Diamond stood up for herself to her mother's verbal abuse, but our story only starts there...
Everyone wears a mask. A sweet, charming lady can hide a verbally abusive gold digger behind the smile. The foulest looking hobo can have a heart of gold, and for Diamond Tiara this is a lesson she knows all too well. There will be consequences for her little outburst. Consequences that are far larger than she can imagine
Takes place immediately after Crusaders of the lost Mark. So, ya know, spoiler alert
Contains: Some darn near deadly Daaawwww's and some horrific depictions of child abuse. (really, which depiction of child abuse isn't horrific?
Diamond Tiara stared at her door in silence. This was the worst part. The silence. She knew the storm was coming, and it was her fault. The pressure from mother had been building for quite some time now, and it felt so good to let it out. Let it all go. Diamond had exploded like a volcano, and the world never tasted sweeter. For a brief, shining, amazing moment, she'd felt happier than she had in a long, long time. The moment her mother took her request to father and in that very same, horrible, terrible moment, she realized she'd sealed her own fate. She'd created this hell for herself, and now there was no way out. No way to salvation. No escape from this...
Father hadn't come home that afternoon. He was at work, late. Like usual. That just meant it was her and mother for the evening. Diamond let out a shivery breath. What had she been thinking?! Calling her own mother out like that. In public even! In front of the blan- the Cutie Mark Crusaders. In front of Ms Cheerilee. In front of her class! Celestia, she was such an idiot! She just couldn't hold it in any longer, but that was the worst possible time for her outburst.
Diamond had scampered up to her room as soon as she could the moment she got home, and waited nervously. Mother would be furious. She always was. She hadn't thought about that when she was yelling at her mother. It never occurred to her they still lived together. That the aftermath of her protest would be met with equal fury and rage. All she wanted was to be heard under a smothering blanket of rules and policies created by her mother. She just needed to breathe, and now...
Now with a growing intensity of sheer concern, Diamond squirmed as the sound of hoof steps were coming closer and closer to her door. This was it! And like so, so so many times before, Diamond Tiara braced herself, and squeezed her eyes shut, her mantra already tumbling from her lips before she realized it.
"Diamond?" Spoiled cooed as she slipped into her daughter's room. Diamond was sitting on her bed with her eyes closed, breathing in and out in steady, audible pants. Spoiled frowned, pulling herself in front of Diamond's bed, and roughly grasped the girl by the chin.
"Look. At. Me. " She hissed. Nervously, Diamond glanced up at her mother. They held that pose for a moment, with the familiar stench of bourbon flooding from her mother's lips. Before she knew it, Diamond squealed at the sudden, blinding bolt of pain that exploded across her face- the hoof print left by her mother's strike was faint, but stung greatly. She grasped Diamond by the chin again and brought her gaze back to hers.
"I am your mother, and you will show me respect!" Spoiled snapped. Diamond squeaked quietly, and tried to shrink away from her Mother's gasp. Spoiled didn't let it happen, grasping her daughter's head to force eye contact.
"Do you understand me, Diamond?! Don't you ever speak to me that way again in public. Don't you EVER. I brought you into this world filly, and I can take you out of it! Do you hear me?!" She hissed darkly. Just holding this brat in her hooves...How DARE she...
"Yes mother. Sorry mother. " Diamond whispered, choking back tears. Now was not the time to cry. No, she knew how this situation was going to go, and 'sympathy' was not one of mother's strong points. She swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to make herself as small as possible where she sat. This wasn't over. No. She'd never been slapped before, but she knew her mother's rants well enough. This wasn't over by a long shot.
Spoiled turned away from Diamond and gave a growl, slowly meandering over to the window, where she glared out of it quietly at the passerby.
"Ugh. I knew it. I knew it! Too much time in this dump of a town has rotted your little brain. Associating with blank flanks. Lowlifes! If I ever catch you talking to one of those second class citizens again...You ignorant little...if I hadn't brought myself up with class and standards, I would not have the life I live today. Yes, I am a high horse, and yes I am better than those miserable peons out there. And as my daughter you are better than them as well. Do you understand, Diamond? Are you listening young filly?! You will ruin your life hanging out with the poor and downtrodden. You have everything you want right here, and I promise you, you don't want to be friends with those misfits and outcasts. I only want the best for you. Mommy loves you, darling...You know that, don't you? " Spoiled asked quietly. Diamond looked up, teary eyed and quietly nodded her head.
"Yes mother." She said quietly- her voice a ghost of a choked whisper. Spoiled didn't notice- all she heard was the compliance. The way children should behave.
"Good girl. What are the names of those three little hooligans you speak with??" She asked darkly. Diamond's ears perked. Every warning bell she had was going off at the same time. No. She wouldn't dare tell mother about them! They were her friends! Her new friends! Quietly, she glanced up at her mother and then back down again, nibbling at her lower lip. Her mother didn't seem terribly concerned.
"Oh? Did you forget? Well, that's alright, I'll just drop by the school and find out that way. I won't let some nasty misfit taint MY child! I refuse! I will protect you, even from yourself!" Spoiled snarled, turning towards the door. Diamond pounced to her hooves, ears perked in shock and alarm.
"W-what do you mean by that?! Why do you need their names?!" She plead. Her mother, however, turned and pointed a hoof at her daughter.
"I am going to have them removed from this neighborhood. A few bits to grease some hooves and we'll have you back to being the miscreant I was molding before those Blank Flanks. You never spoke to me like that before they got into your head and messed you up. I will make sure you never speak to me like that again, and to start, they have to go. We'll be rid of them, and their families by the end of the week." Her mother announced, slamming the door to the room with a loud bang.
No! No no no no! This was wrong! This was all wrong! Things weren't supposed to go with way! Now the CMC were in danger and it was all her fault!
"Y-You can't! Mother! Please!" Diamond called, trying to open the door and protest further- but it was refused to budge. Locked. Her mother was convinced the Cutiemark Crusaders were ruining her, and she was absolutely determined to protect her child. Diamond groaned. How did this get so complicated? She should have just stayed quiet. She should have just -No. She didn't have time for self pity! She needed a plan to save the Cutie Mark Crusaders!!
Regardless of the multitude of plans Diamond came up with to get a message to Silver Spoon, it all hinged on one tiny fact: If the little pony next door was home.
And she wasn't.
Silver Spoon's room window was adjacent to Diamond's across the street. They shared secrets and endless whispers from those two rooms, often after mother had gotten into the booze and Diamond was banished from her presence. The very same room that was currently blurring the lines between salvation and prison. A flimsy piece of wood was the only thing separating her from mother's wrath, but it was that very same piece of wood keeping her from getting a message to the Crusaders! If Silver Spoon wasn't home, then she would have to-
She could hear mother thumping around downstairs, up to something. Every step sent an icy shiver racing down Diamond's spine. Was this it? When she'd finally come bursting through the door, drunk and raging and ready to teach Diamond another ''lesson' in respect?!
Thump Thump Thump
By Celestia's sun she was getting closer! She was climbing up the stairs to the third floor where Diamond's room was. No! Not again! PLEASE CELESTIA NOT AGAIN!!
The silence returned with a vengeance, sweeping through the room and choking the life out Diamond's lungs. She strained her ears as much as possible, listening for any indication mother might be approaching her room. Didn't move. Didn't breath. Not a sound...
Thump Thump Thump
Tears trickled quietly from Diamond's cheeks as she huddled against the far wall, whispering quietly to herself and listening to the sound of her mother marching up and down the hallway. Pleasegoawaypleasegoawaypleasegoawaypleasepleaseplease
And then it stopped. More thumping. She had ventured back down stairs, not bothering to interact with her daughter it seemed. That was just fine with Diamond, although it would take a minute for her heart to start again. She paused and perked her ears, following her mother's movements on the floor below her. True, the thumping clip clops of her steps were gone, but replaced with a much, much more terrifying sound.
The horrifying 'klink' of ice kissing the bottom of the glass. A sound that scared her worse than any monster her mind could come up with, and Ponyville had suffered some nightmarish creatures attack. A bitter sweet respite. A precursor to something truly horrible. She was doomed unless she managed to find a miracle in her tiny little room, and the prospects of that were looking less and less promising. She'd never needed to talk to Silver Spoon so badly and she wasn't home. She could hear mother downstairs, grumbling to herself and repeating phrases. She was whipping herself into a frenzy, the way she often did when she was angry like this.
...My daughter... EVER speak to me like that again...Give her something to cry about...all my years...
Diamond pressed her back against the door, listening quietly to her mother's increasingly incoherent rant. Trapped in a room, listening to someone talk themselves into a drunken, screaming fury was horrifying enough, but did mother have to keep pacing around? It was hard to keep track of where she was. Her ears strained and perked to catch every sound and her mind wasn't doing her any favors. She caught the sound of metal scraping against metal. Did mother have a knife?! Was she so mad that she would even consider something like that?! No. Not mad. She was drunk. That was much more terrifying to Diamond. Never had she stared so intensely out her own window at Silver Spoon's house, and never, ever, in her life had she been happier to see Silver Spoon stroll into her room.
SILVER SPOON!!
-------------------------
Silver Spoon got home later than usual that day. After the big upset at the school, Silver Spoon discovered her big sister was in town, recently back from one of her concerts on tour. They spent the afternoon together, enjoying ice cream and gossip. They chatted about music, and Silver Spoon's studies, how things were going at school, and how sister's concerts went. All and all, a fantastic afternoon! It was good to put the drama behind her. To just be free of Diamond's attitude for just a while. It was relaxing while it lasted, but Silver Spoon knew that the rift between them wouldn't last. They never stayed angry at each other for too long regardless of the number of times Silver Spoon swore to herself that she was 'done' with Diamond. So Silver Spoon was not at all surprised when she heard the rhythmic 'tick, tick, tick' of pebbles being tossed at her window. Diamond wanted her attention. Silver Spoon gave a hot snort. The rift, while it wouldn't last, still certainly there. Not allowed to speak. Who in Equestira did Diamond think she was!? And she claimed she was her best friend? BAH.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
That wasn't going to stop until the window was open. Silverspoon gave a sigh, letting her ears flatten atop her head. Really? Diamond couldn't even wait one day without demanding her attention!? It was always 'Silver Spoon do this, Silver Spoon do that.' She wasn't Diamond's personal servant! Whatever Diamond wanted could wait. After all, why gunk up her afternoon with drama? So far it had been perfectly splendid, and she wasn't obliged to answer Diamond's every beck and call. Humph! For a brief moment, Silver Spoon peered out the window at Diamond, who frantically waved her arms. Probably wanted to talk about the Cutie Mark Crusaders or something. It could wait. Big sister was home, and Silver Spoon was enjoying her quality time with her. Silver smirked and waved a hoof before quietly closing the blinds. Problem solved. She chuckled, turning to trot down stairs. Whatever it was could wait till Silver Spoon was ready for drama again- and that would be a long time coming.
"SILVER SPOON!" Diamond hollered, tears in her eyes as she tried to get her friends attention. She was taking a major risk here. Mother was often displeased with noise when she was 'indisposed.' But it was worth it! She had to get a message to Silver Spoon! For a warm flicker of a moment, Silver spoon had turned towards the window, and even waved at Diamond, flooding the filly with relief that lasted right up until Silver Spoon shut the blinds.
No! No no no no no! Diamond threw herself against the glass, watching as Silver Spoon disappeared out of sight. "No! Please! Come back! You don't understand!!" Diamond cried, only to receive a snarl from the other side of her door. Mother had crept upstairs from the sound of her outburst. Quietly, Diamond shank herself as far as she could in the corner of her room. The door rattled, as if mother was having trouble figuring out the lock.
"I am sick and tired of listening to your voice Diamond Tiara! If I hear one more peep from you, so help me, I'll give you something to cry about! You hear me ?! DO YOU HEAR ME YOUNG FILLY?! " screamed the door. Diamond bit her lower lip, frozen in the corner while the door rattled. Diamond held her breath. Not a whimper. Not a noise. Not a sound. She was a statue, not daring to move with mother around. Usually, Diamond would wait till her father got home for respite. She'd wait till he walked in, she'd pounce him, tell him about all of the horrors of her day and let him take it from there. But mom was drinking in the house, and it was afternoon. That only meant one thing: father was on a business trip. She only drank like this when he was out of the house for days on end and she was alone. She probably dismissed all the servants. Just her and Mr. Daniels for the evening. Just the way she liked it.
"Yes mother. Sorry mother," she whispered. A gamble, a guess, a hope and a prayer all rolled into one. If Diamond spoke anymore than that, her mother might consider that a 'peep' and use it as an excuse to barge in. If she didn't say anything, mother might take it as being ignored, and that would only fan the flames. This time, she was lucky. Mother seemed to accept that answer, and turned away from her room again. Diamond let out the air she'd been holding and leaned against the door. In the back of her mind, Diamond knew simply that this only meant that mother was going to get more to drink. If Diamond were lucky, mother would pass out downstairs on her favorite chair and soon. That was the best possible outcome at least the most non violent one. To pass out, mother would need much more which could take up to hours. That public outburst must have ruffled more feathers than Diamond thought. How had things gotten so messed up to the point she was hoping her mother would drink more just so she might pass out and spare Diamond more of her wrath.
"Pssst!"
Diamond's ears perked instantly, and she glanced towards the window. Silver Spoon was waving to her.
"I...I heard your mom yelling at you again. Don't think I'm not still steamed about not being able to speak, cause I- Wait. Diamond! Y-your face!! Did your mom..." Silver Spoon sputtered, pointing at the blemish on the side of Diamond's face as Diamond nearly threw her frame out the window.
"Silver! Please! I- I don't know what to do. Mother has gone berserk! She wants to run the Cutie Mark Crusaders out of town for what they 'did' to me! You've got to warn them! Go find them! Tell them, T-tell them to watch out for her! There's no telling what she'll do but she's really really good at getting what she wants!" Diamond squealed as quietly as she could. Silver Spoon, to Diamond's ultimate dismay, simply shook her head.
"No way! Your mom can't get rid of the CMC! That's crazy!" Silver hissed. Diamond nodded her head, wiping tears from her eyes.
"Yeah. Remember how I said "Mother has gone berserk?" that would be the berserk part. Just tell them to be careful! We've got to warn them!" Diamond groaned. Silver Spoon frowned.
"Seriously. They are sisters to national heroes who're friends with Princess Celestia! They saved Equestria about a dozen times! What in the realm is your mom going to do to them? We should be trying to stop her if only to protect her," Silver Spoon snorted dryly. Diamond wildly shook her head.
"It doesn't matter! The point is she's going to TRY! She'll make their lives miserable if she can't get rid of them! She's extremely good at that! Gossip magazines, rumors, allegations! She'll turn Ponyville to Tartarus if she has too! I really really need your help on this one, Silver. Please. Please Silver Spoon. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry for everything! You're my best friend! You really are, you're the only one who's always been there for me. I know I've screwed up a lot lately, and, and I don't deserve a friend like you, but I...I need...I just...A-.And I'm so scared, and..." Diamond sobbed quietly and soon there were more tears than words. The filly was having a break down while Silver Spoon watched, just out of reach and unable to help.
But it didn't mean she wouldn't try. First things first though. The CMC could wait. Diamond Tiara was her priority and she was going to save her best friend, no matter what that took.
"LET ME IN! YOU LET ME IN RIGHT NOW YOUNG LADY!" The door rattled and trembled violently under the assault. Each hoof print across the battered, splintering wood marked another fit of unquenchable rage. Mother had whipped herself into a frenzy again.
"I DON'T HAVE THE KEY!" Diamond screamed in panic, hunching herself over in the corner, and trying to maintain as much distance from the door as possible. For better or for worse, mother didn't seem able to remember what she did to the key for Diamond's door. That meant mother couldn't get to her- but it also meant that Diamond was trapped in the house with her. And the longer Mother was unable to vent her frustrations on Diamond, the madder she became. There was no salvation here. For each failed attempt at twisting the door knob open, Diamond was rewarded with another round of angry screaming.
"DO YOU HEAR ME?! DON'T YOU EVER TALK TO ME LIKE THAT AGAIN IN PUBLIC! I SWEAR IF I WERE IN THERE I'D SHOW YOU SOME RESPECT! I'D TEACH YOU! YOU ARE MY CHILD AND I CAN DO AS I PLEASE WITH YOU!! DIAMOND?! DO YOU HEAR ME?! YOU'D BETTER ANSWER ME YOU LITTLE ROACH!" Screamed the door, but try as she might, Diamond couldn't produce a sound. What were you supposed to say to something like that? Was sorry good enough in this situation? How sorry was she supposed to be?! It's not like she could go anywhere! She was trapped in her room! Mom couldn't just leave her alone until she calmed down a little bit? The door rattled again, the wood starting to splinter as angry hooves crashed into it.
"ANSWER ME DIAMOND!" Mother demanded. Diamond whimpered quietly. There was no reason for this. No way out. Did mother really have to stand there and beat at the door? It's not that Diamond could escape anywhere really. Maybe she was trying to assert some control over the situation (Which was silly, since it was rapidly getting out of hoof). Maybe she was trying to get back into control, and wrestle back the authority she lost from Diamond's little outburst. Not that there would ever be another outburst like that again...
The screaming stopped. Diamond Tiara slumped underneath her window, hugging her knees and breathing in long, slow pants of relief. She'd gotten a message to Silver Spoon though. That's all that mattered, and now she simply had to worry about the door giving in to mother's fury. How had all of this happened? When did life get so complicated? How did she get here? She lifted a hoof and stared at it quietly.
"Who are you?" She murmured. It was true, a week ago- she'd have never thought the Cutie Mark Crusaders would turn out to be her friends. Or she'd stand up to mother. Or go through all this trouble to keep those Blank Flanks around. Heh. What had gotten into her?!
She liked it. A lot in fact. It didn't help the situation now, of course, but it was a nice change. A nice feeling that was easier to deal with than the miserable gunk she felt deep inside every time she opened her mouth and mother's words flooded out. She shuddered and tried to relax. She'd gotten a message to Silver Spoon. Things would be okay. As much as she hated to admit to it; Silver Spoon was the brains of their little operation. She was right, after all. There was little mother could actually do to the CMC, but mother didn't make idle threats when it was within her power to affect the situation with money. It was strange really, to think that mom was doing all this to protect her. In some bizarre, warped and twisted way, having mother to go through all of this to make sure she was brought up properly was ...touching? That didn't seem right. That didn't feel right at all. Why did all of this have to be so confusing?! Diamond wanted to believe that if mother really did feel she was protecting Diamond from a threat, she would go to the ends of the earth for her. That's what scared her the most. Never the less, mother wouldn't be going after them while she was drunk, which means Silver Spoon had time to get to them. Everything was going to work out! She was sure of it... so why did she have this gut wrenching feeling that something horrible was about to happen?
* * * * * * * * * *
Don't panic. Like some sort of calming mantra, the words repeated in her head over and over and over again. Silver Spoon shut the blinds when she heard Diamond's mother return. She had been trying to figure out a plan- some way to stop this for good, until her body started moving on her own. She didn't know what she was going to do- but something inside refused to let her sit there and listen.
Throwing herself down the stairs, she found herself headed towards the back door. Past big sister, past mother, past father. Outside into the open air. Brisk. Dusky. Fall was in full swing here. The trees overhead exploded in hues of red and orange and blotted out the sun with a rain of leaves. Silver didn't notice any of it. She hardly even heard her mother calling from the patio.
"Silvy? Dinner in fifteen minutes." Chimed the voice behind her. The little filly froze, ears perked in surprise. She'd been so focused on...whatever she was focused on, she failed to hear mom canter in behind her. What was she focusing on? As if she didn't know. As if she hadn't already made up her mind what she was going to do. Slowly, she turned about, and flashed the older mare a smile.
"Sure Mom. Fifteen minutes. Gotcha." Silver Spoon squeaked pleasantly. Great. Now she had a time limit, as if this wasn't going to be hard enough. Closing her eyes, the little silver filly shook her head as mother went back inside. She was as ready as she was going to get...
* * * * * * * * * *
"This is crazy. This is crazy. This is crazy. This is crazy. This is crazy." Silver Spoon muttered softly to herself as she crept along the expansive flower garden the family had. Flowers and plants from all over the place. A very floral look, which was very, very popular right now. According to her mother, anyway.
The garden was vast, with multiple different types of plants, and flora sprawling out in a beautiful layout. Almost like walking down a jungle path. Almost as popular as Diamond's luxury pool. Almost. Silver Spoon had to admit, Diamond's pool parties were much more fun than mother's garden parties. She stepped precisely seventeen steps forward along the little brick yard path around the side of her house. There, mother had several potted plants. Her next 'project' or something. Mother had a thing about raising weird plants. She had something of a green hoof, but Silver Spoon didn't care about the golden roses, or the sparkling ruby tulips. All she cared about were the pots. The seventeenth pot, to be exact. The one that secretly hid the key to the Diamond's house. Silver always found it kind of strange that the families swapped keys for each other's homes. She supposed the idea was that if some thief did stumble across the keys, they'd be confused, because the key wouldn't fit the lock. She peered over the object in her hooves. A dirty, tarnished little key. She let her gaze slowly trail up towards the sprawling sixty four room house and swallowed. Gripping the key firmly, she made a mad dash towards the house the moment the key touched her lips. She didn't know why she made such a mad dash. Panic, perhaps? The heat of the moment? The very fact that she had absolutely no idea what she was about to do. Yeah, that one might be it. She wasn't usually one to improvise. She liked to have a calm, neat, tidy little plan before she did anything. But hearing Diamond's sobs completely bypassed all of her intelligent planning, and transformed her into the pony that was standing at the backdoor to Diamond Tiara's house. The crazy pony who had absolutely no plan and holding a key between her lips. A little pony that unlocked the door as silently as possible, and swung it open.
Silence...Diamond Tiara's mother was somewhere in the house- and Diamond too.
"This is crazy." Silver Spoon squeaked. And it was. She knew that it was. Whatever was about to happen would be certifiably one hundred percent pure insanity. Mother had a strict rule about not interfering with other people's affairs. Bury-your-head-in-the-sand-and-hope-it-goes-away. She was happy living in her little world of ignorance, like lots of adults, but Silver Spoon wasn't so lucky. She couldn't ignore the choked sobs spilling from the window across the street. She couldn't pretend Diamond hadn't sobbed on her shoulders week after week, after mother had one of her little episodes. She couldn't refuse the desire to help. And now here she was.
"This is crazy." Silverspoon whimpered one last time And she knew that it was. Whatever was about to happen would be certifiably one hundred percent pure insanity. And as she crossed the threshold into Diamond's house, she knew that it most certainly wouldn't stop her.
The kitchen was a great sprawling expanse. A dizzying number of cabinets and drawers surrounded Silver Spoon as she quietly made her way into Diamond's house. Each and every time Silver had been over for dinner, the kitchen had never been so huge and daunting; like a desert of endless tile floors and spotless counters. With each step a thunderous echo booming in her ears, Silver Spoon slowly realized she was holding her breath as she crept through the house. Her ears were perked and upright, listening for the smallest of sounds that might betray Spoiled Rich's presence- but the house was terrifyingly empty. Not a soul lurched though the towering halls nor cavernous rooms. Spoiled had sent all the servants home, which meant there wouldn't be anyone to tell her not to drink or stop her.
Glancing around the kitchen, Silver Spoon could guess Mrs. Rich had been making a snack for herself. There was a knife sitting next to several slices of carrots, and the stove was gently warming a pot of delicious smelling something. Silver's tummy gave a furious roar, and the little girl froze on the spot. She stood there for almost a minute, wide eyed and trembling, just waiting for Mrs. Rich to round the corner from the hall way and start screaming wildly at her like some terrible monster out of Tartarus.
...
The house remained still, and slowly, ever so slowly, Silver exhaled the breath she caught herself holding again. Safe. She was still safe. Mrs. Rich didn't have any reason to suspect she was in her home, and if worse came to worse, she could just claim she came over to visit Diamond. Which was more or less the truth. Sort of. For a moment, Silver pondered sneaking something from the fridge. Something tiny, just to shut her tummy up and not make trouble. Curiously, the refrigerator door was already open, with a yellow stripe of light spilling out. Silver Spoon tsked, making the short trek over to the refrigerator door to slam it shut. Humph. She was no thief. After all, she would be home and eating dinner in fifteen minutes anyway. Idly, Silver Spoon wondered how Mrs. Rich could leave the fridge door open like that. Her mother would be furious with her if she ever discovered Silver had opened the refrigerator door and just left it like that. Although, Silver supposed it might be okay if you were only gone for a...
Silver's ears perked at the sound of hoofsteps thumping down the stairs, and her tummy clenched itself into an agonizing knot. She swallowed, frozen in indescribable terror, as the heavy thumping came closer. Spoiled Rich was coming to the bottom step. She'd turn the corner, and Silver Spoon would be standing there, in the middle of her house. And that would be it. Silver Spoon would be grounded for life. Maybe two lives. Two lives and an eternity, if her parents were merciful. If she were lucky enough to get back to her parents even. Maybe. They'd never believe for a moment Diamond was in any kind of trouble, not with the wealth of the Rich family. Regardless of the numerous times the angry shouts from Diamond's house spilled over into their home. Through walls and windows, and in one ear and out the other. Ponies could trick themselves into believing a lot of things, like everything was under control, and things were 'fine' but Silver Spoon- for all her intelligence and practice, seemed incapable of mastering that art.
"Grab it!" screamed the voice in her head. "Grab it and hide!" it yelled urgently. Grab what? For a second, Silver felt the oddest disconnect. Like everything was happening at once and in slow motion. Some part of her brain had realized she was staring into the refrigerator, while another part of her brain scanned the items inside. And yet another part was drawn to the glittering key with a heart shaped diamond emblem on the end of it. A key. The key. To Diamond's Room. Get it. Grab the key. Why is it in the refrigerator? Doesn't matter. Hide! She's coming!! HIDE!!! And all at once, Silver had scooped up the key and dipped around an island in the center of the kitchen. Mrs. Rich stumbled in quietly, chuckling to herself.
"Help, help, alllll my dresses are on fire! Hehehehe...teach her to let that brat infect my daughter. Scum. All of 'em. Unicorns. Round 'em all up n' run 'em outta town. Ruining Equestira-ra, " mumbled the mare as she pulled the refrigerator door open and glanced around curiously.
"Where...where did..." The pink pony grumbled, before peering around the room. She paused, before making a bee-line for the counter and picking up the carrot she'd been chopping up.
"Already pulled 'em out...See?! Those blank flanks have me in a tizzy! MMMmmmmmmaybe ided jus be easier to move. Maybe to Can'erlot. I should tell Filthy I want to live in Can'erlot. At least it wouldn't be here. AND MAYBE IF WE MOVED, I'D LEAVE MY SPOILED BRAT BEHIND BY ACCIDENT AND LET HER LEARN HOW LUCKY SHE IS TO LIVE UNDER MY ROOF! WOULDN'T THAT BE A TRAGEDY!" barked the pony at the ceiling with an angry snort. That'd show her. That'd teach her a thing or two about respect. She could just stay locked in that room for the next day or so. That'd show Diamond how it was done! Put her in her place. She'd learn respect then! Where were those carrots?
Spoiled Rich staggered over to the fridge and pried it open, peering in quietly. Where'd they go? She leaned back, peering into the fridge, frowning in confusion. She closed her eyes. Phantom carrots. She needed a drink to clear her head and calm her nerves. She'd find the stupid carrots easier with a stiff drink. She put the carrot down on the counter and turned towards the parlor. Or maybe she'd just have radishes tonight. That sounded good, too.
With the larger mare stumbling into the next room, one of the tiny cabinets on the island opened up. There was plenty of room inside for pots or pans or even a small filly frozen in horror. Silver Spoon spilled out of the cabinet, landing on her belly with a quiet whump. She went dead still, and perked her ears. If mrs. Rich were to wander in now...
...
Never had Silver Spoon felt so relieved and so terrified at the same time, then when she heard the familiar sound of ice tapping the bottom of a glass from one room over. She crept as fast as her little legs would carry her towards the stairs- making sure to skip the 6th and 11th step on the way up. Sleep overs and late night snack raids had revealed those were the 'squeaky' steps and ones to be avoided when planning to stay up far past one's bed time. End of the hall, take a right. Third staircase, end of the hall, third door on the left. That was Diamond's room, and with any luck, where Silver would find Diamond.
* * * * * * * * *
It was a good twenty minutes since Diamond had heard or seen Silver Spoon across the street. She'd disappeared shortly after mother had returned to scream at her some more. Come to think of it, Diamond hadn't heard from mother, either. Like both of them vanished at the same time. Had mother passed out? Could she relax a little bit? Slowly, Diamond pressed her head against the carpet of her floor, and tried to scan for sounds coming from undernea- "AND MAYBE IF WE MOVED, I'D LEAVE MY SPOILED BRAT BEHIND BY ACCIDENT AND LET HER LEARN HOW LUCKY SHE IS TO LIVE UNDER MY ROOF! WOULDN'T THAT BE A TRAGEDY!"
Oh.
Why? Why though? What did mother have to gain from taunting her like this? Was it to remind her how lucky she was to receive a lecture instead of a beating? Was it because she had really truly blundered, and what Diamond did was far more serious than she thought? Was it because- Hoofsteps! NO!! Had mother found the key?! Was that what the screaming was?! A warning?! They approached her door, and the lock jiggled with a distinguished sound of metal clicking against metal. Cha-clink. Diamond drew herself as far into the corner as she could. Maybe the closet! The closet, yes! She could hide in there!! And then what? Hope she doesn't check? Leave herself trapped? No, no no, make a break for it when she opens the door. Yeah. Find somewhere else in the house to hide. Maybe she could make it to the front door. Maybe she could get outside, maybe, somewhere public for a little while. Yeah, yeah that might work. That could work!
The door slowly crept open, and Diamond's eyes widened. Now! Nownownownow! RUN NOW! But she was a statue. Stuck to the spot and forced to await another harsh lesson. Diamond had already vowed never to talk back again, what more could she want?! What was she supposed to do?!
"Diamond?" A voice whispered faintly. Swallowing a lump in her throat, Diamond dared to glance up towards the door. For a brief second, she couldn't understand what she was seeing. Silver Spoon slipped into the room quietly, closing the door behind her. Silence echoed through the room for what seemed like minutes until slowly Silver Spoon held out her arms and bit her lower lip and Diamond wrapped her arms around her in turn. There was nothing left to fight about. Any and all arguments they had ever had with one another faded into a forgotten memory, and hurt hearts healed instantly.
"Besties?" Silver Spoon whispered. Diamond simply nodded her head, and tried not to cry.
Their embrace peppered the room with choked sobs. A fresh batch, the moment Silver Spoon gripped Diamond in her arms. Only for a moment though, the embrace shattered almost as soon as it began.
"Come on." Silver hissed, grasping her best friend by the hoof and marching towards Diamond's door as boldly as possible, throwing it open in front of her, as if to dare Spoiled to go through her to get to Diamond. For all of Silver's bravado, while perhaps comforting to Diamond, also had the dreadful trait of being entirely made up. Not only did Silver Spoon have no contingency plan if they accidentally ran into Spoiled Rich, but she had no plan what-so-ever. She'd long suspected she'd have chickened out before getting this far, but friendship had a way of making ponies crazy. And now that she had Diamond with her, she didn't have a clue what to do. Get out, of course. But how? How was she supposed to just walk right out with Diamond in tow without alerting Mrs. Rich? For Diamond's sake, Silver Spoon boldly marched forward- the way she would have if she had a plan. In reality she was using most of her focus on not wetting herself, and making it down the stairs without tumbling like a slinky.
Reaching the second floor, Silver left Diamond on the staircase, and gently crept onto the landing, perking her ears and opening her senses to the world. Klink. Tink. More ice. The kitchen. Spoiled was back in the kitchen, which meant Silver and Diamond might be able to make it to the front door of the house without summoning Spoiled's wrath. The two fillies glanced at one and other, and then past the balcony, down to the first floor. Down to where the front door stood, tall and imposing; a barrier to freedom an safety.
"Come on." Silver hissed, giving Diamond's hoof another tug, and the two crept as slowly as possible down the stairs, and into the foyer. There it was! The front door! This was it! Silver Spoon's heart raced in her chest as she boldly marched her way to freedom. She had to march. Slowly. Deliberately. Anything else would have turned into a panicked, (And noisy) rush to the door. Keep your composure until you're safe. You can do this Silver Spoon. Almost there. You'll make it to the door, and you'll be saf-
Her calming affirmation was shattered when she felt a hard pull on her hoof. Instead of pulling Diamond to safety, she was now being tugged- around the corner and out of sight as mrs. Rich shuffled into the hallway. Diamond had sensed her before Silver Spoon did, the other filly far to focused on escape.
Standing there, (swaying there) mrs. Rich peered through the foyer quietly, with Diamond and Silver just in the next room to the right; a large family room, dominated by lavish furniture and expensive tastes. A huge, cushy easy chair had been the closest thing Diamond could find for cover, just barely pulling the both of them behind it, as mrs. Rich slowly staggered in. No no no! Not now! Why now?! Why did she have to choose now to pass out in her favorite chair? Mumbling to herself, Spoiled slowly sat down- a half glass of something sinister in her hooves. She didn't seem to see the two tiny fillies, frozen directly behind her, but that was due to Diamond tugging the two of them out of view when Spoiled approached. Now they were situated directly behind Spoiled Rich and squished against the wall.
They didn't breathe. They didn't blink. They just waited in suffocating terror. Diamond did, however, rest a hoof against Silver Spoon, as if to tell her it things would be alright. Did Diamond have some sort of plan? Some sort of fail safe way to escape her mother's clutches? Nervously, her eyes darted to Diamond, who looked as deathly afraid as she did.
"Wait." the tiny pink filly hissed. Wait? Wait for wha-" A noise like a chainsaw burst from the chair, ripping it's way across the room with a explosive roar! It was almost enough to make Silver Spoon jump- if it wasn't for Diamond holding her in place. Just as quickly as it started, it disappeared, leaving the room washed in silence. Sheepishly, Silver Spoon glanced at Diamond for some sense of what was going on, and Diamond, slowly, slowly, poked her head out from behind the chair, motioning for Silver Spoon to remain where she was.
As far as Diamond was concerned, that was the sweetest sound in the world. Her siren song of safety as it were. Mother's snoring was an beacon to anypony around (usually Diamond) that the nightmare was over for now. She pulled herself away from the chair, slowly easing out into the main room. Yes, mother was asleep. Slumped over forward and motionless. She stole a glance at Silver Spoon and beckoned her forward- but Silver Spoon wildly shook her head. She was far too frightened in this close proximity to Spoiled, and Diamond couldn't blame her. Still they weren't going to make any progress if they spent the rest of the evening hiding. Come on, come on...She beckoned to Silver again, and this time, the filly darted out from behind the couch and next to Diamond's side.
Time to get out of there. She gave Diamond's hoof a tug, but Diamond didn't move. She was standing there, frozen in fear, staring up at her mother. Who stared back. Silver Spoon's heart stopped in her chest when she realized Spoiled was awake, and glaring at them.
"Diamond Tiara!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT OF YOUR ROOM?!" the mare shrieked, raising up on wobbly hooves. Oh, this spoiled little brat was going to get what she deserved. Sneaking out of her room with her little friend? Oh, no, today this child was going to learn compliance, fear, and respect. If this is what it came to, so be it! No daughter of hers was going to get away with sneaking around her house! HOW DARE SHE!! Diamond quickly pulled Silver Spoon behind her, clutching her friend for whatever strength she had to offer, and flashed her mother a glimmering smile.
"Huh? Oh, we were just about to head out. Did you want us to pick you something up for dinner?" She asked sweetly. Spoiled paused in thought, about to raise up and reign down her Celestia-given rights to discipline her child. Something...for dinner? What in Equestria was she talking about?
Yes! Yes, yes, yes! Cutiemark, do your thing!! "You said you were making dinner. You wanted me out of the house for a while...remember? You said. "Go to your little friend's house. I was getting on your nerves." You don't remember?! It happened like, five minutes ago!" Diamond squawked in protest, stealing a peek at Silver Spoon, who wildly, and over enthusiastically nodded her head.
"But...but how did you get out of your room?" Spoiled snarled. Diamond gave a well practiced eye roll and gave a snort.
"You let me out. Said I was making to much noise and you didn't feel like dealing with me. You had the only key, mom. How else would I get out? W-Why else would Silver Spoon be here?" Diamond challenged stealing a peek at Silver Spoon, who wildly, and over enthusiastically nodded her head. Spoiled peered at the girls quietly. She didn't remember any of that, but it sounded like something she'd say. She didn't want the little mistake in the house while she nursed the bottle.
"Have...fun...?" Spoiled mumbled awkwardly, and Diamond gave a sheepish nod. Smiling as widely as she could, her and Silver Spoon slowly edged to the front door, all while keeping full eye contact with Spoiled. So close....so close...almost there...
"Wait a minute! Bring, pick up me some carrots?" slurred the drunken horse. Silver Spoon nodded her head quickly and Diamond flashed another smile.
"Sure, mom, anything else?" Diamond asked, but mother had already returned to her chair, eyes closed and slumped over.
* * * * * * * * * *
The grass never felt so good, and the air had never been sweeter. Diamond Tiara Rich had never appreciated the outside more than she did today, scampering out of the house and towards Silver Spoon's place. That excitement, however, died out as Silver approached the house and her mother stepped outside to greet her. She did not look pleased.
"SILVER SPOON! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! WHAT PART OF FIFTEEN MINUTES DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? WHAT IN EQUESTRIA WERE YO-" She paused as her eyes fell over Diamond. Mostly the blemish over her right cheek, and the wide, tearful eyes. Silver Spoon stared up at her mother quietly, pleadingly, whilst her mother glared down at both of them.
"...hurry up, get in the house. Diamond, you're staying for dinner. Silver Spoon set up an extra place. " She snapped turning sharply on her hoofs and stepped back inside the house, leaving the two fillies in shock. No way did that just happen...
"H-hey..." Diamond squeaked quietly, pulling Silver Spoon out of her trance. Silver Spoon looked over, and Diamond lifted an arm.
"Bump..." She said softly, and Silver Spoon broke in to a celebratory smile.
"So it's settled. We tell Twilight the moment we get a chance! She'll know what to do!" Apple bloom announced, slamming her hoof on the table in the middle of them with a resounding THUMP. An emergency Cutie Mark Crusaders meeting had been called on the subject of Diamond Tiara's mother. Oh, sure they had their suspicions, but the three were astonished to hear how bad things had gotten. Diamond Tiara and Silver took a walk after dinner at Silver Spoon's place. Whether or not it was subconscious behavior on Diamond's part is up to debate, but the duo found themselves meandering awfully close to CMC territory. Somewhere that felt safe and familiar. Well, maybe not familiar, since she'd only ever stopped by once. (Not counting the incident with Babs) Briefly, before racing off into another musical number. Mother didn't know about the club house, and Diamond could trust the crusaders, couldn't she?
She peered out the window, as the first few drops of a gentle rain started to stain the window panes. Behind her, the others talked in endless circles about what to do about her and her mother. She gave a quiet sigh, ear twitching faintly as she stared across the country side. It was a nice little club house. Cute. Quaint. No...Cozy. That was the word for it. All the secret meetings and adventures they must have shared here. She wondered what that would be like; Having friends waiting for you to wake up on Saturday morning so could you get stared on having fun. Why did this feel so out of reach? She was rich, wasn't she? Why couldn't money buy her a life like this?
"Diamond?" Apple Bloom asked quietly. Diamond didn't turn to look at her, but mumbled a soft 'mmmh' in response. Apple Bloom offered a tender smile in return.
"We know yer mom's hurtin' you Diamond. Ain't none of it is your fault. We've agreed to go and talk to Princess Twilight! She'll know what to do!" Apple Bloom beamed confidently. Diamond didn't turn to look at her. She stared out at the dreary gray skies and sighed. Again.
"Yeah! Twilight is real good at solving problems! She won't let it happen again!" Scootaloo chimed in.
"Princess Twilight can fix anything!" Sweetie Belle cooed.
"And then what?" She asked. Apple Bloom tilted her head. Then what? What did that mean? After they tell Twilight and the problem would be solved. Go tell an adult. Idly, Apple Bloom wondered why Diamond Tiara would ever keep something like this a secret.
"What do ya'll-" Apple Bloom started to ask, before Diamond cut her off. Still staring out the window and into the distance.
"Then what happens?" She asked dryly. " Do you think she'll use a mind control spell to make her love me? Do you think she'll tell princess Celestia and have her sent to the moon? Do you think I haven't tried? You can't tell anypony." Diamond sighed. Scootaloo frowned.
"Uh, no. Not cool. You can't just pretend it isn't happening! We've got to tell somepony! I won't let her keep hurting my friends! We'll even tell the guards if we have to!" Scootaloo barked fiercely, regardless of Silver Spoons frantic, but silent protests against the subject topic. Diamond's eyes narrowed to slits and she gave a angry hiss.
"WHO do I tell, Scootaloo? Miss Cheerilee? Mother's on the school board. Her jobs on the line. Father is always out on business trips. Making money. Ponies with money don't HAVE these kinds of problems. No one will believe you, but lets say they do. Lets say we tell the guards? Have me testify against her? Do you know how many lawyers mother can afford? But, fine, lets say, the judge believes us. Then what? Have them round mother up, and cart her off to the dungeons? How would you feel sending your mother to a dark, grimy hole in the ground?! Or, better yet, they'll just take me away to live in an orphanage, with some ruling about parents unfit or something like that. Who am I supposed to go to with this, Scootaloo? " Diamond snarled quietly. She turned towards Scootaloo and marched up to her until they were nose to nose, suddenly livid and trembling.
"I...I..Its easy, y-you just...." Scootaloo stammered, struggling to find a phrase that would explain what she was trying to say but Diamond Tiara cut her off. The prissy pony was far from finished with her.
"Tell me you'd do it. Tell me that 'no mother' at all is better than a 'mean mother'. Tell me you'd let go of hope and throw up your hooves and watch her get sent to a dungeon. Tell me you would sentence your mother to a cold and dark place and turn your back on her. Tell me you'd destroy your own family. Tell me you would carry that weight for the rest of your life. Tell me that you wouldn't lose your father, if he found out you sent his wife to a cell. Tell me how easy that is. Tell. Me." Diamond hissed. Scootaloo's ears flattened against her skull and she tried to find something to say, but suddenly Diamond's reluctance about the situation made all to much sense. She swallowed quietly and shook her head, giving a sigh of relief when Silver Spoon gently rested her hooves on Diamond's shoulders and pulled her away from Scootaloo.
"Leeeeets try this from another angle. No pony wants to get your mom in trouble, Diamond. I wouldn't be able to give up Rarity for anything. We'll help you figure out something that won't lead to that, okay?" Sweetie Belle squeaked nervously, noticing Silver Spoon silently nodding her head in agreement. Silver Spoon tilted her head, a smallish smile twisting at her lips. She could see it now; Sweetie Belle was the mediator. Always had the right thing to say, at the right time. Gets it from her sister, Silver supposed. She could see how Sweetie Belle would keep the calm between a stubborn girl like Apple Bloom, and a hot head like Scootaloo. It would have been nice to have Sweetie around for a few of her arguments with Diamond Tiara. She was snapped out of her thoughts at the sight of Apple Bloom leaping up onto the smallish table in front of them with a tremendous boom.
"Well, all this started because she thinks we're lowlifes right? Well, how about we show her we're better than that!" She exclaimed. Sweetie Belle's face lit up and her eyes grew wide. Now that was a good idea!
"Hey, yeah! We can get on her good side! That'll at least get her off your back about us! Then we can try and work on other stuff!" Sweetie Belle added with her bright gleaming smile. Diamond gave another forlorn sigh and turned to face them.
"How would you do that? Mother hates Blank Flanks, and just because you got your cutie mark doesn't mean she'll stop hating you. Trust me, she'll find, a reason. You can't just change a pony." Diamond Tiara sighed. Apple Bloom shook her head, and flashed Diamond a smile.
"Yeah? Well right up until today I'd have sworn ya'll hated us." Apple Bloom reminded with a cheeky grin. Diamond had to admit she had a point.
"Yeah, if you can change, then there's hope for anypony!" Scootaloo added happily. Silver Spoon groaned. She could already see the beginnings of several quarrels between Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara. She grinned when she glanced over, and saw Sweetie Belle making the same face.
"Well...I....It's worth a shot." Diamond stammered. It really wasn't a bad idea at all, now that she thought about it. It might even work, if mother found out Sweetie Belle was related to Rarity. She could use that angle to get Sweetie on mother's good side. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom would be much harder. Maybe she would work an angle about being Applejack's sister, who's the grand daughter of Dad's business partners. Scootaloo...well...Scootaloo was kind of like a mascot for their club! Yeah, sort of like a pet! Mother would buy that! That's what the poor and down trodden are for, according to her. "Amusement."
"And if that doesn't work, we'll keep tryin' till we find somethin' that does!" Scootaloo exclaimed, giving an adorable buzz of her wings. In spite of herself, Diamond Tiara felt a grin coming on. A little spark of hope. That's all that it was, but it was hope none the less, and she needed some after the day she'd been through.
"Well...lets just get this over with." She groaned. She knew better than to hope. She knew better than to think the Cutiemark Crusaders could actually help her. But it was worth the shot. It was worth it to have friends. Friends like them. So she hid that little spark and kept it safe in the back of her mind, and started towards the door, with her new friends behind her.
**********
"So here's what we do! We tell her all about Sweetie Belle and how she's Rarity's sister. Rarity is a top end designer with a store in Ponyville, Canterlot and Manehatten. "Diamond explained as the tiny fillies meandered lazily towards Diamond Tiara's house.
"But Rarity doesn't have a store in Manehatten!" Sweetie Belle protested. Silver Spoon rolled her eyes and gave the snowy filly a nudge.
"It's just so that her mom thinks she's hot stuff, and by proxy you." Silver Spoon explained, paused, and blushed furiously- but Sweetie didn't seem to notice. No, she, like Diamond Tiara and the rest of the Crusaders, were staring at the thick, black clouds in the sky. No, not clouds, that was smoke, billowing up from somewhere down the street. It almost looked like it was coming from...
"MOTHER!!!" Diamond shrieked, dashing down the street, screaming the entire time. Flames were greedily lapping half of the property now, wildly jumping from spot to spot, as Diamond stared, transfixed and horrified. This was her fault. Mother wouldn't have been drinking so much if she hadn't talked back to her! Mother wouldn't have been in such a poor mood if she'd just kept her mouth shut! IT WAS ALL HER FAULT!! Bouncing back and forth on her hooves, Diamond dashed forward, madly scrambling for the front door to her home where she disappeared behind a curtain of flame.
"DIAMOND TIARA!!" Silver Spoon shrieked. No! This wasn't happening! This could not be happening!! Neighbors were starting to step out of their houses, all gathering to stare at the flickering spectacle before them. Sweetie Belle was wildly prancing in place, a look of absolute horror wrapped around her pretty muzzle.
"Whatdowedowhatdowedowhatdowedo?!" She squealed. There were no answers. A fire like this was bigger than any challenges the group had come ever come across. Nervously, Scootaloo turned to Apple Bloom for some sort of plan, but she too, was engrossed in the roaring flame that greedily engulfed the house.
"DIAMOND TIARA!!" Silver Spoon screamed again. Suddenly, things were happening faster than Apple Bloom could react. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught movement- the movement of Silver Spoon racing frantically towards the house. No! NO!!
"Silver Spoon! Wait!" Sweetie Belle squealed, but it was to late. Silver couldn't go through the front door, like Diamond had, but the back door- that was still unlocked from earlier!
*********
The smoke wasn't just obscuring the view, it stung relentlessly at Diamond's eyes as she tried to navigate blindly through her own house. Usually it was a like a giant maze. Now it was like a giant maze that was on fire. Heavy smoke hung across the main foyer, billowing out in thick clumps from the kitchen. Flames licked at the walls and the various furniture scattered around the house, and Diamond Tiara found herself both terrified and confused. Where was she supposed to go? How was she supposed to find her mom in all of this mess? She frowned, and tried to take a cleansing breath of the house's choking air. Bad idea. The little filly broke down into a coughing fit, and the tears in her eyes from the burning heat didn't help matters at all. She was starting to feel sick; light headed from the thick clouds inside of her house.
"M-Mom...." Diamond sobbed and coughed. This was bad. This was looking very bad. She wasn't thinking when she threw herself into the house. All she knew was that this was her fault, and if she didn't do something mother was gonna die because of her! No! She wouldn't let the happen! She could do this! This was her house after all, she knew it better than anypony! First thing's first: find mother. Still coughing, Diamond made her way towards the living room, where she last saw her mom. Luckily the fire hadn't quite progressed to that room, and it was mostly clear of flames. But Spoiled wasn't in there. Something that drove a new wedge of fear into Diamond's heart.
Where then? Where would she be? What if she had already gotten out? No. No then she would have seen Spoiled as the group approached the hous- Something tackled Diamond from behind, sending her crashing to the floor with a yelp.
"Stay down!" Silver Spoon snapped, as Diamond struggled to free herself from her friend's grasp, kicking and flailing at her sudden surprising assailant. "It's ME! Diamond! We've gotta get outta here!" Silver Spoon barked.
"NO! No, mother needs me! She's in here somewhere! I can't let her die! I can't!!" Diamond sobbed, trying to pull herself to her hooves, but Silver Spoon was relentless, holding her down, while sparks of flame started to flutter down around them. The roof was going to go, soon.
"Stay down! Smoke raises up! Crawl on your tummy!" Silver Spoon screamed across the raging fire. To her ultimate horror, Diamond Tiara took her advice- and started to climb the stairs, instead of heading for the exit. She was obsessed with finding her mother, but the longer they remained the more dangerous that would become. Spoiled wasn't in the kitchen when Silver Spoon had passed through. She didn't know quite how, but she was sure the fire started in there. Maybe the half chopped up carrots, vomit, and wildly smoking stove was a clue. Spoiled might have come into the kitchen to finish making herself food, threw up, went to clean up and forgot all about the stove in her state. She might be in a bathroom somewhere. How many bathrooms did this place have?!
"Diamond! Wait! Don't go upstairs, there's no way out!" Silver Spoon whimpered and even with the blinding smoke, Silver could tell Diamond was already gone.
**********
"MOTHER?!" Diamond screamed, opening the door to the bar lounge on the second floor. This was the next logical place mother would be. But she wasn't there either. Mother kept so much alcohol around, no wonder this place lit up like a match. Where else, where else? The games room?! Diamond raced down the burning hall way towards a door on her left. A large room filled with darts and other games of idle amusement. But it did not contain Spoiled Rich. Ok, fine. Where else? The servants quarters? No, that didn't make any sense. It was getting hard to breathe. The room was starting to spin. She didn't care. She had to find mother! She'd go through all of the rooms if she had to! ALL OF THEM! She didn't care if the house burned down! She had to rescue her mother! She had to! This was her fault!
Driven by guilt, Diamond sprinted up and down the hall, kicking doors open and hoping against hope one of the rooms would contain her mother. Alas, she wasn't on the second floor. That made things slightly more challenging, but Diamond was determined to find her mother! Fire or no fire! That meant she needed to head to the third floor- so that's what she did, nimbly avoiding the various patches of heat and flame smoldering on the stairs.
"Diamond! Wait! Come back!!" Silver Spoon called from somewhere behind her, but the girl was impossible to see, completely obscured by the smoke that filled the house. Diamond didn't care. She wouldn't return until she found her mother! She forced herself up the stairs, pausing only when she got to the top. The smoke was impossibly thick here, and even crawling on her tummy left Diamond struggling to breathe.
"Mother...Mom...?!" Diamond called out, immediately bursting into another coughing fit. Where could she be?! Where was she? Something from the ceiling snapped, and came tumbling down. A large, gleaming chandelier, that threw itself to the floor with an explosion of glass and fire. Diamond gulped, and glanced behind her. More fire on the stair case. Her path out was slowly choking on flames. Now she was scared. Much more so than she was before and time was running out! Or, maybe it already had run out, and Diamond was just turning a blind eye to the fact that she would not live to see her next birthday party. 'She was in trouble. Real trouble,' her brain screamed at her, as if it wasn't emphasized enough. She wondered; Was this punishment? Was this what happened to little girls who talked back to their mothers?!
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" Diamond sobbed, now blinding wading through the strangling smoke. She couldn't see and the fire roared in her ears. The smoke choked the air from her lungs, and the filly stumbled down the hall way towards her room. Her plan had unraveled entirely and now she was acting on blind panic. She was trying to get to somewhere familiar where she could think more clearly. She could figure something out if she could just make it to her room. Diamond wasn't entirely sure why suddenly her room seemed like such a great place to go. Like it were some magical force field from the fire. That didn't make any sense, but blind panic and being light headed from smoke inhalation might have had something to do with her current train of thought.
She tripped over something. Right before the door to her room. It was a body, breathing in shallow, wheezing gasps. Mother!!
"M, mom? Mom, I'm here, we- we're gonna get out of here, ok? W-We're gonna...we're gonna be fine. " Diamond sputtered, tears racing down her cheeks as she realized the grim truth of her situation. There was no way out. Spoiled Rich slurred something drunkenly, and tried to climb to her hooves and Diamond watched in horror as the larger mare rammed herself against Diamond's door, but to no effect. She collapsed on the spot.
"My...My baby's... in there...I locked her in her room...P-Please..." She coughed, struggling to stay conscious while she climbed to her hooves. She didn't recognize Diamond. The booze and all the smoke must have...
"N-No, mother! It's me! We have to get out of here!" Diamond sobbed quietly but mother was too drunk to walk, let alone navigate through a fire. They were trapped. "I-I'm sorry! Mom I'm sorry! I'm sorry I made you drink! I'm sorry I talked back to you! I-" Her voice cut off with another coughing fit, choking miserably on the smoke that filled the room. She tried to pull her mother with her- but the intoxicated mare was too heavy for a tiny filly to move on her own. For all of the 'earth pony strength' Diamond had heard about, she couldn't move her mother at all- so she settled for the next best thing...
************
"Diamond!" A voice shrieked from the raising smoke behind them. Silver Spoon. The filly crawled over quietly, and froze when she saw Diamond Tiara- who had nestled up under her mother's arms, as if the unconscious pony were giving her one last, final hug.
"Come on! Come on, we have to go!" Silver spoon announced, taking a nervous glance back towards the hallway, where the flames kissed over the path she'd taken to reach Diamond and her mother. She frowned, and flat out screamed when the floor finally gave way. The hallway crumpled and collapsed under the weight of the inferno, leaving a giant gap from Diamond's room to the staircase down. Trapped. They were trapped on this horrible little strip of floor, separated from the stairs.
Silver stood there, ears wilting, eyes wide. It was impossible now. It was over. There was nothing left to do other than watch destiny come to claim them. Slowly, she lay down, next to Diamond and her mother, and gasped when Diamond pulled her into a hug; the two fillies now hiding under Spoiled's arms. It wouldn't be much defense against a fire, but it made Silver feel slightly better. She hugged Diamond back with her eyes closed and she sniffled.
"I-I'm sorry I didn't vote for you." Silver Spoon whispered quietly. She wasn't sure if Diamond could hear her or not, with the way the flames had began to close in on the little flooring they had left.
"It's okay. I'm sorry I....was kind.....of a jerk. I'm ...glad it all...worked out..." Diamond wheezed with smoke in her lungs. If the last thing she could do, was make up with Silver Spoon, Diamond decided that one small thing wouldn't make up for a life time of cruelty, but it was a start. It was worth something, at least to Silver Spoon, who sadly smiled in return.
"You're...my best...friend...S-silv-"
"THERE!" Apple Bloom cried out from the veil of smoke. Both fillies perked their ears as an aura of magic weaved its way to them. Numerous pieces of debris floated into the air, and pressed together to form a bridge. A small bridge, but...
"HURRY UP!! SWEETIE CAN'T DO THIS FOR LONG!" Scootaloo screamed from somewhere close by. Diamond opened an eye. True, she felt sluggish and sleepy, but now there was a bridge. She could see it, and Silver Spoon was already lifting one of mother's legs. Maybe it would be possible to two fillies to carry her! Quickly, Diamond called on every last bit of reserve strength she had, and tried to lift mother's left side up. Come on, come on, come on! This was it! It was now or never! Come on...
The mare budged. An inch or so, maybe, but it was enough. They could move her! Now with renewed vigor and hope, Diamond gave it her all, slowly carrying her mother across the makeshift bridge with Silver Spoon, where they met the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Scootaloo had gotten a fire extinguisher from somewhere and was blasting at various flames with it, but the fire was coming in to fast and there wasn't enough of the extinguisher left to make too much more of a difference.
"Scootaloo! Look for a way out!" Apple Bloom hollered. Scootaloo was the most athletic one and easily the fastest out of all of them. If there was a way out of the building, Scootaloo would find it. She gave the extinguisher to Sweetie Belle and raced off, while Apple Bloom helped Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara. Three earth pony fillies moving a full grown mare was slightly better than two, and now Diamond could see real progress being made. They dragged her down the stairs to the second floor, where fire had started to creep back in, over the places Scootaloo had already sprayed.
"Just hang on ya'll, S-Scootaloo won't let us down!" Apple Bloom whimpered, looking around wildly, but the smoke was blinding, engulfing all of them.
"It's blocked!! The first floor is totally messed up! We can't get out!! You guys?! You guys I can't see!!" Scootaloo called out frantically from somewhere in the house.
"We're over here Scoots!" Apple Bloom called. Diamond gave a haggard cough and groaned. If she was hearing correctly, things were starting to go from bad to worse. She frowned. This wasn't right. She knew this house better than any pony. There was always a way in or out! Think, Diamond, think!! She reached over and nudged Silver Spoon.
"Rand...Ran...Randolf's room." The filly wheezed, trying to drag Spoiled towards the closest door on her right. The rest of the girls were panicking, and Sweetie Belle was screaming for help. Silver Spoon frowned. Randolf's room? She glanced at the door in front of them, and leaned back to kick it open. The room was more or less clear of smoke, and the window was gleaming brightly with fading sunlight outside. Wait-a-minute. The window! It looked out over the side of the house!! Panicked, Silver Spoon raced to the window, throwing it open and sticking her upper body out.
"HEY!! OVER HERE!! HELP!!" She shrieked. Some pony came racing around the side of the house, dressed in thick rubber and a helmet. Fire ponies!!
"GUYS! THE FIRE PONIES ARE HERE!!" Silver Spoon screamed. Fire had begun to creep into the room, lapping at the door, and eating at the floor. Diamond Tiara collapsed onto the carpet. Her lungs ached, and she felt sleepy. There was smoke everywhere, and it was so hard to breathe. She mewed quietly when she found herself leaning against Apple Bloom's shoulders, and the farm pony half walked, half dragged Diamond to the window.
"Almost ready?!" She barked. Silver Spoon, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle had positioned Spoiled right against the window's frame, the drunken mare having managed to get to her hooves but lacking the where-with-all to jump to safety.
"Ready!" Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo chimed. Placing Diamond on the floor for a second, Apple Bloom raced forward, and shoved Mrs. Rich as hard as she could out the open window. Even with the rescue net down below, and the Fire Ponies scrambling to help Mrs. Rich, Apple Bloom had to admit that was incredibly satisfying. One by one, the fillies threw themselves out of the window, with Apple Bloom jumping out last.
Most of the neighborhood had gathered around to stare in shock at the raging fire and swallowed up the Rich's house. As Apple Bloom climbed off the safety net, she was rushed off to a carriage nearby with medical supplies. She sighed. Great. If Applejack got wind of this, she wouldn't be allowed outside without a helmet for at least a month. Ugh. To her right, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Silver Spoon were giggling nervously. Sure, they could laugh about it now, but Apple Bloom was worried about Diamond Tiara, who was laying motionless on a stretcher next to the carriage.
"She gon' be okay, right?" Apple Bloom squeaked. A large stallion with long, brown hair, and a chocolate coat smiled warmly at Apple Bloom and nodded his head.
"She's gonna be just fine, little miss. It's mostly smoke inhalation, and exhaustion. The other one had some second-degree burns, but I think both of them will make a full recovery. Still trying to find the source of the blaze, though." He frowned. Diamond coughed up a small blueish puff of smoke and shook her head.
"I....was playing...with matches.....I know better....M-my bad." Diamond rasped, choking out her voice as loud as she could. The stallion turned to glare at her with disgusted snarl.
"Don't you have any idea how dangerous that is?! You could have seriously hurt your mother! You need to think before you act, young filly!" He growled, stomping off to check on the other girls. Apple Bloom frowned, and made her way to the side of the stretcher.
"Why would ya'll-" Applebloom asked, but Diamond giggled quietly. A choked, hacking giggle- but a giggle none the less.
"C-can't charge for neglect...if it...was just...an accident..." She hissed. "Mom...won't...get in trouble...this way..." She pointed out, with the largest smile on her face, as if she were extremely proud of herself. Slowly it dawned on Apple Bloom this was a much more complicated problem than she realized. Diamond's unconditional love for her mother was not a hurdle Apple Bloom had expected would need clearing. Could she really tell the guards, and the other ponies this was happening? Diamond was right, social services would split the family up. If something ever cropped up to split up the apples, Apple Bloom knew she'd be devastated. Could she really do that to another pony?"
Apple Bloom smiled sadly, and nodded her head. "I-If ya'll sure...I won't say nothin' if you won't." Apple Bloom stammered quietly. Diamond Tiara closed her eyes, but held out a shakey hoof for a hoof-bump. Apple Bloom smiled softly, and tapped her hoof against Diamond's.
"You'll...come visit...me in the...hospital?" Diamond asked warily. Apple Bloom nodded her head.
"Of course we will!" Apple Bloomed beamed happily. Diamond smiled again, and lay back on the stretcher with a quiet sigh.
"Thanks for being my friend, Apple Bloom." Cooed Diamond Tiara and rested her hooves on her tummy. Consciousness drifting lazily away, the last thing she saw, when she glanced to her left, was her mother. She was smiling at Diamond, and her eyes were soaked with tears.
It was a new day. A new start to a life that might be worth living! After the fire, and in the hospital, Spoiled demanded her, and her daughter be placed in the same room. To Diamond Tiara, this was a nightmare in a nightmare. Now trapped in a room, close quarters with mother. Great.
Mother happily (and drunkenly) blamed the fire on the CMC, even if they had absolutely nothing to do with the blaze. Not that it mattered anyway. Crawling through the burnt wreckage turned up evidence of conspiracy. Pictures of the Carousel Boutique and Sweet Apple Acres and illegible, drunken plans for various fires to be stared around the properties.
After that, they wouldn't listen to a word Diamond had to say. All the protests that "She started the fire" fell on deaf ears, the damning evidence was too severe for her to get away with that. Mother expressed profound regret over the events of the day. She promised Diamond things would change. That she'd get better. That she almost hurt her baby, and she'd never let that happen again. She promised she was going to check into rehab, and get herself together to be a 'better mother. '
Which would have delighted Diamond, if it wasn't for the fact this would be the third time mother had made that specific promise to her. Still, it was hope, and that was something that was in short supply these days. Mother would purchase lawyers to defend her. Again. Her own little team of experts that would figure out how to get her off scot-free, or with as little penalties as possible. It was only a matter of time before things returned to 'normal.' Maybe a few months. Maybe a few weeks. But Diamond could enjoy the time that mother would be cowed into good behavior. Diamond could appreciate that, and while Mother was taking care of legal issues, Diamond had been set up to spend her time with Silver Spoon. Like an extended sleep over of sorts, which promised to be a fun little vacation from life, while the house was being repaired.
If that was the best she could do, so be it. Extended time spent with her best friend, a new appreciation for her new friends, and the depths they'd go to for her, and the renewed hope that mom might actually be ready to turn over a new leaf! She was satisfied with that. Sometimes there were no happy endings. Sometimes you could only do the best you could do and hope.
Hope. Heh. It was a poisonous thing that ruled her life. She hoped things would work out, and mother might learn her lesson, but she knew father would somehow get mother off the hook. Even Diamond Tiara knew she would pitch in. She'd never testify against her own mother. She'd do everything in her power to keep Spoiled from being sent to the dungeons. But she hoped things would change, even if mother somehow managed to sneak a bottle of champagne into her hospital room. She hoped mother would get better, even as she listened to her abuse the nurse. "Fluff my pillow. Bring me more pudding. I refuse to sleep in this bed until the sheets are changed. Do it now. Ugh. Do I HAVE to have a unicorn for a nurse?" She hoped she could fix her family, and now she had help from Silver Spoon and The Cutie Mark Crusaders. Even if things weren't great, or even better, things were definitely different. Maybe the burnt belongings, and ruined house might keep Spoiled in line a little longer than normal. Now she had more friends to help her share the weight of the world. Daddy promised he'd remove all the locks from the house, and replace them with deadbolts, which was exciting to hear. She'd never be locked in a room again in her own house, and if that was her 'reward' for everything she'd been through, Diamond was ready to accept it.
Somethings would stay the same, she was sure. Mother would inevitably relapse, like she always did. She'd hit the bottle lightly at first, and then harder and harder, until she was back to hiding booze around the house. She'd lose her temper and they'd have a screaming match, and she still hated Blank Flanks- there was no getting around that. She'd hate them to her dying days as if some great matter of principal.
But Diamond had to focus on the changes. The little things. Even if it was just a brief amount of time before things slipped back to normal, she had a group of friends who would support her through anything. That was it. That was the hope to hang onto! She could count on her friends, and she could most certainly depend on Silver Spoon. She'd stay strong, and help mother through this, and her friends would help her with mother. Together with her new friends she was ready to take on the world, and maybe while they couldn't save the day in the end, together, they could at least survive it.
