The two mares had talked a lot throughout their dinner. For the most part, it was good memories. Light teasings from their days at the PonyVille schoolhouse, the better times they spent together where Diamond Tiara didn't have her head held higher than her tiara… It was good to remember how things used to be, even if they could only share a few good moments together.
But most of their conversations stretched out into the darker territory. In between bites, Applebloom had questions, and Diamond Tiara was often hesitant to answer.
"I still don't understand how you'd ever be jealous of me," Applebloom hummed as she sipped her wine.
"It does sound weird when it's said out loud," Diamond Tiara said with a sigh. "It's like you said; I have everything I want and the money to buy it all… but you don't have the wealth of my family, so why would I be jealous?"
Diamond Tiara lifted her glass and took another sip from it, giving herself a moment to suck off some of the sugar on the rim in the process. She set the glass back on the table and stared at her reflection in silence before she met Applebloom's eyes and continued speaking.
"Well, it's like I said." The rich mare rolled her shoulders. "You've… naturally made friends. You don't have to pay them to be around you or flaunt your status. My mom always told me that social status meant everything, even on the playground."
"That's stupid," Applebloom snorted. "It's no wonder yer ego was so over-inflated…"
"I was a filly, after all," Diamond Tiara said with a forced laugh. "You don't really have much of a say in your life at that age, and you tend to be all-over the the idea of being praised. You do whatever you can for it."
"I had a similar experience quite a few times," Applebloom said. She took another bite of her sandwich and swallowed it down before she kept speaking. "Applejack never let me make my own decisions when I was younger. She was always too overprotective of me, and it was… well, she was a lil' much."
"Well, that's different," Diamond Tiara said with a twitch of an ear. "She cares about you a lot, it only makes sense that she would want to do everything she could to protect you."
"She didn't have to go about it like that," Applebloom laughed. "Here, let me tell ya the whole story, start to finish…"
And so, Applebloom went on a dramatic storytelling spree that her family was often known for. The only difference was, unlike the rest of her family, she stuck to the main topic. Diamond Tiara listened intently, sipping her Purple Rain, as Applebloom recalled the story of the first time she was left at home by herself. She explained, in minimal detail, the chores that she had to do, and the hours she spent doing them. She was ready to relax and do whatever other schemes she had planned for the day…
…Only to be interrupted by an overprotective elder sister who insisted she needed to be looked after.
Hours of space-invading 'safety measures' later, Applebloom had gotten with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle to help her convince Applejack that she was sleeping while she went out on a dangerous pie-delivering mission. Although she overdramatized her encounter with the chimera in the swamp, the fear was still very real. She had never been more thankful for the moment her big sister showed up to save the day. And, they even got the pies delivered in the end.
"That's… quite the tale," Diamond Tiara said after a moment of stunned silence.
"It's exhaustin' to tell and exhaustin' to remember," Applebloom sighed, taking a breather to sip some of her wine. "But, I gotta be thankful AJ was there to help me, or I woulda been chimera food. It was the only thing that day that got me to be thankful I had her at all, and that was a lesson I learned a lot."
"You're lucky to have a sister like that," Diamond Tiara mumbled as she swirled her drink in her glass and took another long sip.
"Ya know, I've never asked but…" Applebloom began hesitantly. "Do you have any siblings? I've never heard you mention em' if ya do."
"Me? Oh, no, I don't," Diamond Tiara laughed lightly. "I'm an only child. I guess they didn't feel like having any more after me…"
"...Ya don't seem very happy about it," Applebloom said.
She was only telling the truth. Diamond Tiara seemed to enjoy Applebloom's story about Applejack's overprotectiveness, but a sort of yearning still filled her pupils. The way she spoke just a moment ago hinted that, perhaps, Applebloom's large family was something Diamond Tiara was jealous of as well.
Applebloom couldn't imagine a life without her siblings, just like she couldn't imagine what life would be like if she had all the money in Equestria. A lot of thoughts crossed her mind that she chose to keep there. Thoughts of how lonely Diamond Tiara must've felt as a child. Being the sole taker of every order that Spoiled Rich gave her, being the heir to the family's fortunes whether she liked it or not… it was a lot of weight to put on the shoulders of a filly.
"Being an only child…" Diamond Tiara mumbled, breaking Applebloom out of her thoughts and breaking the silence. "Mom always told me I should appreciate that I don't have any siblings."
"Ya know, you really need to stop talkin' about yer mom so much," Applebloom said curtly.
"Sorry, force of habit," Diamond Tiara chuckled as her ears drooped.
"I ain't sayin' it to be mean or anythin', I promise," Applebloom reassured her. "It's just… it's obvious ya don't like her very much. She never treated ya that well and even now it seems like she's still got some sorta control over ya."
"In a way, you aren't wrong," Diamond Tiara sighed. "We still live in the same house, after all."
"You do?" Applebloom's eyes widened. "Why don't you just move out?"
Diamond Tiara met her own gaze through the reflection of her glass again. She bit her tongue before she grabbed the glass and took another longer sip. She was down to the last inch of her drink, and it was starting to take its effects out on her. She set the glass down and pressed her hooves into the table before she mustered up the courage to speak again.
"I'm not sure if I can," the perfume pink mare said finally.
"Why?" Applebloom pressured lightly.
"I don't think I could live by myself," Diamond Tiara hissed with her ears bent back. "I've never had enough room to be an independent pony. I've been left home alone plenty of times, like you, but I never had chores or dangerous missions I could go on. I didn't even know what steps I had to take to be worthy of even being considered the heir to my daddy's business."
"He wants ya to take over his business?" Applebloom asked in surprised.
"Sort of," Diamond Tiara sighed. "I think that's another reason I haven't tried to move out yet. I feel like he still needs me, even if it means dealing with… her."
"I'm sure he would understand," Applebloom spoke gently. "You don't gotta force yourself to be around some pony you don't want to be around, DT. Doesn't matter if they're family or not; family's full of ponies who care about ya in every way."
"That's easy when it's said out loud, Applebloom," Diamond Tiara huffed. "It's not so easy when you put it into practice."
As Diamond Tiara spoke, she pushed away what little remained of her salad bowl, and finished drinking her cocktail. Very little sugar remained around the rim, most of it having been sucked off in sips from before. All that remained was the lime wheel, which she took from the glass and tore in half to eat herself. Seeing her appetite finally come to a slow reminded Applebloom of her own food, which she was nearly out of. Even the plate of cucumbers in the center was nearly empty.
She took hold of her sandwich again, and finished the last few bites herself. Of course as always, she never ate the crusts and left them on the plate. She lifted her fork to grab the last few cucumber slices and finish them off as well, though the salty flavour left her parched. She leaned back in her seat after picking up her wine glass again, and she looked at Diamond Tiara with sympathy in her eyes.
Silence had overtaken them once more, and it seemed like the conversation had finally come to a complete stop. But, she didn't want it to end on this depressing note.
She finished what remained of her wine and set the glass on the table. The last few drops carried a bitter taste that clung tightly to her tongue. Honestly, it was hard for her to distinguish whether it was the wine that carried the taste, or the aftermath of their conversation. She swallowed hard, trying to ignore the feeling, even if it meant she had to force a conversation.
"Let's change the topic," Applebloom said quickly.
"Yes, i-indeed," Diamond Tiara stuttered and cleared her throat. "But to what..?"
"Umm…"
Applebloom looked around the room for something, anything, that they could talk about. It didn't matter if the topic was mundane or something they were actually interested in. As long as they could distract themselves, anything would be worth it. Applebloom's eyes met the empty collins glass beside Diamond Tiara's salad bowl, and her ears perked.
"Well, how'd you like this bar?" Applebloom started. "Ya said it ain't really your preferred place to be either, so… I at least hope ya enjoyed what ya ordered."
"Oh, I did yes," Diamond Tiara said with a smile. "I'd never usually see myself in this sort of place, so I never expected that they'd have such classy food and drinks. I'm quite used to receiving cocktails at home now that I'm of the drinking age… but I'd never seen one so pretty."
"I guess that's one reason why ya might go to a bar," Applebloom laughed. "You'd be surprised at the sorta class these places have."
"Wine is a valuable drink too," Diamond Tiara said with a hum. "My family has dozens of bottles laying around, though they vary in quality. I'm not sure if dad sells them or if they're the wines I see them drink normally…"
"Wouldn't be surprised if it was both," Applebloom chuckled. "Anyway, I digress. You should try visitin' more bars yerself if ya wanna experience even more fancy drinks."
"I'll keep it in mind," Diamond Tiara hummed happily.
"Oh, and uh, just a word of caution…" Applebloom laughed nervously as she sat up properly. "If a stallion in a black suit walks in and starts yellin' at the owners… ya might wanna leave."
"That's… ominous," Diamond Tiara hummed with a nervous smile. "Should I ask why..?"
"Oh, if he comes in, you'll know." Applebloom scratched the back of her head with her hoof. "All ya gotta know is that means the bar is… probably not as great as ya think it is."
"I'll… remember that," Diamond Tiara said before clearing her throat. "Anyways…"
Applebloom shook her head and looked out the window of the establishment. She had all but forgotten her curfew, and the sky was already turning black. She gasped and leapt out of her seat with her ears pinned back.
"I nearly forgot; the moon's about to rise!" Applebloom whisper-yelled.
"Ah!" Diamond Tiara's eyes widened as she got out of her seat as well. "I-I forgot, Applejack said you need to be home before the moon rises, right?"
"Yeah…" Applebloom whimpered as blush bloomed on her face. "I completely forgot… I-I guess I got too caught up in our conversation."
"We should probably get going then," Diamond Tiara said as she turned for the door. "I'll tell the waitress to send the check to my father so he can pay for our meal."
"Oh no, DT, I couldn't ask ya to do that," Applebloom said. "I brought my bits pouch with me, I can pay for it."
"Please, I'm the one who asked you to hang out with me," Diamond Tiara insisted. "It should be my treat; it'd be rude to ask my guest to pay for everything."
"I'm bein' serious," Applebloom said as she stepped past the rich mare.
Diamond Tiara huffed as the two began walking to the front of the house.
"Here, how about a compromise," the perfume pink mare began. "You can pay for… half of the meal. Whatever is left, I will get my daddy to pay for."
"I'll use all that I got," Applebloom hummed. "Besides, I'll get more bits as allowance during the next harvest anyways."
"You're so insufferable…" Diamond Tiara laughed lightly. "Alright, fine, we'll do it your way."
The two ponies stuck their tongues out at each other, and allowed themselves a few seconds to laugh over the situation before they reached the front and were met with their waitress from before, Mint Jewelup. Thankfully for them, their bill wasn't horribly expensive. Still though, it took Applebloom's entire pouch of bits to pay for even half of the meal.
As Diamond Tiara had promised, the waitress was directed to send a bill for the remaining bits to her father, and he would pay for what remained. As the two exited the building and began the journey down the path to Sweet Apple Acres, Diamond Tiara passed Applebloom a smirk.
"I suppose you wouldn't have had a choice but to allow me to pay either way," Diamond Tiara said smugly.
"Shut up," Applebloom snorted, lightly punching the mare in the shoulder. "If I had known how little money I really had, I wouldn't have picked up a wine… I always forget just how expensive it is."
"If you think that's expensive, buy a bottle next time," Diamond Tiara laughed. "I think the most expensive wine my dad ever bought was worth three-hundred bits."
"You're joking!" Applebloom gasped and laughed.
"I am not!" Diamond Tiara snickered. "Next time you see him, you should ask him to tell you the whole story. I Pinkie Promise that I'm no liar."
"If you're givin' me a Pinkie Promise, I guess I gotta believe ya," Applebloom chuckled.
The two mares let their conversation die off with smiles on their faces. The evening was finally coming to a close, and it had ended on a high note. They had a lot of ups and downs. Lots of tears were shed and a lot of emotions were felt. Applebloom still wasn't sure how she felt about their hang out in general, but she was happy she didn't end up saying something she would regret. She had promised Diamond Tiara that they could hang out more, so that Diamond Tiara could prove that she was a changed pony. She hoped she wouldn't regret that decision either.
She didn't know what the future held for either of them, but she was prepared for whatever was due to come in the future.
In silence, the two walked down the path leading out of PonyVille, and leading to Sweet Apple Acres. Applebloom hadn't even questioned why Diamond Tiara walked with her. She didn't even consider asking, she was just enjoying the silence. Unlike the times before then, this silence was comfortable.
…
As they reached the gate to Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack and Big Mac stood in waiting for them. Applebloom ran ahead of Diamond Tiara to meet with her siblings, who pulled her in for a short lasting hug.
"Ya almost made me get to worryin', sugar cube," Applejack laughed.
"You worry too much," Applebloom snorted.
"Eeyup," Big Mac said with a laugh.
"Can ya really blame me?" Applejack elbowed Big Mac in the side. "You know what happened last time I left her by herself."
"Applejack, please…" Applebloom grumbled as blush bloomed on her face.
She had almost forgotten Diamond Tiara had been with her, but Diamond Tiara didn't approach. She had stopped in the spot where Applebloom had sped ahead of her. In silence, the perfume pink mare turned on her hooves and took the first step to walk down the road back to PonyVille. But, she was stopped when Applebloom called out to her.
"Diamond Tiara, are you leavin' already?" She asked, taking a few steps forward.
"U-unfortunately, I have to," Diamond Tiara laughed nervously. "My parents will get to worrying if I'm out for too long too… S-sorry Applebloom."
"Why were you walkin' with her to begin with?" Applejack questioned, walking forth to stand by her sister and rest a hoof against her back.
Applebloom's ears drooped from the way Applejack spoke. She had rarely heard that judgemental sort of tone, and it had been years since the last time she heard it for real.
"It's a long story," Diamond Tiara answered. "She'll tell you. I have to get going, I'm sorry."
"Wait, Diamond Tiara!" Applebloom called out to the mare.
Diamond Tiara didn't say another word as she began trotting down the road, ignoring Applebloom's call. It was the complete opposite of their initial meeting, where Applebloom had been stopped by Diamond Tiara. She hadn't ignored her then, but Diamond Tiara was ignoring her now instead. As much as Applebloom wanted to be hurt by it, she wasn't. It was a behaviour from Diamond Tiara that she had gotten used to.
Still though, she sighed and let her ears droop. Diamond Tiara running away so suddenly didn't help clear that scornful look on Applejack and Big Mac's faces. The air around them became tense as they each turned on their hooves and walked back to the barn. As they entered the house, they stopped.
"Why were you with her?" Applejack questioned Applebloom bluntly.
"She's the one who stopped me," Applebloom said curtly, moving to stand in front of both of her siblings. "I ran into her while I was lookin' for somewhere to stop and eat dinner, and we got to talkin'. She treated me to dinner at a bar that just opened up in town, and she even paid half the bill 'cause I didn't have enough bits on me."
Applejack and Big Mac glanced at each other as Applebloom talked. They were in just as much shock as she was initially. But even still, it seemed like they couldn't believe what Applebloom was saying. In spite of their stares, she was defiant.
"I know y'all still don't trust her for all the things she did when she was young," Applebloom began. "But I wanna give her a second chance! It seems to me like she really is tryin' her best, and I ain't gonna kick her while she's down. It's my decision to trust her, and if it goes wrong, then shame on me. But until that happens, I'm gonna give her a chance."
Applebloom didn't say anything else as she turned on her hooves and trotted up the stairs to her room. For a brief second she heard light hoofsteps behind her, a sign that Applejack intended to follow her. For whatever reason, she was either stopped or she stopped herself. Applebloom appreciated that Applejack didn't try to pursue her. She had changed a lot over the years too, and Applebloom was a grown mare now. She was allowed to make her own decisions.
She couldn't blame them for their suspicions, as she still had her own deep down. But for now, she wanted to at least attempt to put them to the side. This hang out, even if it was brief, helped Applebloom learn a lot. It helped her learn that Diamond Tiara may really be a genuine pony, she's just been pushed down the wrong path by a pony who doesn't really care.
Applebloom entered her room, and curled up in her bed. She still wasn't sure if she could consider today a good day, an okay day, or a bad day. A lot of complicated feelings blanketed her. She shut her eyes tight, intent on ignoring them. Today was… a day. That would be her final verdict for now.
She wondered if she would run into Diamond Tiara tomorrow.