The assignment was easy. Or was it?

“Hey, D.T.” Scootaloo walked up beside her. “Wanna join us at the clubhouse? We’ll do homework and then have some fun.”

“I’m sorry, Scootaloo,” Diamond Tiara said, then dropped her gaze. “I’d rather do this essay on my own.”

“Oh, know what you’re gonna write already? Cause I have no idea!” Scootaloo laughed.

“Uhm, no. No idea.” She still didn’t look up.

“Wow, that’s really getting to you, huh? You always take school so seriously,” Scootaloo said, misreading her completely. The concern and false praise sent a bittersweet shiver down her spine, but turned sour upon closer inspection.

Diamond Tiara said nothing.

“Well, come by later, okay? See ya!” With that, Scootaloo dashed off.

Diamond Tiara continued her way home.

[i]It’s your funeral. Describe the ceremony and what ponies say about you.[/i] It was the kind of assignment where there was no right or wrong. Easy, right?

Diamond Tiara opened the door to the mansion as quietly as she could and snuck in. She crept down the hallway, but as she went past the sitting room, a watchful eye poked out from behind a raised newspaper.

She dropped her bag. “Hi, mom.”

Her mom sat in an armchair with a slight angle to the hallway. Without saying a word, she stared for another two seconds, then returned her gaze to the newspaper. Diamond Tiara commenced her way towards her room when a quiet but clear voice cut through the frosty atmosphere.

“I see you’re not with your… [i]friends[/i]. How come?” The last sentence rang out in a saccharine sing-song.

“I wanted to do homework alone.”

“They abandoned you, didn’t they.”

“They didn’t!” Diamond Tiara stomped her hoof. “Scootaloo even asked me to come.”

“Oh,” her mom chuckled. “They made the special foal show you some sympathy, huh? She’s that pegasus that can’t even fly, isn’t she.”

Diamond Tiara trembled in anger for a moment, then grabbed her bag and stormed up the stairs to her room. She slammed the door, dropped her bag on her desk, whipped out her copybook and pen, and started writing.

[smcaps]On the day of my funeral, it will be raining.[/smcaps]

[i]Even the sky will cry.[/i]

[smcaps]My mom will wail and ask me for forgiveness, but I’ll be gone.[/smcaps]

[i]Serves her right.[/i]

[smcaps]Apple Bloom will build a shrine in my honor, and Scootaloo will offer her scooter as funeral gift. Sweety Bell will sing a hymn to praise my deeds.[/smcaps]

[i]They’d do that, right? Because they’re my friends… [/i]

[smcaps]Pipsqueak will confess to me, and admit he only ever ran for class president to be my equal.[/smcaps]

[i]Although he’s probably better than I was… [/i]

[smcaps]The cutie mark crusaders will cry, and say how they didn’t spend enough time with me. How I died to soon.[/smcaps]

[i]We’ve only been friends for a few weeks…[/i]

[smcaps]They’ll talk of all the things we hadn’t done, and how they wouldn’t be able to enjoy them without me.[/smcaps]

[i]It’s so unfair.[/i]

Somepony knocked at her door. “Diamond Tiara?”

“Huh?” She looked up from her essay, trying to still her breathing, her dad just a dark, blurry patch on her vision as he stepped into her room.

“What’s that racket you’re making? Why are you crying like that?”

“I—” she hiccuped. “I don’t wanna die.” A fresh, hot batch of tears welled up in her eyes.

“You’re not dying, silly.” His words were strict, but he went up to her and patted her on the head.

She hugged him around the neck. Right, she wasn’t dying. Why was she crying like that? What silliness. She released him. “Right. Thanks, dad.”

When he’d gone, she ripped the page she’d written from her book and trashed it.

[smcaps]When I die, I want everyone to be happy they knew me. To think that no hour spent with me was wasted. To be able to laugh and remember me by the fun we had. It will be a beautiful and sunny day, and if there will be tears, I hope nopony will feel like trying to hide them.[/smcaps]

Diamond Tiara thought about more to write, but the words wouldn’t come. Then, she remembered Scootaloo’s words: [i]you always take school so seriously.[/i]

She laughed, dropped the pen, and went to the bathroom to wash her face. Then, she set off to the cutie mark crusader’s clubhouse.