The Rich Family Manor: Ponyville

The family home of the Riches, what can I say about it? Well, I suppose the first thing to start off with would be the obvious. It was BIG, there was no getting around that. Not even the other homes in the higher end district of Ponyville even neared it's size. With two columns, one on either side of the front door along with the iron fence encircling the home like a prison wall, (The effect was complete with the giant gate at the front side of the house) it seemed as if the home was enclosed off from the rest of the world. To be honest, it was probably a very safe bet that the Rich family wanted to achieve this affect and keep themselves hidden away from the rest of the world. Either that, or just show off how much money they'd accumilated over the years. It was impossible to tell really. Right now, none of these thoughts were the ones running through both Apple Bloom's and her fellow Cutie Mark Crusader Scootaloo heads. All they were thinking about was Diamond Tiara and problem with her mother.

"Can't believe we're actually doing this." Scootaloo muttered to herself as both she and Apple Bloom walked up to the big front gates that closed off the Rich Manor from the rest of the world.

"Overkill much?" Thought Scootaloo to herself in a sarcastic tone of voice as she gazed up at the big gates.

"Whut, you expect us to leave Diamond Tiara be and expect her to deal with her problems on her own?" Apple Bloom asked her friend.

"Well, I must admit the offer does sound tempting..." Scootaloo responded dryly. Apple Bloom have her a dirty look in response to Scootaloo's remark.

"That was a rhetorical question." Apple Bloom replied flatly.

"...Could have fooled me." Scootaloo muttered in a almost inaudible tone of voice to her friend before breaking the awkward silence with the obvious question.

"Soooooo, anypony got a idea in how we get inside? I doubt that the gates will just open by themselves." Scootaloo asked. Apple Bloom sighed at her friend as she gestured to the buzzer nearby.

"Well, we could just ask politely." The farm pony replied. Scootaloo looked embarrased with herself and flushed red before saying "Oh... That makes sense." as she rubbed the back of her head.

Apple Bloom walked up to the buzzer and pressed on it with her hoof before a voice belonging to a older pony (The Rich Family butler, Randolph, if either Crusader had to guess.) answered the summons.

"Yes?" The voice droned out.

"It's Apple Bloom and Scootaloo." Apple Bloom answered. "Can you please tell Diamond Tiara that we want to see her."

Then, there was a loud shout of "WHAT?" that obviously belonged to the pony in question along with sound of glass breaking as it presumably hit the floor. Wherever Randolph was, Diamond Tiara had to have been nearby. Then there was the sound of hooves trotting along a wooden floor's surface.

"What do you two Blank Flanks want?" Diamond's voice asked, coming out in the tone of voice of somepony who was extremely annoyed by something, in this case the presence of the two Crusaders. She and Silver Spoon may have agreed to stop bothering them, (In part due to the fact Silver threatened to break off their friendship if she ever got word of Diamond harassing her marefriend.) but that didn't mean Diamond liked any of the three fillies anymore then normal.

"We think..." Scootaloo began nervously. "We think we might be able to help you with your "Little problem" with your mother.

After a few moments of hesitation, Diamond finally answered.

"...Alright, come in."

Diamond Tiara's Room

Again, not for the first time today Scootaloo was stunned they'd made it this far in helping their archenemy deal with her "Family issues" so to speak. As they walked into Diamond's room, Scootaloo groaned to herself. She could feel her tomcoltishness slipping away bit by bit with every minute she spent in there. The walls were bright girly pink, with the bed's sheep's being the exact same shade as well and the bed itself being covered in stuffed animals.

"Wait, so you're actually helping me?" Diamond asked, quite stunned herself. This wasn't surprising, as for years she along with her best and possibly only friend in Silver Spoon had tormented the Cutie Mark Crusaders. From name calling, to just outright rudeness, they'd done it all. At first, it was just to please her mother but as time went on Diamond tearfully admitted to herself she'd come to like it as a small tear ran down the side of her muzzle. Apple Bloom took notice of it.

"Hey, you alright?" She asked kindly as she laid a hoof on her archenemy's shoulder in support.

"I'm... I'm fine." Diamond lied as she wiped away the tear. She couldn't afford to be seen like this, not in from of two of the Crusaders. Plus, crying in her mind was just for weaklings. And Diamond Dazzle Tiara was no weakling!

"Hey, if there's somethin you need to talk about you've got us." Apple Bloom continued. Diamond snapped at her defensively. This was her problem to deal with, not the Crusaders and so she'd deal with it by herself.

"I'm absolutely fine! Nothing's bothering me at all!" but the farm pony wasn't having any of that right now. She didn't believe Diamond for even a second.

"Listen, we heard you singing to yourself." Apple Bloom pressed. "You want to become a better pony, we can help with that!"

Diamond's jaw dropped considerably before after a few moments of silence she finally regained the power of speech.

"Y-You actually heard all of that?" Diamond asked in disbelief even as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo nodded to her. She certainly hadn't been expecting this that was for sure.

"Stand up to your mother!" Scootaloo put in with a confident grin as Apple Bloom nodded in agreement. "It might make her back off some!"

"Y-You really think so?" Diamond whispered in disbelief to them and once again Apple Bloom laid a hoof on her shoulder.

"We know so." She said. "All it takes is a little bit of courage."

"...But you make it sound so easy." Diamond whispered to herself before she then quickly changed the subject to happier matters to break up the awkward silence.

"Soooooo... You and Sweetie Belle going on your second date later today huh?" Diamond said as she grinned like the cat that got the canary. "You going to advance your relationship any, hmmm?"

Apple Bloom's jaw was now the one to drop even as Scootaloo stammered out "N-No... H-How'd you even know about that?" in embarrassment.

"I hear things." Diamond replied simply before continuing. "You going to make out with your marefriend any, huh?"

"I-I w-wasn't planning on it, no." Scootaloo stammered out some more. Now she may have had a tough exterior that she put on to guard herself, but really she did have somewhat of a soft side when it came to romance. (Not that she'd ever admit this, of course.) She planned to treat Sweetie Belle right, and take their relationship nice and slow. If Sweetie Belle wanted to advance things, Scootaloo would advance things. But until she knew that Sweetie wanted to move things along a little faster, the relationship would stay like it was.

Bong! Bong! Went the clock outside in the hallway.

"Saved by the bell..." Scootaloo mused and gave out a sigh of relief as she told Diamond "Oh, look at the time. I really must be going, got a date to prepare for, after all." before dashing out of the room.

"Have fun!" Diamond laughed even as she and Apple Bloom heard Randolph shout "No running in the hallways!"

Ponyville Park

Later that day, it was finally time for Scootaloo's and Sweetie Belle's official first date. The sun was still shining high in the sky, the weather wasn't too hot thanks to a cool breeze blowing and birds chirped in the treetops. All in all, everything seemed absolutely perfect.

"Ahh..." Scootaloo sighed in pleasure. "Nothing like a bright and sunny day to help make the perfect date."

"I know what you mean?" Sweetie Belle agreed as she ate some ice cream as she and her marefriend say on a wooden park bench. Scootaloo was right. The atmosphere all added up to what seemed like the kind of day where it seemed nothing could go wrong and ruin the day they were having. Scootaloo eyed her marefriend as she ate her ice cream.

"I thought you and Rarity were trying to watch your figure?" She asked suspiciously.

"Are you saying I'm going to get fat?" Sweetie growled defensively. Scootaloo swallowed nervously and quickly backtracked.

"No, I'm just surprised. That's all." Scootaloo explained even as Sweetie gained a devious smirk.

"Oh well, I'll probably loose whatever fat I gain when I try to keep up with you later tonight." She teased as Scootaloo's jaw dropped for the second time today causing Sweetie to bust out laughing.

"You're too easy to mess with, you know that right?" Sweetie chuckled as Scootaloo gave her a dirty look before the younger Belle sibling continued.

"Least I'm keeping your mind off of whatever's bothering you right?" Sweetie asked and Scootaloo eyed in her in shock.

"How'd you know something is bothering me?" She asked.

"You seem... Distracted, that's how." Sweetie explained. It was true, all throughout the date it seemed like that something else had constantly been in the back of Scootaloo's mind. Finally, she fessed up. There was no sense hiding it from Sweetie Belle any longer, after all.

"Fine..." Scootaloo began after a few moments of hesitation. "It's Diamond."

"Diamond? As in Diamond Tiara?" Sweetie asked in surprise. "Don't tell me that she's started making fun of you again?"

"No, no. It's not that." Scootaloo explained. "It's just that she's been having problems at home with her mother."

"And I should care why?" Sweetie asked icely. She remembered every time Diamond had made fun of her over the years, said she'd never be as good or beautiful as her sister or mocked her whenever she failed at magic. Scootaloo as well remembered what Diamond had said to her marefriend as well, so she wasn't surprised but she also remembered how genuine Diamond's feelings about wanting to become a better pony were. Tartarus, she'd even shed a tear for crying out loud!

"Just... because." Scootaloo sighed, and Sweetie sighed as well, with hers being one of resignation.

"Just because huh?" Sweetie remarked as she ate more of her ice cream. "Lamest reasoning I've ever heard, but if you trust her I probably should as well."

Scootaloo gave her marefriend a soft kiss on the cheek as she whispered a small "Thank you."

"Don't, just don't." Sweetie replied. "As I know I'm probably going to regret it in the future."

Author's Notes:

Okay, back to my usual chapter length at last! Originally, this chapter was going to feature Scootaloo and Sweetie having a big fight at the end and suffer a temporary break up, but I figured because that this was the second to last chapter, them getting back together just in time for the ending wouldn't feel realistic in any way. Anyways, what'd you think of this chapter? Any comments, including just criticism are welcomed!