//------------------------------// // A Pony Lying // Story: Diamond Tiara and the Hand of Phoe // by Mudpony //------------------------------// With a wave to the butler, Diamond Tiara set out toward Silver Spoon's house. The upside to her turbulent night was that she woke up earlier than usual, and that gave her just enough time to explain things before she had to get to the library. She walked rapidly, trying to figure out what she would say. "So, um, Sil, that hand thing. Yeah, it, well, sort of works, just not very well. So I'm sorta going to maybe be a princess, and that's why I have to help Miss Spar— Princess Twilight with stuff. Oh, and since the exhibit has left town after the cat destroyed most of it, you're out of luck. Sorry." Yeah, that would go over well. Probably the best response she could hope for would be for Sil to think it was a joke. Far more likely, she'd think Diamond was making something up. Except she wasn't, and she wouldn't, not when it came to Sil. She'd just have to make Sil understand. Diamond opened the gate and walked up the path to the door. She rapped on the door, shifting impatiently until it opened. "Good morning, Diamond," Silver Spoon's mother said. "Here to see Sil?" "Yes, ma'am," Diamond Tiara said. "Is she up?" Silver's mother nodded and stepped to the side. "She's up in her room." "Thanks," Diamond said, making her way in. The door was open just a crack, and within the room she could see Sil lying on her bed, writing in her diary. "Hey, Sil," Diamond said, pushing the door open the rest of the way. Silver Spoon lifted her hoof in greeting, but kept her attention on her writing. She jotted down a couple more sentences, then dropped the pen. Turning to her friend, she said, "I was just writing about how I had to pay after my friend mysteriously ran off, only to return the next day and ask for help with cleaning up the library." "About that," Diamond began and ended. The words would not come, or more accurately, could not come. She couldn't even mouth the words. Her jaw and lips stayed stubbornly in place. She knew the feeling though. She had felt it before, on her journey to the Acres. The artefact at work. Of course, it couldn't have told her that before hoof. No, once again, it left her looking like the fool. Well, not this time. "I just came by to drop off the bits I owe you." Diamond fished into her coin purse and placed the coins on the bed. Silver Spoon looked at her, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Are you sure that's everything?" Silver Spoon asked. "You know you can tell me anything, right?" How Diamond Tiara wished that were still true. She sighed deeply. "I know. Lunch today?" "Sure. Where?" "Picnic, under our tree at school, and I'll tell you everything, okay?" Silver's questioning look was back, stronger than ever, but whatever questions she had, she held them back. "Okay." Diamond trudged toward the library, her hooves scraping along the ground with each step. She checked her surroundings, making sure nopony was near. "You won't let me tell her the truth?" < A changed fate is easier to achieve when others know not of the weave. > She stopped and asked, "So now what am I supposed to do?" When no answer was forthcoming, she sighed and resumed walking. "Not your problem, huh? We swore to always tell each other everything, you know. What am I supposed to do now? Lie to her?" She walked on for another block, but the Hand still had nothing to say. "I've never lied to her. Never even come close. How am I supposed to explain this to her if I can't tell her the truth?" She stopped, feeling the eyes of somepony upon her. "Are… are you alright, Diamond?" a unicorn filly asked. "Just peachy. Can't you tell?" Diamond asked, glaring at the intruder. She snorted and resumed walking, leaving Dinky confused behind her. By the time she had reached the library, Diamond Tiara had made her decision. She'd lie. It made her stomach feel uneasy, no matter how many times she told herself it was for the best of reasons, that she had to lie to save their friendship. Now she just needed to figure out what the lie was going to be by lunch. Not that she'd be hungry, not with this sinking feeling in her gut. "You're four minutes late," Twilight said as Diamond opened the door. It was going to be a long, bad day. "Let me guess. You've got a crush on Alula," Silver Spoon said, leaning her head forward, ears twitching in anticipation of Diamond's acknowledgement. With one hoof, she smoothed the edge of the blanket upon which they lay. Diamond Tiara nearly spit out her bite of sandwich. "What?" she said, not bothering to swallow her food first. She shook her head vehemently. "No. Just… no. She's just a friend, you know that." "Rats. I was, like, totally sure that was it." She tilted her head at her friend and raised one eyebrow. "Are you sure you don't have a crush on her? 'Cause I'd totally be fine with that." "I'm sure. Absolutely sure." "Well, I guess it wouldn't have made much sense anyway. Why would you be working with the princess if you had a crush on somepony? Unless… It's not the princess, right?" This time, Diamond did spit out her food. "Sil! She's like… old and stuff." "Ah, there's the smile I was looking for." Silver Spoon winked and adjusted her glasses. "Now, you going to tell me what's really going on?" Diamond Tiara focused her attention on a tree in distance. She breathed deeply, trying to calm her racing heart. This was the moment. She was going to lie to Silver Spoon. She opened her mouth, trying to force the first word out. If she could do that, she knew the rest of the lie she had chosen would follow. Nothing came out. Not again, she thought, but she knew that this was different. It didn't feel like when the artefact had stopped her. She closed her mouth, then tried to start her lie again. Nothing. "Aaaah!" she screamed. "Snugglebunnies! Thrice-darned snugglebunnies!" She pounded her hooves upon the blanket. Silver Spoon reached a hoof out to Diamond, placing it atop the pink filly's, until Diamond let her leg relax. "What's wrong?" "There's something I want to tell you, but I can't. Like, I literally can't." Diamond Tiara raised a hoof to forestall Silver Spoon's reassurance that she could. "I'm scared, Sil. I'm not in control." She wrapped her hooves around Sil's hoof. I… I need you to know this: I'd tell you if there was any way ponily possible, but there just isn't. But I won't lie to you either. However this turns out, remember that. I never lied." She tightened her grip on the hoof. "You're my best friend, Sil, and I want us to be best friends forever, just like we swore." Diamond moved forward and hugged the grey filly tightly, her head resting upon the Sil's mane. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes, and indeed, several fell before the perplexed Silver Spoon returned the hug and softly whispered, "Friends forever."