The school bell rang, and as everypony hurried off to go home, Diamond Tiara ambled at a slow pace. She'd seen Silver Spoon at school today, but the gray filly had made it clear she wasn't interested in talking to her. It hurt, but then she'd thought of Lickety Split, and remembered his offer to come back to his folk's ice cream parlor-

"Hey" "Diamond Tiara!" "Wait up!"

Hearing those annoying voices she detested to much, she turned to see it was the Cutie-Mark Crusaders, "What do you all want?! To gloat? Rub in my defeat?"

"Actually... we wanted t' invite you t' our clubhouse t' hang out," Apple Bloom replied kindly, and they all noticed Diamond Tiara's look of surprise.

"...Really?"

The Crusaders shared agreeable smiles and Rumble said, "Yeah, for real."

For a moment, Diamond Tiara was surprised and felt... good, for some reason in response to their offer. But she pushed it down and huffed, "What, just because I don't have any important Class President business to attend to, you think I have nothing else to do? Thanks, but no thanks!"

She harrumphed and walked away, the Crusaders all flinching in response to her snapping at them, and Sweetie Belle meekly commented, "That sounded like a no..."

"Looks like she's worse than we thought," Button Mash added.

"Well, let's try again," Twinken suggested, "Maybe if we don't all crowd her she won't feel overwhelmed or something."

They rest nodded and they followed after Diamond Tiara, being sure not to let her see them, as she walked through town. The Crusaders were curious as to where Diamond Tiara was going, but they hoped she wouldn't be scolded by her mother again. Before long, Diamond Tiara came to what they recognized as the local ice cream parlor.

"Looks like she's just getting some ice cream," Button Mash said to his friends as they peered through the window and saw Diamond Tiara talking to the ice cream pony.

"Hold on, I don't think she is," Sweetie Belle said, "Look."

The ice cream pony shook his head, and Diamond Tiara looked a tad disappointed, until the ice cream pony said something else to her, and she perked up. She turned around and made for the exit, and the Crusaders quickly ducked around the corner before she saw them. Again they followed her, and it wasn't long before she unknowingly led them to Ponyville Park. The Crusaders darted across the way and hid in a large bush, holding still a few moments before they carefully peeked through the leaves, seeing Diamond Tiara had walked up a hill and appeared to be looking for something.

"What's she doing here at the park?" Scootaloo whispered, "She almost never comes here, unless it was to show something off."
"Well, it looks like she's looking for something," Sweetie Belle suggested.
"Or somepony!" Twinken whispered in realization as he pointed with his hoof.

They all looked and saw Diamond Tiara looked elated as she trotted towards a colt sitting in the shade of a tree while enjoying a comic book. They noticed Diamond Tiara looked a little bashful as she approached the colt, and he had apparently heard her coming, as he looked up and gave her a friendly smile before waving her over. Diamond Tiara went over to sit by him and they began to just talk.

"Who's that colt she's talking to?" "Ah think... yeah, tha's Lickety Split! His ma n' pa own th' ice cream parlor Diamond Tiara went to earlier." "So then, Diamond Tiara was looking for Lickety Split, and his dad must've told her where he'd gone." "They seem to be getting along." "Yeah, Diamond Tiara looks... happy!"

Twinken began to think, he knew Lickety Split, just not personally. Lickety was a year ahead of him and his friends, and this was his last year in school before he graduated, and given his cutie-mark and his parents' business it would be no surprise if Lickety became an ice cream pony too. That was the way it worked in smaller towns, like Ponyville. Colts and fillies who got their cutie-marks by the time they graduated elementary school would either find somepony to apprentice with, or they'd go to bigger cities and continue their education until they could attend college or university.

Pinkie Pie had left her hometown of Nickerlite a while after she got her cutie-mark and apprenticed with the Cakes at Sugarcube Corner, which became her new home.

"Huh, I guess Diamond Tiara doesn't need our help," Twinken said aloud, only to hear Apple Bloom gasp.

Everypony looked at her as she was pointing, "Ah wouldn' be so sure o' that!"

They followed her hoof and grimaced to see Diamond Tiara's mother, Spoiled Rich, trotting towards her daughter, with a disapproving scowl on her face. Diamond Tiara had no idea her mother was approaching, looking very displeased.

"DIAMOND TIARA!!!"

She nearly jumped out of her coat and nervously looked to see her mother, standing a yard away, the look on her face as though her nostrils had been offended by some repugnant odor, while her eyes were piercing her daughter.
"What are you doing around this... colt? Where is Silver Spoon? Her company, at least, is more appropriate for your social standing, young mare!"

"Mother! I- Uh... this is my new friend, Lickety Split," Diamond Tiara smiled nervously while Lickety looked uncomfortable but also worried for Diamond Tiara. "His parents own the-"

"I don't care who he is!" snapped Spoiled Rich, making Diamond Tiara flinch. "This colt is beneath you, Diamond Tiara, and associating with him will only drag you down. You are coming home with me, right now, young lady, and you are not to meet with him again!"

Spoiled Rich turned around and began to walk away, her nose in the air, but she quickly noticed her daughter, upset and unsure, wasn't following.
"DIAMOND TIARA... now!!"

Diamond Tiara whimpered and couldn't help shed a tear as she gave an apologetic look to Lickety, and began to follow her mother.

In the bush, the Crusaders were all upset.

"I can't believe Diamond Tiara's mother could be so-so... awful!" Button Mash was honestly on the verge of tears, feeling so sorry for Diamond Tiara.
"We gotta do somethin'! We cain't jus' stand by an' let this happen!" Apple Bloom urged but looked at a loss on what to do.
"But what can we do?" Rumble asked, "Mrs. Rich isn't gonna listen to us! We're just kids."

As the other Crusaders continued to fret and talk, Twinken felt the deepest sympathy for Diamond Tiara. True, she'd been a bully and a brat for as long as he'd known her, but with a mother like Spoiled Rich, it really was no surprise. While she was still responsible for her own actions, Diamond Tiara, like everypony, deserved better than this. Taking a deep breath, he stood up and walked out of the bush.

"Twinken!" "What're you doing?!" "Shush, y'all! Let's wait n' see wha' he's gonna do..."

"Mrs. Rich!" Twinken called out, and Spoiled Rich paused to eye him.

"What can I do for you, young colt?" she asked in a tone of edged politeness.

Diamond Tiara was also surprised to see Twinken, as the young colt took another deep breath, before he stated, "You're not being fair to Diamond Tiara."

"Excuse me?! I don't think how I raise my daughter is any of your business!" Spoiled Rich snapped before she realized, "Oh, wait... You're Twinken, aren't you? Well, congratulations on beating my daughter in your little election, young colt, but I don't expect your term in office to last very long. After I speak with the rest of the school board, I'm certain they'll see you are unfit to be Student Pony President. But rest assured, I'm certain Diamond Tiara will make for a far more ideal class president than you..."

"Why, because I'm a blank flank?" Twinken challenged.

Spoiled Rich narrowed her eyes at Twinken, but said nothing.

"Your daughter and I have never gotten along, Mrs. Rich," Twinken stated, "In fact, in the time I've known her, she's been nothing but a bully, a brat, a showoff, and frankly, an all-around unpleasant pony. But then again, it's no surprise given the way you've raised her."

"What was that?!" Spoiled Rich's tone rose up dangerously, but Twinken wasn't done.

"Still, despite the way she's turned out, Diamond Tiara has a side to her that I would be happy to get to know."

Diamond Tiara looked at Twinken in surprised wonder as he went on, "When I look past the bad things about her, I see a filly who's strong, determined, and driven to succeed. Maybe not always for the right reasons, but even so. And today, just now, I saw her happy and bright as she was talking to Lickety Split, who has clearly seen something special in her too. But not because she's a pony of high society or some nonsense like that, but because Lickety sees a nice and sweet pony in Diamond Tiara, and is happy to be her friend!"

Diamond Tiara and Lickety Split both at awe by Twinken's words, but Spoiled Rich sneered.
"Her 'friend'?! Don't insult my daughter! She is going to grow up to be a pony of high society, that means being the best and surrounding herself with the best. She doesn't need the likes of that colt and distracting her and filling her head with foolish ideas, just as I needn't entertain your insolence any longer!"

"Because I'm a blank flanked colt?" Twinken wasn't going to let Spoiled Rich off so easily. "You know, Mrs. Rich, the way you talk about ponies of high society and stuff like that? I think it's silly, because if my brother, Prince Midnight Blaze, were here right now, you'd be kissing the ground he walked on, just because he's a prince, a pony of 'high society'. But that's not who my brother is; Midnight would be friends with anyone, whether they're some upper class duchess or a humble farmer, as long as they're good ponies.

"He doesn't flaunt his royalty in other's faces or use it to walk all over others and treat them like dirt. He respects his fellow pony, whoever they are, and treats them fairly and kindly, and that's why he's better than you in every way. Because your ideology is all wrong!"

Everypony's jaws dropped as a stunned silence befell the situation. Spoiled Rich felt her ire burn and the urge to lash out and put this insufferable child in his place. It was only the fact that she was out in public and there were other ponies nearby that could witness her that allowed her to rein in her temper and take a shuddery breath in an effort to maintain her composure.

"I have had enough of this nonsense!" she seethed before snapping, "Diamond Tiara! We are going home, now!!"

Spoiled Rich began walking away again, and feeling the parental pressure urged Diamond Tiara to obey. But as she walked past Twinken, she saw concern in his eyes before he gave her an encouraging nod. Her heart wavered, but she hesitantly kept walking, not noticing Twinken remove the talisman around his neck.

Diamond Tiara...

Diamond Tiara paused mid-step with a soft gasp, as she heard words in her head that were not her own.

Stand up to your mother. Tell her how you feel.

But... I can't! She's my mother, she- She knows what's best! Diamond Tiara thought, her heart feeling like it was caught in a vice.

She's wrong, and deep down you know it.

Diamond Tiara whimpered, uncertainty holding her still.

Diamond Tiara, you are strong as a stone. But the reason you feel so rough is because you've been misguided. Be the pony you want to be, the pony Lickety Split sees in you, because on our own we twinkle. But when we have friends who stand beside us, to give us courage and love, that is when we truly shine.

Diamond Tiara finally looked back in wondrous awe, seeing Twinken, as well as the rest of the Cutie-Mark Crusaders who'd stepped out of the bush, and especially Lickety Split, all of them giving her a smile... and she couldn't help but smile back.

"Diamond Tiara!"

Everypony looked to see Spoiled Rich was looking back at them though her eyes were on Diamond Tiara, "I have had just about enough of you associating with these confused, insignificant lowlifes! Socializing with the likes of them is not how you're going to move up into the Equestrian high society! Now, come, Diamond Tiara!"

Again her mother began to walk away but this time, Diamond Tiara furrowed her brows and steeled herself, "...No, Mother!"

Spoiled Rich felt a vein pulse on her temple as she glared at her daughter, "Excuse me?!"

"You've spent your life acting like a high horse and raised me to follow in your hoofprints!" Diamond Tiara spoke her mind, "For so long, I listened because I thought you were right, that following your guidance and beliefs would get me ahead in my life. But then I finally realized I wanted something, something that you don't have! Friends."

There was a chorus of gasps and for the first time, everypony noticed there were more ponies watching and listening to what was going on, including some of the schoolfoals, Cheerilee, along with a few adults, including Faerie Tail.

Realizing this, Spoiled Rich felt uneasy but furrowed her brows, "That's enough, Diamond Tiara! Step away from those BLANK FLANKS!!"

"These 'blank flanks' are the Cutie-Mark Crusaders," Diamond Tiara corrected her mother, "And just like Lickety Split, they are my friends! You and I have to stop calling them such rude and awful names, because they work harder than anypony I know to get their cutie-marks! And when they do, I have no doubts that whatever talents their cutie-marks symbolize will be something amazing!"

Everypony watching cheered and praised Diamond Tiara, and as she looked on, stunned and at a loss for words, Spoiled Rich began to see the smile on her daughter's face. She'd never seen her filly smile like that. It was warm, happy, bright, and something else she couldn't put her hoof on. An aching pressure began to bear down on her heart as she felt something, along with a strange warmth.

Why did her heart feel like it was swelling? She couldn't be sure whether it hurt or... was it joy?

"Mrs. Rich..."

Spoiled Rich snapped out of it and saw a unicorn mare come her way with an unreadable look on her face.
"My name is Faerie Tail, Twinken and Midnight's mother. I would like to talk to you about your daughter..."

The mother of Prince Midnight?! Spoiled Rich suddenly felt her blood run cold... only for Faerie Tail to give her a kind and sincere smile.

"You have quite a remarkable young filly."

"W-what?" Spoiled Rich hadn't been expecting that.

"Why don't we talk over tea? My treat," Faerie Tail led Spoiled Rich down the way, but as they left, Spoiled Rich peered over her shoulder to look at her daughter again... and that smile on her little filly's face brought a tear to her eye. A tear of joy, and guilt.

"Cutie-Mark Crusaders?" Diamond Tiara said to them, "I want to thank you all, for helping me, and even after all the awful things I've said and done, how much of a brat I've been. I couldn't have blamed you if you'd ignored me."

"Well, Diamond Tiara, jus' cuz' ya do wrong don't mean ya shouldn't be given a second chance," Apple Bloom replied kindly, "See, Granny Smith taught us tha' good ponies are th' ones who show compassion an' mercy. T' wanna help others ya see are in trouble, an' give second chances even if they don' deserve `em. Even so, it's up t' those ponies who do wrong t' make up for it."

"You're right," Diamond Tiara sighed with a humbled smile, "which is why I'm going to start being better pony. The pony I want to be, not what my mother was trying to make me be."

"Diamond Tiara...?"

All eyes turned and saw Silver Spoon, looking apologetic and hesitant. Diamond Tiara was surprised to see her and the two fillies approached each other. For a long moment neither said anything, so Diamond Tiara opened her mou-

"I'm sorry!"

"Huh?!" Diamond Tiara was shocked to see Silver Spoon bowing her head in apology.

"I'm sorry for hurting your feelings!" Silver Spoon said, sounding truly sorry, "I mean... we've argued before, and we haven't always agreed on things, but-"

"Silver Spoon..."

Silver Spoon paused, the tone of Diamond Tiara's voice made her apprehensive. But she couldn't stop herself from peering up to look Diamond Tiara in the eye... only to be surprised by the apologetic look she was wearing!

"Why are you apologizing to me?" Diamond Tiara asked, sounding so guilty. "I'm the one who was being a terrible friend! The way I treated you, talked down to you? You were absolutely right to do what you did. And you know what, I'm glad I lost the election, because if I'd won I wouldn't have finally stood up to my mother... or made a new friend in Lickety Split."

Silver Spoon felt her heart clench with worry, a new friend?

But then Diamond Tiara held out her hoof to Silver Spoon, "I am so sorry, Silver Spoon, and to show you I mean it, I want to introduce my best friend to my new friend."

Everypony smiled fondly at friendship that was repairing before them, as Silver Spoon smiled deeply and gave Diamond Tiara a big hug, which she happily returned. Then she waved over Lickety Split and said, "Lickety, this is Silver Spoon. She's been my best friend since forever."

Lickety smiled and held out his hoof to Silver, "Nice to meet ya, Silver! How about later you and DT come over to my parents' ice cream parlor later for milkshakes?"

Silver couldn't help but blush, as she bashfully responded, "I- Uh... I think I'd like that very much."

Smiling to see her two friends hitting it off, Diamond Tiara then turned around to Twinken, and said, "Twinken, I owe you the biggest thanks of all. If you hadn't stepped in, said what you said, I don't think I'd have ever stood up to my mother. Now, I feel like a whole new pony, a pony I'm proud to be!"

"And that's all you gotta be, Diamond Tiara," Twinken replied with a smile. "Because... i kinda realized something after all this."

Everypony around him listened as Twinken said, "The Cutie-Mark Crusaders and I, we spend so much time looking for our cutie-marks together, and we're happy to work together and hang out together to discover our true talent. When we're together, we're stronger than we could ever be on our own, except I've realized that was the problem!"

"What're you talking about, Twinken?" asked Scootaloo.

"We've spent so much time together trying to find our cutie-marks that we forgot something very important," Twinken explained, "that cutie-marks come to each and every one of us when we find the inner strength to shine, but only when we figure out what it is that makes us special, as individuals! That's why we kept failing, because we've been trying to get our cutie-marks together rather than each of us figuring out what it is about our selves that truly makes us shine.

"It's not a bad thing to wanna achieve something together, but there are some things you have to figure out on your own. That doesn't mean you shouldn't offer help and encouragement to those you care about, though. Look at Diamond Tiara! Until today, she didn't know how to become the pony she wanted to be, because she didn't know how and nopony gave her the push in the right direction that she needed. But now she has, and I am very happy for her, and so proud of us all for the way we helped her."

Everypony was about to cheer in response to Twinken's words when... he was suddenly engulfed in a flash of silvery light! Everypony held up their hooves to cover their eyes while Twinken gasped, feeling a pleasant warmth spread through his body, before it seemed to concentrate towards his backside, and then it was over. The light quickly dimmed out and everypony looked on and then gasped!

"What? What's everypony looking at?" asked a bewildered Twinken.

Diamond Tiara smiled and said, "Well Twinken, it seems your flank is no longer blank!"

Twinken felt his heart skip as he slowly looked to his flank and was shocked! There, upon his flank...!

"I... I got my cutie-mark!" Twinken whispered, seeing it but not entirely believing it... when he was suddenly glomped in a big group hug by his fellow Crusaders!

"Way to go, Twink!" "You did it!" "Congratulations!" "Ah'm so proud o' you!" "You've leveled up!"

Twinken finally snapped out of his stupor and laughed happily as he hugged his friends back when Lickety Split called out, "C'mon, everypony! Celebratory ice cream cones at my parents' ice cream parlor!"

Everypony cheered and followed him there.

Word apparently got out, as after the Crusaders arrived at the ice cream parlor, Midnight, Twilight, Spike, and Faerie Tail arrived, happily hugging and congratulating Twinken.

"We're all soooo happy for you!" Faerie Tail couldn't help but shed a joyful tear.

"Congratulations, Twinken," Twilight agreed, "and I hope the rest of you Crusaders keep working at getting your cutie-marks too!"

"We will!!" the Crusaders all replied excitably.

Midnight smiled as he ruffled his little brother's mane, making him chuckle and protest when he felt Midnight hug him to his chest before he whispered into Twinken's ear, "Dad would be proud."

Twinken was stunned for a moment, because it was so rare for Midnight to talk about their father.

"Alright ,everypony! Let's make this moment last forever!" Spike called out, holding a camera, "C'mon, Twinken, you gotta get up and show off your new cutie-mark! Okay, okay, big smiles, everypony and...!"

*SNAP/FWOOSH*

In Canterlot, Celestia was in the throne room, talking with Sombra and Luna... when in flew the magical ashes of another one of Spike's magically delivered messages, which burst into its restored form in front of her.
"Oh, look! A message from Ponyville!"

She eagerly undid the seal as Sombra and Luna waited patiently, Luna asking, "What is it, Sister? Another friendship lesson learned?"

"Twilight making some kind of report?" Sombra guessed.

When Celestia unrolled the message, she paused in momentary surprise before smiling warmly.
"No. Just another young colt growing up."

She shared with her husband and sister the message, which was a photograph of their respective students, along with Faerie Tail, the Cutie-Mark Crusaders and many of their friends all having ice cream together. But it was Twinken in the middle that garnered their attention, as the three alicorns saw the colt had found his mark, smiling so big and proud and happy.

Twinken's Cutie-Mark commissioned by Hoodwink MCShelster!