Apple Bloom hopped off her sisters back, glancing in the window of the school, seeing Miss Cheerilee looking out the window, keeping an eye on the students. Diamond Tiara was also there, sitting in her seat, perhaps being punished for getting into a fight.

Applejack rapped at the door a few times, and then opened it. She tipped her hat before saying, “G’day, Miss Cheerilee. I’m just droppin’ Apple Bloom here back off.”

Cheerilee turned away from the window. “Oh! Hello, Applejack.”

The three of them met up halfway. “Miss Cheerilee, can I talk to Diamond Tiara alone?” asked Apple Bloom.

Cheerilee looked unsure if that was a good idea, but Applejack spoke up. “It’s okay. We talked things out, and she understands she did the wrong thing.”

“Welllllll… okay, then,” she replied, still looking a little uncertain.

“I’ll see ya at home later, Sugarcube.”

“Right.” Apple Bloom nodded. “I love ya, Sis.” She gave Applejack a hug. She suddenly turned toward Diamond Tiara, sensing more than seeing her classmate staring at her. But even as she did, Diamond Tiara looked back toward her desk, an unseen dejected look on her face.

“I love ya too, kiddo. Now just do as yer heart tells ya, ya hear?”

Apple Bloom nodded absently, distractedly still looking at Diamond Tiara as Applejack and Cheerilee left the small schoolhouse.

When the door closed the sound reverberated for a second, before it seemed to become deathly quiet. Even the sounds of the other kids playing just outside sounded muted.

Apple Bloom stood there for a time, knowing what she had to do, but still she held back because a part of her still felt angry. Another part of her thought Diamond Tiara wasn’t going to make this conversation easy. But as difficult as it may be, and as angry as she felt, both of those feelings were outweighed by the expression she had caught on Diamond Tiara’s face. She had only caught a glimpse, but she was fairly certain that she had seen a look of longing in her classmate’s eyes, and it made her think that what she assumed was true.

Taking a deep breath she walked forward, each step seeming to take forever, until she sat in the seat next to her. Before she could say anything Diamond Tiara turned to her, her usual expression back on her face. “And what do YOU want?”

Apple Bloom almost decided to just forget it at her attitude, feeling this was never going to work, but she also knew she couldn’t, not after what she had just learned. “I’m… I’m sorry I hit ya. That was wrong of me.”

“Of course it was. When do you ever do anything right?”

Apple Bloom noticed right away that Diamond Tiara was being much more scathing than usual, but that was probably because they were alone and she was in a bad mood. “When I left school I went ta visit my parents.”

Diamond Tiara averted her eyes, not making a nasty comment at that. Even she wasn’t enough of a monster to make fun of that particular aspect of her enemy’s life. Never mind that it only brought her thoughts closer to the issue that they had fought over in the first place. “So… what did you do over there?” she asked in as close to a civil tone as she had ever used.

“I just wanted ta visit. Every Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and birthday we go visit them. I took Applejack with me, and Big Mac showed up too.” Apple Bloom looked down at her desk. “It’s hard ta miss ponies ya never knew, but I do miss them. When I look at the picture of them in my room I always wonder how different I may have been if they had only been alive a little longer.

“So what does yours do?”

“Hmm?”

“Yer mom. What does she do?”

Diamond Tiara scowled, kicking her desk to offset her irritation. “She’s a nurse at the hospital.” In a biting, sarcastically mythical tone she added, “She cares for all the ponies of the land. The sick… the wounded… the old… she cares for them all. She lives for them, bringing them much joy. So much so, she tends to forget she even HAS a daughter.

"Oh, but one day she finally DOES remember. She wants us to go out and have a grand old time, on HER clock, of course. When SHE wants it to happen.” She let out a derisive huff. “So what? It’s not like I need her. I’ve done plenty well for myself without her. I have everything I ever need. All I need to do is ask for it and my dad will use his money and influence to get it for me.”

Apple Bloom could tell that Diamond Tiara was hiding the truth in her anger. “So why not just ask fer a hug?”

Diamond Tiara raised an eyebrow, looking at Apple Bloom like she had three heads. “Like THAT would help. All they care about is their stupid jobs. On the day of my cutecenera my dad bailed on me to go fix a mistake at his job. My mom had to work an extra shift the night before and was too exhausted to make it because she can’t ever say no.

"I hate them. I hate them both!” She gritted her teeth, seething with rage. “The only reason I care about them at all is for what they can get for me. That’s how a tough pony acts. They NEED no one, they show no mercy. So don’t try to push your stupid perfect family life off on me because it’s not the same. They’re completely USELESS, the both of them!”

Apple Bloom was crying. Tears were staining her desk at the utter venom with which Diamond Tiara cursed her parents. How could anyone feel that way about the ones who brought you into life? Maybe they really were worlds apart and couldn’t understand one another. Her voice quivered as she said, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry ya feel that way.”

Diamond Tiara was having difficulty processing Apple Bloom’s reaction. Her hated enemy was crying… how dare she! “I don’t need your pity! Don’t think your crying changes anything! It doesn’t. Nothing will! I’m all alone and beyond everyone else, and that’s just the way it is. The only pony who ever treated me right is my butler Randolph. He was always the one who comforted me when I was upset and lonely. But he’s probably just like all the rest. He just wants to suck up to me so I won’t fire him when my dad croaks and leaves everything to me.”

Apple Bloom let out a heavy breath. She was starting to feel this was beyond her ability to help. Still, though, she wanted to try just one more time. “Diamond Tiara, have ya ever come ta yer parents and told them about how ya feel? Ya sound so lonely and upset. Ya said before ya were jealous of the way my family gets along because ya deserve that relationship. I agree with ya. No foal should be unloved.”

“Talked to them? TALKED… to them? Maybe I WOULD talk to them if they were around long enough FOR ME TO ASK THEM!”

“Yer parents aren’t perfect. Neither were mine. They made mistakes. Sometimes we don’t even realize we’re making a mistake until it’s pointed out ta us. Give it a shot. What have ya got ta lose? If they really don’t care ‘bout ya then nothing will change. Everything will stay just the way it was and ya won’t be no worse off than ya are now. But if they do love ya like a parent should, but just don’t realize they’re not loving ya the way ya need ta be loved, then it will bother them and they’ll change fer ya, wanting ta fix things and make them right.”

Diamond Tiara looked off into a corner of the room, her expression a mix of fear and hope and hesitance.

Apple Bloom got up, taking a few steps towards the door. In her mind she knew what she wanted to say. She knew what she needed to say. She just didn’t want to say it, because it could cause a lot of difficulties and problems along the road. However… if she really wanted to visit her parents with pride she knew she had to do what was necessary to make them feel that way. “Diamond Tiara… I don’t know if yer goin' ta talk ta yer parents or not. And even if ya do… I don’t know if they’re gonna give ya what yer looking fer.

"However… if ya really want ta learn about what being loved feels like and how good it feels ta have true friends…” She stopped and took another deep breath. “How 'bout… how 'bout ya join the Cutie Mark Crusaders?”

Diamond Tiara turned to her, utter shock on her face. In an unreadable voice she said, “And why would I do that?”

“Because ya need someone who’s willing ta give ya a chance. Before today and what I learned I wouldn’t have… but ya need friends and love more than ya know. We Apples may be poor compared to you, but our love is top notch and without compare. No matter how much I hurt I know when I come home there’s gonna be a comfortin' lap waitin' fer me. As much as you’ll hate me saying it… I feel sorry fer ya. I’m much richer than ya in a way ya can’t even understand right now. I know that it’s too soon for ya ta make that decision, but I hope you’ll think it over, both about yer parents and about joining our club.”

In a suspicious voice Diamond Tiara asked, “And what’s in it for YOU? You want pool privileges? Or free food? Or the status of being near to the daughter of the best businesspony in Ponyville?”

Again Apple Bloom felt a few tears come down her eyes. Diamond Tiara was so jaded she couldn’t see anyone as being genuinely interested in her just for her. Anyone who tried to draw close to her was, in her mind, just a blood sucking tick out to mooch off her for something. It was so far removed from the love her family shared that she couldn’t help but become emotional.

“There’s nothin’ in it fer me but the value of yer friendship,” she said in a sad voice. “I’m willin' ta put my hoof out ta ya and ask fer us to become friends. Friends with no strings attached. That’s all I can do. You have ta be the one willin' ta return it, and that’s somethin' I can’t make ya do. Ya said before that one day yer mom tried ta right her wrong ta ya, and yer reaction was negative. Give them just one more chance ta be the parents they should be. Please...”

Letting out another sigh she continued, “I used ta have so much anger towards ya but my heart is breaking fer ya. I can’t stand ta see ya this way.” Sitting down she wiped her face of her tears. “I’m willing ta let the past go and start over. Are you? Take some time ta think about it. I don’t care how long it is, even if it’s a month or a year, but give me yer answer when ya find it.”

With a heavy heart she left Diamond Tiara alone as she went outside.

Going to Cheerilee she said, “We made up… as best we could. I’ve learned a lot of new things about her I didn’t know before. Maybe things can be different now.”

“That would be for the best,” Cheerilee responded. “The two of you are always going back and forth. But be that as it may that you reconciled the two of you both got into a physical fight and made a scene that interrupted class. The both of you are going to stay after school for a detention today and help clean up the school. Understand?”

Apple Bloom nodded. “Yes, Miss Cheerilee. I know that I was wrong, so I’ll take the punishment.”

Apple Bloom stayed off to the side for the rest of the recess, too lost in thought to think of joining her friends. Besides which, she was in trouble anyway, so she didn’t think she should be out there playing.

The rest of the school day passed by without incident. Diamond Tiara paid no attention to her for the last few hours, seeming very agitated and restless. During their detention they cleaned the blackboard, swept the floors, took out the trash, and scrubbed the floor. It was a relatively simple job that went by quickly. Diamond Tiara still didn’t talk to her during their work, and when they had finished rushed out before Apple Bloom could say anything.