The monsters had entered the house earlier than Diamond Tiara had expected. Oh, they tried to be quiet, tried to sneak in under the cover of night, while the moon was shining high over Ponyville and the town was awash in silence, but Diamond heard them anyway. She always heard them and they never really stayed quiet for long.
In reality, she had been waiting for them. Sleep had been impossible, knowing full well these creatures were coming. These hideous things that crept into the house after her parents had left for the evening to attend a party down the street, and once they were in the house, Diamond knew there would be no salvation. She was doomed.
At first, she had tried to defend herself. She had immediately shielded herself under the impenetrable protection of a blanket- guaranteed to ward off spooks, spirits, monsters and creatures of the darkness. Every foal knew about the power of a blanket, but its legendary stopping power had no effect on the creatures. Every night they seemed to grow stronger, and stronger, crashing into things and crying out, louder and louder still.
It started like it always did. Hushed murmurs and low moans raising up through the floorboards. It was the darkness, Diamond was sure, that caused all of this. The monsters never attacked in the daytime. No, there was something about the night that seemed to draw them out- to siphon them into existence from some horrible demonic dimension. That was the only explanation and try as she might to blot them out, Diamond could still hear them. They were getting louder.
-This to me again! Is it too much to ask you to go ONE night without getting completely trashed?! Is it that hard to just keep your damned hooves off the rum?! Whole town thinks you're a drunk you know!
Ash if I gave a ratsh tail about what anypony else thinksh!
And what about our daughter, huh? Do you care what SHE thinks?!
Our daughter?! Our daughter, mr. 'work-fourteen-hour-daysh' I'm the only one raising that little misfit, don't even pretend you care! You can't even remember her own god-forsaken birthday!
Talking with you when you're like this is a waste of time. Talking with you period is a waste of time, and it's in November, you harlot.
See?! Shee?! You don't know a damned thing about her! It's in March you filthy -
She shut them out, let the darkness drown their voices, the way she wished the darkness could drown her. She wished she could fade away: just disappear with the night when the morning sun drifted down onto Ponyville. She wouldn't even miss her stuff. The giant plush bear in the corner the butler won at the town fair. The closet filled with brand name clothes and cashmere sweaters. The candies and treats adorning her dresser on the far side of the room. The biggest one was the unopened bag of chocolate nuts daddy had bought back with him on his trip to the Jewel Desert across the sea. He had been gone for two solid weeks and returned to Diamond with a pat on a head and a bag of nuts.
She was allergic to peanuts.
-Only reason I'm sthill with a pony like you! I could have been a successh if you hadn't knocked me up! Do you know how famoush I could have been if it wasn't for the two of you?!
Do you think I like having to support you? Huh?! Why do you think I spend so many hours at the office?! Because this is what I get to come home to! And where does my money go?! Where does it go?! Booze, clothes you don't deserve, all that jewelry, I swear if I wasn't trapped here because you couldn't remember to take a freaking pill-
There were stories about monsters under the bed. Diamond had heard the other kids at school talking about them. Horrible, terrible things that grabbed fillies with long, vicious tentacles and dragged them into the shadows. Of course, there hadn't been a recorded attack in almost six hundred years, but Diamond tossed her torso over the side of her bed anyway, tentatively peering into the gloom under the bed's frame. There was nothing there. No horrible nightmare to drag her into the abyss. Only a small legion of dust bunnies and long lost toys greeted her gaze. She felt something shudder inside of her.
And snap.
Like you ever loved either of ush!! It's all a lie! Another businessh deal!
Thats right, because you love her soooooooooooo much! Teach me, oh grand and wonderful master! Show me your secrets!!
Her mouth was dry. Like a magic trick, every ounce of moisture had vanished from her lips, only to reappear in her eyes to race down the slopes of her cheeks. She spilled out of her bed on jelly legs and lay quietly on the floor. Her blankets and sheets held no comfort. She wanted to go somewhere. Celestia, please. Take her anywhere but here.
Saw you looking at that cheap shkank! I saw you, you bastard! The hell doesh Aloe haff that I don't huh? Do I need a Prance accent to make you want me?!
Sweetie, I wouldn't want you if you were made out of gold and spit rubies.
She pulled herself across the floor to the closet sitting adjacent across from her bed. There, she tucked herself inside and closed the door. In the infinity of the darkness, she found the bellowing monsters below were slightly muted. Horrible screaming turned into muffed shouts and she huddled quietly in the corner, reveling in her new found solace while hugging her knees.
After a few moments, Diamond perked a curious ear. No, she could still hear the monsters screaming below her, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could make out the gentle glint of glass sitting in her closet with her. Bottles. Nine of them to be precise. Bottles that she had taken and hidden from mom. Bottles of that stuff she wouldn't stop drinking. Bottles that helped turn her into the thing that was downstairs.
She grabbed one in her hooves, looking it over. In the gloom she couldn't make out the label, but it didn't matter. All she knew was that mom wouldn't stop. Couldn't stop. And the only way life would get better was if mom did stop. Maybe Diamond could change things if she hid the bottles and limited her mother's intake. Maybe if she hid enough of them, mom would get tired of spending money on them, and maybe, maybe mom would stop guzzling the stuff down. Maybe they could be a family again. Maybe; if she tried hard enough...
She popped the top off of one of them and brought the opening to her lips. She winced. It smelled like poison and tasted like death, and she gagged. How did mom do it? Mom suckled it down like it was water; like she couldn't live without it, even though it burned at her sinuses, and was acid across her tongue. Mom survived with it. Maybe if only Diamond could understand. Maybe. Maybe if Diamond could see things from Mom's point of view. Maybe. Maybe she could help. Maybe she could figure out a way to fix things. Maybe she could save her family. Celestia, please...
She took a deep breath and quietly swallowed another mouthful.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Diamond Tiara didn't come to school that day, which, while odd, was not something entirely unheard of for Silver Spoon. She had an inkling what might have happened and spent most of the day staring idly out the window, or at the empty desk beside her. When school had finally, finally let out, Silver Spoon raced down the path towards their hang out, carrying in her mouth a list of activities that Diamond Tiara had missed during the day. She ran past the Cutie Mark Crusaders and past the cute boys from the pegasi school above them. None of it mattered.
At long last, she found Diamond Tiara sitting silently under the huge tree up on their hill. The one just overlooking the town and most importantly, Sugar Cube Corner which made the hill smell like cookies all the time. Their special, personal, secret hill, where they shared the deepest of secrets with one another and nopony in the world could hope to shatter the solace it gave them. Slowly, Silver crept up to Diamond, biting her lower lip in nervous apprehension. Something bad had happened. Rumor had it, that Diamond was sick- throwing up all day or something. But Silver Spoon could guess that it was more than that...
"...Monsters again?" Silver asked quietly, wincing as the question tumbled from her lips. Teary-eyed and tired, Diamond glanced over at the pony sitting next to her and bit at her lower lip. It was all Silver needed to see.
"Is that my homework?" Diamond asked quietly.
"...Don't worry about it." Silver whispered. Diamond nodded and stoically leaned against her only friend in silence. And gently, Silver Spoon leaned back.