a stop and drop to my haunches. There's a crowd going out the front door as ponies clamor to get inside. A few standing out front are showing off their new purchases.

Armor. Shiny new armor. Barnyard Bargain doesn't sell armor! I rush to the side of the building and see a new advertisement plastered over the entire side.

I can't believe it. I don't believe it! I spent all week monitoring this place! When did they bring all of this in? And how are so many ponies aware of the sale happening? There weren't any ads before today. They did all of this while we were at school! Why today? How could they have known today was the day to bring this out?

As I stare at the advertisement, dumbfounded, Diamond saunters her way up to us with two ponies in armor flanking her. She's wearing an all leather set of armor, but it clearly wasn't made to protect her. The inlays are far to intricate for something like that.

"Glad you all could make it to the big sale! But, sadly, we sold out already. So you'll have to wait your turn on the backlog... how long was the wait again?" she asks one of the armored ponies. They raise their helmet and I find myself in an entirely new level of dumbfoundedness.

"Looks like it's going to be a three month wait," Twist tells her.

"Ah, too bad. Oh well, can't be helped. Well, you can't at least. I have all the help I need. Bye!" She turns to leave but Twist lingers a moment longer.

"If it's any consolation, I really am sorry. But Diamond said if I helped her I'd get a free set of armor for my dad. Nothing personal, promise." Before any of us can say anything back to her she shuts her helmet and chases after Diamond.

I can't believe what's happening right now. Did Diamond know we wouldn't question anypony willing to help us? Does she really know that much about us? Just how many steps ahead of us is she really?

I try to think of something to say. Something to do. Maybe the armor is really poor quality? Or maybe because of the backlog ponies will get angry and that could... do... something? What are they selling them at anyway? Maybe the ten percent rule will still apply.

Oh, who am I kidding? They sold two months worth in a day! There's no way my plan is going to work out the way I thought it was going to. She beat us this round. There's nothing left to do now but move onto the next plan. Whenever that'll come to me.

"Come on, let's get out of here." Apple Bloom tells me, nudging my shoulder.

"Yeah... let's go to the lake... so I can drown myself in my sorrows." I mutter back as I pry myself away from the building.

"Um... too dark?" Sweetie asks aloud.

"Well, on the bright side," Scootaloo starts but stops when we all glare at her. But, she misses her chance. "You could still fuck Rumble."

"AAAAAH!" I yell as I drop and bury my head under my hooves. Just when I thought that would finally end, she has to bring it back up again!

"Do what now?" Rumble asks, seemingly appearing just to make matters worse. "By the way, I have good news!"

"Does it have to do with my sudden destruction at the hooves of an over pampered premadonna?" I ask from the ground.

"Um... no? I... I uh... this actually might be bad timing-"

"Just spit it out." Apple Bloom barks at him. "It really can't get any worse."

"..."

"It's getting worse, ain't it?" Of course it is. Because you tempted fate APPLE BLOOM! You're still like a sister to me, but I could bury in the ground right now.

"Yeeeaaah... I got a letter in the mail saying I got into a summer camp for Air Ball. So I'm going to be gone until school starts up again... after summer that is... sorry?"

I start laughing from the ground. It starts as a small chuckle, but it just grew inside of me. It grows until I start to scare my friends and they start to back away from me. You did it Diamond! You really did it!

"I'm going to start a fire!" I announce suddenly, jumping to my hooves.

"What?" A random guard asks from nearby.

"Nothing!" Sweetie yells as she rushes over and covers my mouth. "It was just an inside joke, nothing to gleam off from that! Honest!" He eyes the two of us for a moment before slowly walking away.

"Whelp, today was a bust. At least we still have the lake to go to." Scootaloo chimes, getting looks from everypony. "What? Am I wrong?"

"Um... I was actually hoping to steal Shadow for the day. If that's alright?" Rumble asks. Everypony looks to me, waiting to see what I'll do.

Honestly, I could use some alone time. But if I go home, Dad is going to drag me out anyway. And... I can't really face him right now. So personal time with Rumble doesn't sound bad either...

Until I start to think... about that...

"We'll cover for you," Scootaloo tells me as she zips off into the air, followed by Pip.

"Try ahn relax, okay?" Apple Bloom tells me before trotting off. Sweetie walks over to me and pulls me in for a sudden hug. I slowly reach up and pat her back, unsure about the sudden affection.

"Downward Dog is the-"

"Okay!" I yell as I push her away. "That's enough of that! Let's get going Rumble!"

Next Chapter: Chapter 258 Rumbles Knight Estimated time remaining: 5 Hours, 49 Minutes