//------------------------------// // Chapter One: Trouble At The Rich Household // Story: Twilight's Diamond Daughter // by deadpansnarker //------------------------------// Celestia’s sun shone brightly on Ponyville as ponies began waking up for another day of work, play and friendship. All around the small town, the bustle of a happy community could be heard beginning to stir: stretching, yawning, brushing teeth, smashing alarm clocks… In the most prestigious and therefore largest house in town though, things weren’t looking quite as sunny… particularly for the youngest resident there. …………………... Diamond Tiara slung the saddlebag over her shoulder, staring at the empty space between her exercise book and pencil case with a long sigh. They’re fighting again. This meant no lunch for the day yet again, and she’d have to resort to begging for a few extra scraps from her best friend, Silver Spoon. It’s a good job her dad’s a chef so she always brings too much food, otherwise… Diamond’s belly seemed to rumble in response to her statement, and a small blush appeared on her face. How did things ever get this far? I know Daddy is refusing to hire any servants at the moment, but at least he could’ve kept on dear old R-Randolph… Diamond swiftly dried away a couple of stray tears that had appeared, and a firm look of resolve replaced the flushed cheeks that’d been there just a moment earlier. No. I can’t dwell on the past. This is the way things are now. I’m a grown up filly, very nearly ten, and I can look after myself. Now, what can I bring today which could pass as a snack… Diamond made a quick scout of all the cupboards in her vast kitchen, not entirely surprised to find them completely bare. After all, when you have no staff to restock them, a father who was always at work or abroad and a mother who didn’t really do anything except attend to her ‘personal needs’, this tends to be the end result. Oh well. Bruised banana it is again. Diamond grabbed the only vaguely edible thing in the house from the fruit bowl before skulking outside, taking one last look behind her. At least the house is quieter now. Yesterday was… something else. I hope they don’t notice the dark patches under my eyes at school. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep up with all the questions… ……………………. “Tough night again, huh Di?” “Yep, Silv.” “You know you can talk to me whenever you want…” Silver Spoon purposefully joined her hoof with her friend’s in an act of solidarity. Sometimes it was useful, having their desks next to each other since First Grade. “I know. And I appreciate it. But there isn’t much to say. Screaming contest. Ended in a tie. Doors slammed. Walls banged. The earmuffs you loaned me helped some, but not much. I think I might’ve nodded off for an hour, around dawn…” “Did anypony even come to tuck you in?” Diamond’s morose shake of the head almost made Silver regret she asked it, but she hated to see her friend suffer like this and was determined not to let the matter drop. “Di, this… this isn’t right. What’s happening to you, I mean.” “I know Silv, but what am I supposed to do about it?” “It’s been going on for over a month now, hasn’t it? I know I promised not to say anything, but if you think I’m going to watch my best friend starve to death while being deprived of sleep…” “D-Don’t be so dramatic, Silver Spoon.” Diamond rarely called her bestie by her full name, but this was one such occasion where for accentuation it was necessary. “They’ll make up and things will get back to how they used to be, you’ll see! It’s just taking a bit longer for that to happen this time.” “Yeah, a lot longer.” Silver hissed, narrowing her eyes. “And usually, it’s a lot easier to pick one side over the other. But I can’t believe Filthy sent all your hired help home, just because Spoiled refused to do the dishes one night! Can’t he see that his rash decision has affected you, a lot more than your mum? These stupid, tit-for-tat arguments...” “It’s strange, the things you miss with nopony around to wait on you hoof and foot. Clean bedding. Regular meals. Halls without spider webs…” Diamond turned her head away momentarily to reminisce on ‘the good old days’. “I must admit, I never thought Daddy would do anything like that.” “Di, it’s ridiculous that such a wealthy filly should live like a peasant! Haven’t you tried talking to them? Don’t they see how you’re suffering?” “It’s a bit difficult to know what they’re thinking, when they spend most of their time away or refusing to leave their separate rooms.” Diamond revealed her parents’ status of sleeping apart from a fortnight ago was no passing fad. “...And I’m not stepping outside while they’re fighting, and fragile stuff is flying everywhere! I’d rather trot into a warzone.” “I don’t want to say the word, but the way things sound right now, there’s only one way this is going to end. It starts with a ‘D’, and rhymes with ‘recourse’.” Silver Spoon didn’t want to upset her friend even more, but she felt cold, hard reality had to set in at some point. Only Diamond didn’t seem to agree. “Oh, Silv. Believe me when I say, that’s the very last thing that could happen. Do you think Daddy wants to give half of his hard-earned property and wealth to Mummy? And Mummy is far too stubborn to do anything but fight Daddy all the way. With me as a pawn somewhere in-between, of course. I’m actually not sure which is worse: the situation the way it is now, o-or…” “Good morning, class! I hope your weekends went well.” Miss Cheerilee walked in at that moment to start lessons, and her jolly voice provided a huge contrast to Diamond’s depressive tone. “Now, I hope you all remembered your homework. Snails? I’m talking to you in particular. Please tell me you didn’t forget again.” “U-uh, sorry Miss. I didn’t do it. But I’m a top athlete now, or something. So I have no time for silly things like addition, subtraction or evolution. Yeah, that’s it!” Snails recited the exact excuse his buddy Snips thought of for him before the pair entered class, being rewarded with a ‘hoofs up’ by the smaller colt seated nearby for his troubles. “...Be that as it may, even buckball players need an education. Sorry Snails, but I’m afraid you’re still going to have to do the work. In your own time, in detention this afternoon. And seeing as Snips is such an ‘inspiration’ to you, perhaps he’d like to join us?” Cheerilee was clearly not in the mood for tolerating any nonsense, and moved swiftly on whilst an angry Snails stared daggers at a sheepish Snips. “I’d also like to congratulate the winners of our tinned food drive to help the needy: The Cutie Mark Crusaders for the third year in a row…” “Aw, it was nothing! We just work together well, that’s all!” Sweetie Belle beamed with pride at their accomplishments. “Three cheers for us! Hip hip, hurray! Hip hip...” Scootaloo was considerably less modest. “We would’ve gotten even more, if Scoots hadn’t crashed on the way here, dentin' and smashin’ half of the cans…” Apple Bloom was more prone to honesty, as befit her sister’s Element. “...Hurray!! Thanks, Apple Bloom. ” Scootaloo finished off her self-congratulatory stanza there with a frown, as she hoped to keep the loose wagon attached to her vehicle and subsequent mess a secret for a bit longer. “I see. So you’re the ones responsible for all the tomato puree stains I saw on the road this morning. I dare say that calls for a bit of an all town clean-up, an act of kindness I’m sure the three most generous fillies in class would be happy to contribute towards.” Cheerilee smiled as the Crusaders groaned, for she was sure as bad as they felt now, the next piece of big news would make everything better. “Next on the agenda, we have a special Guest Speaker today. They’re waiting outside right now, to deliver what I’m sure will be a talk all of you will want to hear. I appreciate this is all a bit at short notice, but when you discover who it is…” “Ooh! Is it Joy Sticks, the greatest gamer ever to have lived?” Button Mash waved his hoof in the air with excitement and expectation. “Could it be Filly Fonka? Her chocolate-shaped heart candy is just the best!” Twist gazed through her glasses with eagerness at receiving sweet-making tips from a true pro. “Ooh! Ooh! Miss!!” Class president Pipsqueak was the next to draw the attention of his teacher. “Let me guess, Pip. You want it to be the prime minister of Trottingham? Well, I’m afraid, as interesting as it would be to hear about your hometown…” “No, that’s not it Miss. Could I nip to the loo please?!” Pip turned a shade of beetroot as a few assorted snickers arose around him. “Yes, of course you can Pip. As for the rest of you, pipe down. For as much as you may try, you could never guess who our guest is. She’s come straight down here today from a very big occasion, in fact you might say this is her first engagement since her new prestigious role. Please, all of you welcome…” “I’m sorry, but can I come in now? Surely you’ve had enough time to introduce me, and… what the…” A somewhat bemused Princess Twilight Sparkle had to jump out of the way as the patched form of Pip galloped past her feet, before observing an entire class of colts and fillies pick their jaws off the floor. “Um… hi?” ………………………….. Whoever told Twilight that visiting the Ponyville Schoolhouse in her debut appearance as ruler of Equestria was a nice, easy job… Well, let’s just say their tenure in court probably wouldn’t last very long. They wanted to tug her mane. Grab onto her fetlocks. Hang precariously from her horn. Try on her crown. And there were questions. Oh, so many questions. “How many bits do you have now?” “Can you make school illegal?” “Who made your dress for the coronation? It was beautiful!” “What’s this strange white stuff coming out of my left ear whenever I burp?” “As much as I had before. No. Rarity, and… t-that’s not exactly my area of expertise. Apologies.” Twilight sweat more during this job than during most of her world-saving missions, and as she slowly became overwhelmed with tiny bodies reached one inescapable conclusion. The real hero here is Miss Cheerilee. First item on the agenda when I get back to Canterlot: give all good teachers a raise. By Celestia, they’ve earned it. There was one notable exception to all the throngs of kids amassed around the alicorn shouting random stuff at her, though. Well, not if you counted the greyish filly parked by her side. Twilight was more distracted by her seated pink friend, though. There was something not quite right about this forlorn child’s lost expression, and the way she nervously glanced to the side whenever the alicorn shot a look in her direction… My instinct tells me something is seriously troubling her, Twilight concluded, as she removed a dangling Featherweight from her tail by way of magical levitation. And I would be no Princess Of Friendship worth the name if I didn’t look into the situation straight away. She finally managed to free herself from her vast fanclub, before trotting over to offer a friendly smile at the cagey pink filly and her protective friend. “Hi there. I couldn’t help but notice, something appears to be weighing heavily on your mind. I don’t want you to feel obligated to tell me anything, but you know how the saying goes: ‘a problem shared is a problem’...” “Di doesn’t want to talk to you.” Silver Spoon put it bluntly, coming between Diamond and the alicorn in a surprise act of defiance. “If she did, she would’ve come over and said something when you’d arrived. So why don’t you go back over there, and…” “Silv, it’s okay.” A downbeat Diamond Tiara lifted her head slowly to address both her concerned companions. “ Hello, Princess Twilight. Sorry about my friend, but she’s only looking out for me. Also, please don’t worry about me: I’ll be fine. After all, what are the problems of a small filly compared to running an entire kingdom? Thanks for your concern, but it’s not necessary. Please return to the others. I’m sure they have lots more to ask you about.” Twilight could have done that with ease… walk away, and not given the crestfallen pink filly another thought. Anyone who knew Twilight at all though could tell you: that was never going to happen. “Now, you listen to me… Di-Diamond Tiara, is it?” Twilight spotted the filly’s cutie mark and put two and two together. “You are just as important to me as any other creature in this land, and just because I’m the Princess Of Equestria now it doesn’t change my priorities one bit. If anything, my new position enables me to help even more ponies, so if you think I’m leaving here today without finding out why one of my youngest subjects is looking so bedraggled, tired and hungry, you’ve got another thing coming. Didn’t Miss Cheerilee ask you about this...?” Taken aback by Twilight’s genuine concern for her well-being (quite rare these days), Diamond couldn’t help but blurt out the truth. “S-She did, but I lied and said it was because I was working on my science project late. D-Don’t blame her for what’s happening Princess Twilight, the rest of the class keep her busy and I’m only one filly…” “It’s alright. I understand.” Twilight now remembered the child from a run-in they’d had when she was a humble librarian, and though it was a while ago she was amazed at how selfless and mature the filly seemed now compared to before. “I do need to know ‘what’s happening’ though, as like it or not, your safety is now the main focus of my visit. Do you suppose we can have a little chat outside, if you feel up to it and your friend is willing to let you go?” Diamond immediately glanced over to an eavesdropping Silver, who silently nodded her approval of Diamond’s planned next move after everything she’d heard. If anyone can help out my best friend, it’s the Princess. Good look, Di. And thank you, Twilight. “O-Okay, let’s go.” Diamond simply stated, and together she and Twilight navigated crowds of protesting fillies and colts on their way out. “It’s not fair!” “Why does she get to have a private audience, and we don’t?” “Hang on… we’re some of Twilight’s best friends! We can see her whenever we like! What are we gettin’ so upset about?!” (No prizes for guessing that last speaker was Apple Bloom regaling the other Crusaders with simple facts they’d apparently forgotten.) Meanwhile, Diamond and Twilight had found a convenient separate classroom close by, and now they sat next to each other as the alicorn waited patiently for her younger companion to begin talking. “In your own time, dear.” “W-Well, let’s see. It probably all started the day Mother came home late, having spent all the money Daddy kept for a rainy day on a new wig. Put it this way: he wasn’t very happy. But what was different this time, he started shouting at me too...” ………………………… A little later on, the mare in question was busy just a few doors away making some very tough decisions. As the head of the school board, such epic responsibilities fell to her on a regular basis. And how she loved dealing with them in her own inimitable style. “...Cancel lunchtimes on alternate days to make up the difference then, if the school needs to save money! When I was a filly I had plenty of reheated leftovers from the day before! What’s wrong with a bit of cold slop now and then? It’ll remind them what’ll happen in the future if they don’t work hard enough…!” None of Spoiled Rich’s craven underlings in the meeting had the heart or courage to tell her she didn’t exactly get to where she was today by ‘working hard’, and agreed with her as a single unit before rapidly scribbling down her suggestion on their jotter pads. “...And bring me a better office chair! This so-called luxury leather feels like sandpaper! Finally, who brings me my glass of water every morning? Yes, you! Didn’t I tell you I wanted ice cubes with it?” “B-But I thought that I…” “Cubes? These were more like circles, with all the edges chopped off! You’re fired! Does anypony here disagree with my decision? Because if you do… you’re fired also! No room in this operation for slackers or idiots. Now get out, the lot of you! And don’t let me see any of your useless faces for the rest of the day!” You could’ve heard a pin drop in there as every slouched head made their way outside, while an irate Spoiled slammed the door behind them before reclining in her ‘uncomfortable’ chair. But later, out of earshot of ‘The Abominable One’, they’d swap observations that ever since the trouble with her husband she’d been even worse than before… A state of affairs the underpaid interns thought was nigh-on impossible. But, there they were. “You just can’t get the help, these days.” Spoiled bemoaned, whilst providing herself momentary amusement by swiveling around. “Still, at least it gives me the chance to work off some of the aggression I get from having to share a house with him. Talk about unreasonable! All I want is to be provided for while he’s away, and he can’t even do that?! Oh, where did it all go wrong for us…” An exceedingly rare look of regret crossed Spoiled lips, and after double-checking to make sure nopony else was present, she flipped the blinds on her window and reached into her hidden drawer to retrieve something very special. “Gold nugget… no. Wind-up teeth… must have confiscated them from one of Cheerilee’s lot. Nose-hair trimmers… not what I’m looking for, but they may come in handy later. Ah. Here it is!” It was a framed picture of Spoiled and Filthy’s wedding day, taken a long time ago when she was known as Spoiled Milk. Smiling with a bottle of bubbly in one hoof, her loving hubby in the other and completely surgery-free, she almost didn’t recognise herself in the cherished image. After staring wistfully at the picture for a good few seconds, she finally snapped to her senses. Oh, fiddlesticks! This is no time to be a sentimental old sap! You have papers to grade, unruly pupils to suspend, a new piece of furniture to order. Better put this back now, and... “What?!” “T-There’s somepony here to see you, M-Miss.” Spoiled Rich’s careful plans had been interrupted by her shaking secretary Ink Blot, who always seemed on the verge of bolting in the presence of her brusque employer. Most right-minded ponies wouldn’t blame her, however. “What did I tell you and the rest of those fools? I said I didn’t want to be disturbed under any circumstances!!” roared Spoiled, as she swiftly crossed the room to confront her employee almost muzzle-to-muzzle. “I-I k-know, b-but…” Ink Blot might have changed her name to Nervous Wreck, with the amount of stammering and trembling she displayed right now. Just before Spoiled could utter her favourite two words in the local language to the soon-to-be-jobless secretary though… “That’s enough, Mrs Rich! I can see your daughter wasn't overexaggerating about your conduct towards others after all…” An obviously irritated Twilight made her way inside Spoiled’s office uninvited and sat down by her desk, whilst the usually abrasive Earth pony was for once completely lost for words. “You’re… you’re…” “Yes, I am Twilight Sparkle. But more importantly, an advocate for your daughter. Please call your husband, and tell him the three of us need to have an urgent heart-to-heart regarding her welfare. I have a feeling the situation may be even worse than I first feared…”