“...So what you’re telling us is, you’ve just found out your mother isn’t your real mother, your father isn’t your real father, and now you’re living at Twilight’s castle? Wow, Di. And to think… the most exciting thing to happen to me yesterday was polishing forks with my parents for our next big delivery. If you ever fancy swapping places, I could do with a bit of drama in my life.”
“It’s not as great as it sounds, Silv. For starters, my new ‘mom’ is… how can I say this… a bit nutso. She grabbed me with her magic when I least expected it more than once, and even tried to change my name! I’m not saying she’s as bad as Spoiled, but it’ll take a while to get used to her that’s for sure. Plus, I-I miss my d-dad, whether he’s my real one or n-not…”
An animated conversation was taking place in a treehouse atop one of the tallest trees at Sweet Apple Acres between Diamond Tiara and her pals, which included Silver Spoon and three famous fillies by the name of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Such an unlikely scenario would’ve seemed preposterous just last year, but since changing her ways Diamond had found it surprisingly easy to make new friends who were willing to overlook her past transgressions to give her a second chance.
Plus, it tended to be useful having a chum who could treat everypony to a double scoop of ice cream and still have enough pocket money left over for seconds. Not that that was their primary motivation for accepting her apology, of course.
“It’s okay, Diamond. Whatever happens next, we’ll be here for ya. ‘Sides, I’m kinda jealous. I grew up without a mom… an’ you’ve got two now. Even if one of ‘em is a bit of a horror. Hey Sweetie, could ya pass me that hammer?” Apple Bloom was a bit too busy with renovating her property to focus too much on the pink filly’s predicament.
“Take it! I’d rather use magic to stack these planks, anyway. And Diamond, at least you can still see your parents whenever you want! Mine are away so often, it’s like Rarity’s become my sorrow-gut… did I say that right? Well, you know what I mean.” Sweetie Belle had been practicing her spellcasting so much of late, she was obviously falling behind in another kind of spelling.
“Pffff! You think you’ve got it bad? My parents are always globetrotting, but the one place that they don’t ‘trot’ to is to see me! I mean, my aunts are cool ‘n all, and I’ve always got Rainbow Dash to ‘shoot the breeze’ with, but I still wish they were around more!” Whenever Scootaloo got mad, her wings buzzed a little… but the others didn’t really mind. If anything, it provided for a cool waft of air on a hot day.
“Shh, you three! Can’t you see Di’s going through some major changes in her life right now, and your bickering only makes things worse?” Silver Spoon unexpectedly chastised the flippant Crusaders, pointing at the morose filly in question whilst doing so. “The least you can do is treat this topic with the seriousness it deserves, instead of making it all about you!”
“E-Er, yeah. I guess you’re right. Sorry, Diamond.” Apple Bloom stopped hammering nails into wood long enough to issue a genuine apology.
“Y-Yeah. We didn’t mean to upset you.” Sweetie Belle looked somewhat ashamed at not being more sensitive.
“J-Just because we have our problems, it doesn’t make yours any less important.” That was Scootaloo, who hoped that this awkward moment between them would soon pass.
“Thanks, guys.” Diamond spoke without looking at them, sitting down and dangling her hooves off the edge of the incomplete structure. “Gee, who’d have ever thought you’d be getting me all the way up here? I used to spray myself all over with disinfectant before going within a mile of this farm, now I’m climbing trees, getting mucky… and loving it!”
“Really.” Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow, somewhat offended by at least part of that sentence.
“That’s progress. I-I guess.” Sweetie scratched her head at the different standards for the rich.
“Hey, I thought we were talking about…” Scootaloo was used to hairpin turns on her scooter, not abrupt changes in conversation.
“Shut up! If Di wants to take a break from discussing this, that’s up to her! She has a lot to think about, so I suggest we leave her be for now!” Silver Spoon had known her bestie long enough to realise when she needed ‘a moment’, and right now was clearly one of those times. “So anyway Apple Bloom, I’m better with precious metal than the non-valuable kind, but I’ve mended fences before. Surely a treehouse can’t be that much trouble! Throw me over the saw, would you?”
A silent Apple Bloom hoofed over the tool to Silver, and together with the two other Crusaders carried on with their work, leaving Diamond Tiara to deal with her thoughts in private. They’d each decided individually to let the pink filly come to them if she needed help, as becoming more involved than they had to might just complicate the matter.
Polishing expensive cutlery and discovering ponies’ hidden destinies were one thing, but getting embroiled in acrimonious custody battles utilising complex contracts?
They may have to just sit this one out. Which, considering how most of them loved to interfere in circumstances which were none of their business, would be a tough ask indeed.
…………………………..
“...Well, Trixie thinks it’s just plain stupid! You’re telling me this secret filly of yours would rather spend a day in a dangerously high tree getting splinters stuck in her hooves, instead of having them gently massaged before being filed to perfection? Are you sure she’s related to you?”
“Yes Trixie, there’s no doubt about it. The timeline matches, and there’s no mistaking Spoiled as the mare who took her away. Another thing I can be sure of is she’d hate you insisting that you call her ‘Auntie Trixie’. It’s not going to happen, so get that thought out of your head now, ‘kay?”
Starlight and her best friend Trixie had just enjoyed a wonderfully refreshing steamy sauna together, and were now currently the lucky recipients of a massage by the muscle maestro himself, Bulk Biceps. Sadly there was only one of him, so they’d have to take their relaxation therapy in turns.
In the event though, Trixie always went first. Starlight’s determination to keep the peace benefitted her fellow unicorn whenever they went as a pair, as a ‘great and powerful’ migraine from petty squabbling would sort of defeat the object of going to the spa to relax in the first place.
Especially right now, when Starlight had enough on her plate already.
“You just wait and see! The unfathomably cool ‘Auntie Trixie’ will prove you wrong! As soon as I start bringing her one-of-a-kind gifts like white rabbits and hoofkerchiefs tied together, and treat her to free private magic shows, you’ll soon change your tune! Alakasham!!” Trixie would’ve theatrically spread her hooves wide at that point like she did on stage, put as they were currently being tenderised by Bulk’s expert administrations, such a motion was nigh-on impossible.
“Don’t you already lose enough white rabbits in your act? I’m surprised the animal welfare ponies haven’t arrested you yet. Also, I don’t think you should just be giving away your hankies with flu season coming up. I am not going to be sneezed on repeatedly again the next time we go on a long wagon ride, just because you’ve got nothing to blow your nose on! As for the magic show offer...” Starlight hesitated at this juncture, unsure of how to remind Trixie about what happened at the Ponyville schoolhouse without offending her.
“Yes, I know. Generous, isn’t it? Usually, Trixie charges five bits for adults, two for kids. That doesn’t include all the extra money I make from my rotten fruit stalls on the side, of course. They account for at least ninety percent of my takings every year, maybe more!”
“W-What…? You mean to say, you actually encourage other creatures to pelt you with mouldy produce? How long has this been going on?!”
“Trixie noticed her loyal ‘fans’ would bring their own stuff to throw at her whether she liked it or not… So I figured, why not get wealthy off of it? Plus, now I control what gets chucked at me, I can make sure it stays nice and soft and moist. One stallion brought along a melon to toss in my direction one day. What a psycho! Even worse, he didn’t even wash it first!”
‘T-That’s surprisingly ingenious, I’ll give you that. But surely, by covering you with food way past its prime, you must’ve figured out by now that some audiences might be… less than receptive to your show. How do you feel about that?”
“How does Trixie feel? Trixie feels great! She is such an unparalleled visionary in the art of performance, her sheer brilliance cannot be appreciated by today’s primitive ponies and so they must lash out! Mock her! Jeer her! Run her out of town and tell her never to return! But Trixie knows she’ll have the last laugh in the end, and do you know why?”
“I dread to ask, but… why?”
“Because she’s Trixie, and Trixie knows all!! Bwhaha…Ow, hey you musclebound moron, watch where you press those cloppers! The Cool and Generous Auntie Trixie has a beloved filly to hug like her life depended on it later, and she can’t do that if you strain one of her primary tendons! Now be gentle, or your tip will disappear like my bunnies. Whoosh!”
Starlight found herself fulfilling the familiar role of peacekeeper to Trixie’s tempestuousness, smiling apologetically at a frowning Bulk Biceps while wondering why on Equestria she’d believed her friend would listen to a single word she said.
She never has before, why should she start today? Starlight bemoaned internally, before her anxious thoughts turned unwittingly to her absent daughter again.
I wonder what Diamond’s doing right now, she pondered in earnest, lying back on her mattress. It’s going to be a long road ahead for both of us. Not just because of the very different ways we grew up, but also down to our unique… acquaintances. I hope we can somehow bridge the gaps that exist between us, and figure out to have some kind of relationship when all this is over.
…………………….
Unbeknown to Starlight at that exact moment, Diamond was thinking about that exact same subject…
And had come to a decision which would affect everything from now on.