Diamond in the Rough
Diamond Tiara was almost out the door when she almost bumped against an entering pony. She reared instinctively to stop herself before seeing who it was.
"Oh, it's you." Said a sullen, moody Apple Bloom.
"Would you mind stepping aside?" Diamond asked when Apple Bloom stood her ground a little longer than she cared for.
"Why of course your grace. I will get right on that. It's not like we can expect the likes of you to stand back for me." Apple Bloom mimicked a poor Canterlot aristocrat accent.
"Don't mock me Apple Bloom, I'm not in the mood." Diamond Tiara told her, as the mare before her made no move to get out of her path.
"And what I pity that is. But just maybe the world doesn't revolve around you. Maybe your mood is worth horse apples to the ponies around you. And maybe it would suit you if you were the one to take a step back and let other ponies pass. 'Cause I can tell nopony in Ponyville actually cares about you." Apple Bloom told her off.
Diamond Tiara stamped her hoof in irritation. What had gotten into that mare lately?
"Apple Bloom, we didn't we just get done with this? I thought we weren't going to talk about this again today." Scootaloo interjected as she moved into Diamond Tiara's field of view.
"We aren't talking about her." Apple Bloom indicated herself and Scootalo. "I'm talking to her directly now. So let's talk, Diamond Tiara. We haven't had a proper conversation since... well, before you got your cutie mark. Let's talk about how petty fillies can be about those things, choosing not to associate themselves with those without one because they feel them beneath themselves. How cutie marks give you the privilege to host a big cute-ceañera and feel like a royal. How it makes you feel so special when there is nothing unique about it, because it's the skill you used to acquire it that determines your worth to society. Do you see what I'm getting at here, Diamond?"
Diamond Tiara grumbled. Like she didn't know about cutie marks. She got hers way before Apple Bloom. "Not really. Are you going to move?"
"Not yet. What I'm getting at is that you treat your cutie mark as something that makes you better than other ponies. Just as you do with money and breeding. You believe you have to put no effort into what you do because you are already superior. You lack virtue and work ethic. You boss others around for your newspaper without lifting a hoof to operate a press or seek out ponies who can give you a story. And yet you say you're entitled to a higher salary for not breaking a sweat?"
"I've worked for every bit I earn! Maybe you don't understand what work goes into editing a paper for publishing, with how you just kick at a tree and collect apples all day. But management is mentally exhausting and it has cost me a fortune to get the education it demands. I deserve my position and the bits it gets me. What does a farmer know about editing?" Diamond Tiara scoffed, forgetting her urgency to leave.
"I'm sure a dandy rich pony like you think that. You want to be a Canterlot snob and hobnob with nobility. They don't do anything but sit on a pile of money none of them lifted a hoof to earn as well. They get the best of everything without justifying their existence or continued presence in our society. Like spoiled little fillies is what they are. Sounds familiar?" Apple Bloom smirked knowingly.
"Yes, it does." Diamond rolled her eyes. "I was a spoiled brat with an overworked father. At least I admit it. You won't admit you have a chip on your shoulder and resent me for having any success when you feel I shouldn't have as much because of my past transgressions against you. But now it seems you feel entitled to my bits and my lifestyle because bucking apples isn't going to get you the high life. Maybe it's you who should have gotten an education, Apple Bloom, and I would just keep asking daddy for a handout. Because perhaps instead of tearing other ponies down and bringing us to your level, you could have lifted yourself up to be my equal."
"Hah, a wannabe Canterlot snob earth pony fillyfooler? I'm already above you, you just wait. You're gonna grow old spinning rumours in that rag I wipe myself with, never knowing the joys of family, friendship and the fruit of your own labour. You and Silver won't conceive without getting a stallion involved, so you'll never have foals. That's why marrying another mare is such a dumb move. I heard Silver's parents won't even talk to her anymore. She's destroyed her own family bonds."
"S-shut up!" Silver Spoon shouted back, fighting back tears as her personal issues were revealed to any listening in.
Apple Bloom didn't shut up, in fact. "I have more family, and my parents are dead! And you, Diamond Tiara. Your daddy couldn't even be bothered to make an appearance at your own cute-ceañera. Mine wasn't half as lavish and I had my family work hard just to make that day special to me and my friends. Your mother had left you behind and you never even did get a postcard from her did you?"
"How do you-" Diamond Tiara began to ask.
"Babs told me. She told me all about how pitiful your life is. In fact, I know more about your mom than even you ever did!" Apple Bloom baited her, holding out information that Diamond Tiara knew she'd never share just to torment her.
"You do? Please Apple Bloom. If you care even half as much about family as you claim, you wouldn't deny me a chance at reunion." Diamond Tiara begged, but guarded her expectations with the thought Apple Bloom was just pulling her leg.
"I ain't telling." Apple Bloom tittered childishly.
"She lives in Manehattan, works there as a fashion designer. When I heard yours is living in the same city, I took notice when I bumped into your mother. I can mail you the address after I look it up back at home." Babs Seed revealed, who had heard the commotion by the door and moved in from behind the two mares, startling both.
"Cuz..." Apple Bloom frowned at having her nugget of information snatched away and handed to Diamond Tiara. The purple mare was wondering what sort of favours she had hoped to hold out for.
"Diamond Tiara!" That sounded like Miss Cheerilee, and her angry tone was sadly familiar to her. Her schoolteacher approached the entrance as she drew the attention of everyone who listened to what was about to transpire. "I heard you poured steaming hot coffee in Berry Pinch's face. What in Celestia's name were you thinking?"
Berry Pinch appeared behind Cheerilee, covering her eye with a washcloth in one hoof and groaning. But the corners of her mouth turned into a smirk when nopony else was looking, angering Diamond Tiara.
"Is that snitch trying to turn you against me again? That coffee wasn't even warm anymore." Diamond Tiara pointed an accusing hoof at Berry, who pressed the cloth even tighter to her face and moaned.
"She was- she mocked Derpy's death when Dinky's back was turned so I tried to stand up-" Berry hissed in mock pain. "I told her she was crossing the line, then she started about my mom, and finished it up when she threw her cup at me."
Diamond Tiara's mouth fell open in dumbfounded astonishment at the audacity of Berry Pinch's claim. She wanted to contest the allegation, but could already tell it was useless. Cheerilee's experience as a schoolteacher made a 'he said she said' argument pointless. Diamond Tiara had failed to convince her teacher of her innocence many times before, even when she truly was. It seemed even adulthood could not spare her the brunt of Cheerilee's sense of justice.
"So you admit it was you who threw that coffee. Diamond Tiara, I thought you had changed! Apparently a successful career and loving wife haven't been enough to rid you of your tendency to insult and harass those around you. I believe you should leave." She sternly warned Diamond Tiara, who was fuming at Berry Pinch now.
Various ponies around her showed different emotions. Scootaloo seemed almost disappointed to hear this. From Berry came a smug, satisfied grin that spoke of torments yet to come. Apple Bloom scoffed haughtily, trying to avert her eyes. Babs seemed to pity her. Dinky, however, seemed hurt and looked mad. Diamond could not blame her for that but knew it was directed at the wrong pony.
Silver Spoon grabbed her hoof and began pulling her along. "Come sugar lump, let's go home."
She sounded worried, and Diamond Tiara broke her stare and realized that what reflected poorly on her would reflect poorly on Silver. She didn't want to draw her into this as well, so she began to follow. All the way home they didn't speak about this latest incident.
* * *
Diamond Tiara put down her novel as Silver Spoon entered their bedroom. After they had gotten home, they decided it was best to take a bath each, brush their teeth and retire early and forget about what had happened tonight. But instead of laying down with her, Silver stood inside the room. "That thing with Berry Pinch, it's not like you really did that, right sugar lump?"
"Are you kidding? Of course not. Well, I did throw my coffee at her. But it was cool and wouldn't have burned her. She also made up that part about Derpy, those were her own words." Diamond Tiara get out of bed and approached her wife. "I'm sorry you had to see all that. Now everypony is going to think I'm the bad girl here and they're going to judge you for it. We're always just going to be the bullies of this town and I shouldn't have made it worse. Dinky is probably not going to think any better of me, and I let down Miss Cheerilee. Somehow, I felt such pride when she showed her admiration of me and now she believes I haven't changed for the better."
But Silver Spoon draped her foreleg around Diamond Tiara for a hug. "We have each other, who cares what other ponies think of us? It's about us. I know you're better than everypony believes, and that's all that matters." She kissed Diamond's cheek and the two of them remained embraced for some time, comforted by love and trust. "You have a busy day ahead of you, Diamond. Just don't think about it and let's go to bed."
Moving under the covers of their shared queen size bed, Silver removed her glasses as Diamond put on her mask, the turned off the nightstand lamp. Silver put a hoof around her as she slid up against her. Quiet settled around the house as the occupants slept peacefully in ignorance of what challenges waited tomorrow.