Act 1, Chapter 5
Filthy stood in the doorway as he watched his daughter sleep. His heart seemed to ache as his little princess gave a small sigh and nuzzled her plush dragon. She looked serene and surreal, like he was watching her from outside a glass wall. It warmed his chest to see his daughter so happy, but it also hurt to know he wouldn't see her until the evening later that day. The light brown stallion smiled at his little princess and slowly closed the door, making sure not to make any noise. As the door shut, Filthy sighed heavily to himself.
"Sir, I can rearrange your appointments today, if you wish." a voice spoke softly to him. Filthy looked behind himself to see Nit Pick standing at attention, holding a teacup in his hoof. Filthy said nothing as he took the teacup and sipped it slowly, Nit eyeing his every move. The tea was strong and full of caffeine, Filthy's best friend, but the dark cloud in his mind refused to go away. He thought about what he had heard at work, where the mare's own daughter asked who she was, and about his talk yesterday with Nit about his relationship with Diamond.
"What do I have scheduled for today?" Filthy asked dejectedly.
"With a word, it can be nothing," his loyal butler replied.
Filthy gave a small laugh at that, closing his eyes and feeling slightly better. Still, he didn't even know what was planned for him today.
"Who must I see today, Nit?" he plied in a happier tone.
Without missing a beat, a list appeared behind the butler's back and he brought it around. The white pony cleared his throat and began.
"At nine o'clock, you have a meeting with the Flim Flam Brothers who say they have an invention you would be interested in. After that, your presence will be required at the corporate office for a board meeting about a new store location in Appleloosa. Once you are finished there, you will not be required anywhere until three o'clock, which you have been asked to join Hoity Toity's and decide on the most recent clothing line he wants you to sell."
Filthy grimaced as he heard the list and sipped his tea. There was no guarantee the board meeting would end before three o'clock, especially if he was to inspect a new gadget that these Flim Flam brothers wanted him to buy. He supposed that was why the board meeting didn't have an official start time, because he would have to inspect the device for flaws and test it before giving an answer.
Yet again, another day of running a company.
Diamond sat in class, bored out of her mind. It had only been an hour since she had arrived under the careful supervision of Nanny, but now she wished she was at home. It wasn't that Ms. Cheerilee was a bad teacher, but Diamond's thoughts were elsewhere, particularly on a young purple dragon. The replay of yesterday ran through her mind, from the incident that was their first meeting where she tackled him off a bridge, to the look of happiness on his face as he chomped down of a crystal fruit.
She sighed happily as she remembered the whole day. So many pleasant memories flitted through her subconscious that she failed to notice Ms. Cheerilee passing out a test on the subject they were going over.
"Diamond?" her voice faintly spoke over Diamond's revery.
It took the pink filly a few seconds to realize there was a cranberry mare with a bubblegum pink mane staring at her.
"Uh, wha?" Diamond asked in a dazed tone. Instead of getting an answer, the sound of other fillys and colts laughter filled the room behind her. The laughter cut her to her core, making her realize what a fool she must have looked like.
"Wha's the matter, Diamond?" came a particularly irritating voice from her right, "Ya can't even hear now?" Diamond felt her cheeks redden as the laughter grew around her. As a snarl crossed the pink filly's face, Ms. Cheerilee turned to the source of the voice.
"Applebloom!" she said in an exasperated tone as the voice started laughing too.
Without warning, Diamond turned her snarl to the pony to her right. The yellow filly was laughing at Diamond, her fluffy red mane and ribbon bouncing around. Her laughter sounded louder than all the others, mocking the pink filly with every breath.
"Be quiet, you stupid blank flank!" Diamond growled.
"Diamond!" Ms. Cheerilee gasped.
"You can't tell me wha' ta do, deaf pony!" AppleBloom responded, forgoing her laughter for an snarl as well.
"Applebloom!" Ms. Cheerilee repeated.
Diamond's snarl morphed into a smirk as she saw the annoying yellow pony get angry. "Yeah, I know only your parents can." she sneered.
At that, the whole classroom gasped and fell silent, giving Diamond her much needed moment of silence to let it sink in. Her statement had the desired effect as she watched Applebloom's face soften in shock before hardening again.
"Diamond!" Ms. Cheerilee gasped, completely blown away by what the pink filly had said.
"Well, at least mah family wants ta be around me!" Applebloom almost shouted in response, the hurt evident in her voice.
Now it was Diamond's turn to let words cut her. It felt like a bucket of icy water washed over her as she registered those words.
"Apple-!" Ms. Cheeilee tried to say before Diamond cut her off.
"At least I see my father every day!" Diamond shouted.
Applebloom gasped at that and Diamond grinned darkly. She could see how much that hurt her and pressed more salt into the wound.
"And even though they're away, my parents come home to see me more than yours."
"Hey!" came a new voice. A white unicorn filly poked her head around the desks to see Diamond and Applebloom. She had a striped purple and pink mane, accented by emerald green eyes. Diamond knew that pony, Sweetie Belle, Applebloom's annoying friend.
"That was uncalled for!" she shouted, trying to stop her from attacking AppleBloom more. The yellow filly already had tears forming on the sides of her blazing orange eyes, but unknown to Sweetie Belle, Diamond grinned more.
"Aw, you have to get another pony to fight for you?" she mocked in her sarcastic sweet tone, "That's funny, because I don't need anypony to-"
"Enough!" Ms. Cheerilee shouted.
The room fell into a deadly silence as all eyes turned from the bickering fillies to the cranberry mare. Her face was fixed into a scowl as she glared at Diamond Tiara.
"Diamond, go sit in the corner," she said with a deadly serious tone, "Now."
"But Ms. Cheerilee!" Diamond protested, "Applebloom-"
"Now, Diamond!" Ms. Cheerilee shouted.
"But-"
"I said now!"
"Ms. Cheerilee!" came another voice, one Diamond recognized to be Silver Spoon, "Applebloom did start it!"
"Silver!" Ms. Cheerilee nearly yelled in response, "Stay out of this or you can join her!"
After that, Silver didn't protest anymore and Diamond sat there, staring at the mare. She didn't know what to feel as she tried to comprehend how she had gotten in trouble and not the annoying blank flank who was sniffling now. Ms. Cheerilee was right there, and yet it was Diamond who got in trouble.
She ALWAYS got in trouble.
Diamond's shocked expression quickly turned into a scowl as she pushed back from her desk angrily. Setting herself onto her hooves, she stomped past Ms. Cheerilee and muttered, "She's not in trouble 'cause you like her brother."
Ms. Cheerilee gasped at that and spun to face her. Her expression was unreadable, but clearly angry. Her face was scrunched up like she had smelled something nasty, but before she could say anything, Diamond planted her rump on the stool in the corner and pouted. Deciding she would talk to her later about that, Ms. Cheerilee let the subject drop and returned to passing out the tests.
Diamond sat alone in the classroom with her hooves crossed and a pout still on her face. Ms. Cheerilee was busy wiping off the blackboard behind her desk, forcing the pink filly to wait on her. All the other students had gone home, including Applebloom. Diamond grit her teeth as she watched the cranberry mare finish wiping away the chalk and set down the eraser before turning to her.
The two remained silent for a few seconds, eyes locked the whole time, before Ms. Cheerilee spoke up.
"Diamond, do you know why you are here?"
The pink filly rolled her eyes and looked away, annoyed by the stupid question.
"I'm not here because I like this place," she remarked.
Cheerilee pressed a hoof to her forehead and stifled a tongue lashing she was about to give.
"Diamond, what you did today was unacceptable," Cheerilee said while removing the hoof, "You had no reason to say any of those things to Applebloom or me."
"Yeah, but she could say whatever she wants," Diamond bit back.
"No, she can't," Cheerilee asserted, "Applebloom has no immunity from misbehaving, just like you don't."
Diamond scoffed at that and replied, "Then why am I the only one here?"
Cheerilee ground her teeth together and said, "That's exactly why. You will not stop arguing."
"Because I'm right!" Diamond nearly shouted back to her teacher, "She went home without a note or a warning! I'm still here and getting lectured!"
"Be quiet, Diamond!" Cheerilee spoke over her. Both the pink filly and the cranberry mare scowled at each other before the teacher spoke.
"Just so you know, Applebloom did go home with a note she needs signed and returned. Don't jump to conclusions on matters beyond your level. I am the teacher and I will not tolerate this kind of behavior here."
"But you'll tolerate those blank flanks making you like her brother so---"
"QUIET!" Cheerilee shouted, face bright red, "I will not allow you to talk about that! Applebloom's brother and I have no relationship and you need to stop bringing that up or I will suspend you!"
Diamond smartly kept her mouth shut and looked away from the teacher, utterly frustrated. She knew better than what the mare was saying. Featherweight had gotten pictures of them together when she was head of the school newspaper, so the mare was trying to cover her tracks.
Cheerilee, for her part, breathed heavily and forced herself to calm down before continuing. Diamond was undeniably the most stubborn filly she had ever taught. The little pink pony knew how to push her buttons and make her lose her cool, a rare feat for any other pony.
"Diamond," Cheerilee began again when she felt somewhat calmer, "Is there something wrong at home you need to talk about?"
Diamond cringed at the question, but forced herself to remain silent. Like she was going to talk about her personal life to a mare who hated her.
Cheerilee slowly trotted over to Diamond's desk and looked down at the angry little pony, knowing something was bothering her.
"Diamond, you can talk to me. I want to be your friend."
"Then why did you punish me and not Applebloom?" Diamond snapped back.
"This isn't about you being punished," Cheerilee deflected, "I want to help you, Diamond. Is something wrong at home? It'll make you feel much better if you talk about it than if you hold it in."
"And why should I tell you anything? You're just a teacher whose stuck with me."
Cheerilee pursed her lips at that comment and decided not to press further. The cranberry mare turned around and walked over to the desk, where she retrieved a piece of paper.
"This is a letter you have to bring home," Cheerilee stated emotionlessly as she put it on the filly's desk, "Get it signed by a parent and bring it back tomorrow or I will contact them directly."
Diamond angrily shoved the letter into her saddlebags and continued to pout. "Can I go now?" she asked impatiently.
Cheerilee nodded and the pink filly stomped over to the door. Just before leaving, Cheerilee tried one last time to reason with her.
"Diamond, whatever is making you upset doesn't have to. I am here to talk if you need to."
Cheerilee grimaced as the door slammed shut with almost unreal force.
Filthy sighed as he read the letter from Diamond's teacher. The note was just what he needed to top off an unpleasant day at his job, making him feel even worse when he came home. He knew Diamond had a temperament issue, but he thought she had gotten it under control. The note apparently proved him wrong.
"How was she today, Nanny?" he asked in a hollow voice.
"Zhe waz quite upzet, Mazter Filthy," the sand colored mare spoke, "Zhe went into her room and refuzed to come out."
Filthy closed his eyes and breathed slowly. He knew she was already asleep as it was past her bedtime, so he couldn't speak with her directly unless he made her miserable as well. In the midst of his personal parenting crisis, he couldn't bear to do that.
"Did you talk to her about this?"
Nanny nodded and spoke quickly. "Yez, zir. Zhe zarted crying after twenty minutez and kept on for an hour and a half."
"And do you know the reason why?" Filthy asked, still eyeing the note.
"Zhe zayz another ztudent didn't get in trouble even though zhe ztarted the whole ordeal."
"Was this, by any chance, a filly named Applebloom?"
"Yez, zir."
Filthy closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. He didn't understand why his daughter hated that filly so much. As the tan stallion thought, he noticed what he thought was a pattern.
"Nanny, does Diamond get along with the maids here?" he inquired.
Nanny blinked a couple of times, stunned by the question, but fumbled with her answer. "Zhe, uh, iz not to my knowledge."
Filthy frowned and said, "Thank you, Nanny. You may go. Please send in Nit."
The sandy mare nodded her head and left quickly, replaced by a stunning white unicorn in a suit.
"You are in need of my presence, Filthy?" Nit Pick asked.
"Yes. Nit, does Diamond have an issue with other mares here?" Filthy asked a little too forcefully.
Nit Pick merely straightened up a bit more and replied, "She has gotten more aggressive with the maids here in recent months."
Filthy scowled to himself as he realized what was wrong. Diamond wasn't just angry in general, she had a much deeper problem.
"Do you have a hypothesis why, Nit?" Filthy asked, already knowing the answer.
Nit didn't hesitate to reply. "She has a problem with mares in a leadership role around her."
"Not just mares," Filthy said, turning away to look out a window at the streetlights of Ponyville, "But fillys as well."
Nit nodded. He was all too well aware of Diamond's loathing of other fillys, particularly those with mothers who were active in their lives. That was why she and Silver Spoon got along so well.
"She needs a mother," he stated plainly.
Inside a dark hotel room far away from Ponyville, a stunning ruby earth pony mare brushed her mane of white in the lit bathroom. She was a mess with her mane all disheveled and her fur in uneven patches, something she absolutely loathed. She always had to look her best at any time, including now.
"Hey sweetie," came the smooth voice of a stallion from the door, "Why don't you come back to bed for a little more fun?"
The mare smirked seductively and said, "That's all you want me for, isn't it?"
"Hey, you brought me back here," the stallion answered, causing the mare to laugh. She threw him a sultry look with her stunning light blue irises and battered her eyelashes.
"Okay, but only for a little bit," she spoke, "I have a business meeting early tomorrow."
"Don't you mean today, honeypot?"
The mare tilted her head slightly and laughed again. "Yeah, you're right. It is today."
An hour later, the mare lay silently in the bed, exhausted but feeling satisfied. The stallion snored loudly next to her, keeping her from falling asleep. Instead, the mare stared at her nightstand, tracing the lines of a picture she had etched into her mind. In it, a small pink filly with a purple and white streaked mane and tail smiled happily as she showed off her cutie mark.
"Who's that?" the stallion asked, startling the mare.
"Oh, it's my daughter," she replied nonchalantly as she put the photograph face down.
"Mmm, you never told me you went around the block before, Ms. Silky Rich."
"Don't worry about that," the mare said as she kissed the stallion, "That was the worst mistake I ever made."
Stats
Page generated in 0.087 seconds
Total duration
902 users online
327,037 hits today, 2,454,720 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
I like the way you present Filthy here: dedicated to family, company, and so on. I can understand why he makes the choices he does. (I personally would probably do the same, so that helps)
With Diamond, however, you might want to be careful. She's extra bitchy, which is in character and leaves room for a strong turnabout, but if you take her that far you don't want to leave her there before the chapter ends.
Maybe a scene where Silver Spoon or Nanny questions her actions, and a little inner monologue to show that she knows (at some level) that what she did was wrong, even if she's trying to rationalize it.
Picky stuff:
"Filthy stood in the doorway as he watched his daughter sleep peacefully."
You could probably leave out 'peacefully,' as that's the default way to sleep.
""Diamond..." her voice faintly spoke over Diamond's revelry."
'Faintly spoke' is an awkward phrase. Also, her voice doesn't speak, Cheeralie speaks. Maybe 'her voice barely broke Diamond's revelry,' or something like that.
"other fillys and colts laughter"
Should be "other fillys' and colts' " plural possessive is apostaphe after the s
" but unwitting to Sweetie Belle," unwitting doesn't fit here. I actually think you could leave out this whole clause and use a semicolon. "The yellow filly already had tears forming on the sides of her blazing orange eyes; Diamond grinned more." Fairly powerful and direct.
These are mostly style suggestions. Take them with a grain of salt. (Except for the apostrophes. That's like spelling.)
OMG A NEW CHAPTER! MAYBE SOMEDAY SOON I CAN READ IT!
In a less childish way of saying - I haven't been this excited for a new chapter in a long time.
2738686
That chapter took me a while to wrap my head around, so enjoy!
2738695
I haven't enjoyed a ship this much in a long time, so no worries. Really enjoyed everything up to this point. How you paint Tiarra as neglected and so forth.
I'm getting the impression that Silky used Filthy and threw him away after having Diamond. What a b*tch.
Well played. I look forward to more.
Side note: 2619742 and 2617482: I don't know if it's a bug, but your comments are time-stamped 3 weeks ago.
2738710
It's not a bug. This chapter has been worked on for over three weeks.
That last part...
ugh....
2738722
I finished writing about all the events that will be referenced when the real story gets going, so no overly long flashbacks!
Well, the good part is now they can officially age.
2738737
Wow, you replied super fast!
Anyways, that's a great idea. I hope you can continue this without having to screw up anything. Good luck!
ouch
No, what you just said was the worst mistake you ever made!!!
DRAMA! MOAR!
And my crazy crackshipping idea rears its head...
Overall, another great chapter. (error-free, too, as far as I can see!) All the building blocks are laid for a great romance.
Look! There's pity for Diamond's mom.....
aaaaaaaaand it's gone.
I'm not drawling conclusions, but it sounds like Silky Rich's business trip is very productive.
That ending was a bit ouch, but Diamond brought up Applebloom's implied dead parents, so it balances out.
I vote for Filthy x Nanny. It would be just like that 90's sitcom only with a workaholic, a cheating wife, a thick German accented caretaker and a bratty 8-10 year old.
The story of a million people right there.
2738895 i feel no pity for diamonds mom, she is a total =chhhhtchhh= -sorry for,the interruption but the system has shutdown for the time being while our writer destroys his office space from hatred for a stupid mother, thank you, and have a nice day.-
2738975
Oh, I totally agree. I meant that's what passed through my mind briefly; the thought that Diamond's mother was just a 'ahem' prostitute/something of the sort.......
aaaaand then it was gone.
2738829
Crazy crackshipping? Like Filthy Rich X Applejack?
*Shoots DT's ma* That's one problem solved.
( DT mom got bat up and rape ) ya bicth don't like it now.
Am gusseing that her mom is a whore, you know the type of people that only love you for what you have and you can have all the sex in the world but after having a kid she just left her and hem behide.
I just want to bet the living shit out of people like that.
It was a very good chapter. Although, my uncle's friend; his wife died and they had a daughter and she is 14 to 15 years old. She is really going downhill and fast. Weeks ago she took her fathers car and cashed the car on a telephone poll or a lamp post.
I can understand DT. Sad but that is how a lot of family's are.
Wow Diamond really needs the love of a mother, but it looks like its not going to be that bitch.
Good chapter! I like the character development with Filthy. And Nit Pick isn't bad either. Hope D.T. get the love she needs from her father, cause Spike can only do so much.
memeshappen.com/media/created/vem6n7.jpg
Finally! A new chapter is out.
Also, Nanny x Filthy Rich. Has to happen.
Whore.
2738798 You're like an outlet for our feels, right now.
A wild bitch appeared!
> Shoot > Bag
> Melee > Run
Goddamn Silky Rich, burn in hell!
i.imgur.com/YXyTd.jpg come to think of it, she would enjoy this.
I firmly believe that daughters are the best thing to ever happen to us men. I also believe Ima put a fist sized gangsta hole in my wall this makes me so angry. Why does this story make me love and hate it at the same time?
Daaamm AppleBloom got burned!
Poor Diamond though.she deserves better than that sleazy mother of hers. =[
Next chapter!!!!!
I just figured out why ponies have mental issues... it distracts them from making evil choices.
Those who are evil, are completely sane to a disturbing degree or bored.
Is Celestia evil?
Geez the story just became a tad dark but I must keep reading, into the future.
That end.....Silky Rich:
I'm gonna b*tch slap you so hard!
Didn't expected Silky Rich to be such a bitch
I gotta admit, I was a little shocked by that ending. Diamond's mother is a total whorse.
Oh, Diamond's mum's a bitch, she's the biggest fat bitch in the whole wide world, biggest of a bitch, whoever was a bitch, she's a bi-bi-bi-bi-bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch, SHE'S A STUPID BITCH! Diamond's mum' a bitch and she's suck a dirty bitch!
Aaaannnyyyyway, great chapter
It's EXTREMELY compelling
2740242 hahahahahahaha ......phhhewwww hahahahahah!!!!! (fall of seat laughing) man you are to good
anyways great chapter wonder where this will lead to (wink wink)
Man...this made me think of my high school bullies and what they might have gone through...
Anyway I ienjoyed the chap really made me think and
2739204
Dude never underestimate a dragon.
I'm enjoying how you're making Diamond sympathetic, but not holding back on how mean she can be to others. Good job.
And with one line, everything Diamond does and has done is more or less justified.
Bravo, sir.
Finally an update
2740335Not underestimating, but I'm not overestimating cause there's only so much Spike can do and his feelings for DT didn't go past friends yet on top of that I don't think Spike knows what a bitch DT can really be especially since it towards AB, and she is Spike's friend.
Much conflict ahead for my man Spike!
2739008 Exactly...
SOU MACH WIN IN DIS CHATURR AI CEN`T WRAIT PROPERLI!
2738987 except Im still pissed off at her mom, it doesnt help that I knew a person who went through something similar.
I feel bad for Diamond, I hope she finds a way to turn herself around and be reborn as a better mare
;A; owwwwww that was sad
So much feels throughout this chapter. Anyway glad you updated.
2740785
(he is more use to dealing with the other kind of bitch
(sorry if anyone takes offences from that comment))hope his read some psychology books during those years living in a library.
ya... its going to ne a though one even for him