A sigh slipped past Diamond's muzzle as she walked through her family mansion. The long halls that seemed endless to those not familiar to them were no obstacles to her, afternoon sunlight filtering past the curtains of the tall windows that lined the walls. As it stood, she could walk the halls with her eyes closed and know exactly were she was and how to get to her desired destination. Unfortunately, that did little to fix her current conundrum.
"I wish I had more friends," she muttered to herself.
It wasn't the first time such words left her lips, and as things stood, wouldn't be the last. Make no mistake, she still cherished the friendships she had. Silver Spoon had been her closest friend for years, even when she was at her worst and she was eternally grateful for her loyalty. It was when that bond almost severed forever that she truly understood how dear the filly was to her. And even if she didn't get to see them as often as she would've liked, she was more than happy to call the CMC her friends. No, more than that. They were the first friends she made aside from Silver that she could remember that weren't meant to be a future connection. They were ponies that she she could care about and be accepted for who she was now that she wasn't trapped by her mother's expectations.
But she still wished she had more friends. It shouldn't be that hard a thing to do. Talk to somepony, find some common ground, and then let nature take its course. The problem was that most foals weren't as forgiving as the CMC. While the rest of her classmates were friendly towards her, she could see the fear in their eyes when they met hers. As it stood, making new friends was a pipe dream at best. She knew that quality always beat quantity in these sort of things and that she should be grateful for what good friends she did have, but it still stung that her past mistakes prevented her from forming any new bonds.
It's funny, she thought as she stepped into one of the mansion's guest rooms. My family has so much money and the one thing I really want I can't buy. Guess Applebloom was right, not everything can be solved with bits.
With a sigh, she fell to her haunches and leaned against the wall adjacent from the door.
"Maybe I should find a hobby or something," she mumbled.
Suddenly, the wall behind her opened out, leading to her letting out a yelp of shock as she fell through. A thick cloud of dust filled the air, forcing a few coughs out of her as she tried to get to her hooves.
"W-*cough* What happened," she wheezed.
For a few minutes, all she could see was dust and darkness, but after some time, it settled and her eyes adjusted. What she saw filled her with dread. It was a room, furnished in the most bare necessities ponies could find. A simple dresser that looked like it hadn't seen use in several decades sat in one corner of the room. A wardrobe in a similar state stood at the wall opposite the dresser, its mirror doors covered in a thick coat of dust. What scared her was what stood at the heart of the sealed bedroom. A bed stood at its center, ornate in design and finely crafted. Curled up on it was what looked like a sleeping foal, though judging by how still it was, it was very possible that it was doing more than just sleeping.
She needed to find somepony. She needed to tell somepony what she found, but her hooves were fused to the floor with apprehension. Every instinct she had told her that she had to run, that what was in that room was dangerous, but fear kept her from listing. Fear, and curiosity. It was that very same curiosity that led to her walking into the hidden room. The same curiosity that she would come to regret in the not so distant future.
Slowly, she made her way to the bed, her hoofsteps echoing hollowly as she closed in on the "sleeping" figure. Once she was standing next to the bed, she let out a relieved sigh. In the light that shined through the opening to the room, she could see that what she thought was a foal was nothing but a doll. And a very well crafted one at that. Even with the little knowledge she had in regards to such things, she could tell it was a work of art. It was dark blue with a black mane and tail. The long eyelashes it sported on its closed eyes showed that it was designed to resemble a filly. In all honesty, if it wasn't for the seams it had where its joints were supposed to be, she would've thought that she was looking at a sleeping filly. She even half expected "her" to wake up, the craftsmanship was so good.
As fascinated as she was by what she was seeing, the whole situation left her uneasy. Starting to grow uncomfortable, she turned to leave only to stop at the last second as something caught her eye. A piece of paper was held in the doll's forehooves like a teddybear. Again, curiosity pulled her forward as she gently pulled the parchment out of its grasp. Squinting in the dim light provided, she could make out that it was some kind of hoof written poem.
"Tinker Toy. Tinker Toy.
Wrapped in gold and painted blue.
Tinker Toy. Tinker Toy.
I long to spend time with you.
Tinker Toy. Tinker Toy.
A lonely heart that aches for friends.
Tinker Toy. Tinker Toy.
A smile that never ends.
Tinker Toy. Tinker Toy.
A day of play that never stops.
Tinker Toy. Tinker Toy.
Games of tag and crops.
Tinker Toy. Tinker Toy.
Fill me with endless glee.
Tinker toy. Tinker Toy.
Will you be friends with me?
Tinker Toy.
Tinker Toy.
Tinker Toy."
Confused, she stored the poem in her mane and stepped out of the secret room, careful to close the hidden door. A soft click filled the room as the door's latch fell into place. For a moment, the room returned to the same silence it endured for countless decades. But then, a soft ticking began to fill the void of the once forgotten room. It started out faint, a barely perceptible sound, but in time it became impossible to ignore. A steady rhythm, like the beating of a metallic heart filled the room.
Tick-tick. Tick-tick. Tick-tick.
But that didn't maintain dominance for long, as new sounds entered the fray. The sound of metal joints bending for the first time in years and a soft coughing that soon turned into girlish giggles. Then, a young girl's voice echoed through the room.
"Diamond Tiara. Diamond Tiara.
Tinker hears you.
Diamond Tiara. Diamond Tiara.
You will never be blue.
Diamond Tiara. Diamond Tiara.
A forever smile, you will keep.
Diamond Tiara. Diamond Tiara.
Great obstacles I will leap.
Diamond Tiara. Diamond Tiara.
Our games will be great. You will see.
Diamond Tiara. Diamond Tiara.
Such great fun you'll have with me.
Diamond Tiara. Diamond Tiara.
And should you need one more friend.
Diamond Tiara. Diamond Tiara.
I'll be with you all the way, till the end.
Diamond Tiara......
*giggle* Diamond Tiara.....
*giggle*Diamond*giggle*.....TIARA!!!
A fit of giggles filled the room, its sole inhabitant thrashing in glee. Her shackles were now broken. It was finally time for Tinker Toy to play.