//------------------------------// // Part 6: Funeral // Story: Broken Diamond // by The Bricklayer //------------------------------// A few nights later, Script tossed and turned in his sleep. In his mind, he relieved the fire at the Rich Manor and he was right back in the middle of it during his rescue of Diamond. But this time something was different. While he picked Diamond up and sat her on his back, suddenly flying against all possible logic the dead and burned Filthy Rich got up and his eyes bored into Script's soul. "You failed to save me, and let me burn! You don't deserve my daughter!" The undead Filthy roared in a hellish tone sounding like a demon out of Tartarus. "I... I couldn't get to you in time!" Script pleaded. "That's right, and now you'll share my fate!" Filthy snarled before he then lunged towards Script but suddenly he was blasted backwards into a wall by a blue beam of magic and turned to dust in the process. "BEGONE FOUL BEAST!" Luna's voice yelled as it cut through the room. It was then the Dreamscape changed to a grassy field of flowers somewhere as a full moon shown down it's light covering the area. A misty form appeared before it solidified into the distinct form of the Lunar Princess and Script bowed at the sight of her. Luna said only one thing and one thing alone. "You need to tell her." With that, everything faded away and was replaced with white. Script woke up panting and sweating from the nightmare, on his couch as the covers were swiftly thrown off. Why was he not sleeping in his own room? Well, after the marriage fell through, Script couldn't even bring himself to sleep in his own bed thanks to the memories he had of him and Rarity in it and now used that room for storage mostly. He'd lied to Potion and called the Master Bedroom the Guest Room instead as well. "Ugh, what a dream... Wonder what Luna meant about me telling Diamond something though...?" Script wondered aloud, as if expecting a answer. None came. Groaning, Script tilted his head and saw the black suit on the back of the couch and he winced as he remembered today was the day of the Rich family funeral. First things first though, he needed his coffee... Rich Family Funeral... A few hours later, Script and his two adopted children were at the Rich Family funeral which was held outside the Town Hall as Mayor Mare give a short eulogy. The caskets were closed, to hide the burns. "Citizens of Ponyville, today we honor the life of Mr Filthy Rich and Mrs Spoiled Rich." Mayor Mare said, as she dabbed at her eyes. "They were some of our most well known citizens with a lineage stretching back to when Ponyville was founded all those years ago." As Diamond listened, her eyes brimming with tears Script took a quick look around. The death of Mr and Mrs Rich had affected more ponies then he thought. There of course was Silver and her family, but there were others like Derpy who delivered the mail to them and Rarity who designed a lot of the custom clothing they wore. The entire Apple Family was there as well, which made sense seeing as how they'd always been business partners ever since the town was in it's early days. "My only hope is that the family legacy lives on in it's sole member, Diamond Tiara and that she can make it through this." Mayor Mare finished before stepping off the podium and placing some roses on the caskets. Rarity who was wearing a black dress walked up and looked at Diamond sadly. "If you want to go ahead and say a few last words now would be the time." She told her kindly, and Diamond sniffled as she nodded. She then took a few nervous steps up to the caskets, or to be more specific Filthy's in particular. With a tearful whisper, she softly said "Goodbye Daddy." Script blinked in confusion before raising a eyebrow. This was odd, shouldn't Diamond be saying goodbye to her mother as well? This merited further investigation that was for sure. Diamond was soon joined by Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle who were there with their sisters. Dinky was there as well, as she'd come with her adoptive mother Derpy. "Yeah, listen we all talked this over and we just want to say how sorry we are for you losing your parents." Dinky said in a apologetic tone with Sweetie and Apple Bloom nodding along with her. Dinky may not have liked Diamond, but she still deserved some sympathy as her mother had taught her. In Dinky's mind at least, nopony deserved to lose their parents. As for Diamond herself, she was gaping in shock. Why would three of the ponies she'd bullied the most actually be apologizing to her? As for as she knew, she certainly didn't deserve it. Meanwhile, Script took a slow walk up the caskets as Diamond walked over to Potion who put a comforting wing around her and she gave him a small smile as she blew her nose. "Um, hi... No, that's just rubbish isn't it? Blast it... Now I got to start again. I'm just not good at this." Script muttered to himself as he remembered his nightmare from before. "I never knew you, and to be honest rather disliked you. Still do actually, but I swear with Celestia as my witness I promise I'll take very good care of your daughter and if I don't you can haunt me till the day I die." Script promised with a hoof over his heart before he walked back to Diamond. "C'mon, let's go home huh? Funerals just make me uncomfortable." Script said and Diamond nodded. As they walked, Caesar came up to Script and looked at him seriously. "Oh, I just want to say if Di does end up choosing you over me and staying longer then a month and you end up hurting her and I find out... Well, I'll find you and sue your flank off till you hit rock bottom understand?" Caesar commented cheerfully, his smile uncannily reminding Script of that of a barracuda's. As the stallion walked off, Good Eats came over snickering at Script's frightened expression. "Aw... Is the big bad history teacher afraid of the nasty old lawyer?" Script glared at him. "Eats, do me a favor and shut up." Elsewhere in Ponyville... At a house somewhere in Ponyville, a raid was going down. You see, Bon Bon had tracked down the buyer of the Talisman used to burn down the Rich Manor to this place. She wasn't alone though, as it turned out the Royal Guard also had their eyes on the owner of the home, one Pine Tree as he was a suspect in a crime they'd been investigating which oddly enough was a arson in Manehatten at the home of Caeser Moneybags. Some would say it's just a concidence but Bon-Bon never believed in those things. "Open up, this is the Royal Guard!" The soldier in charge, Steel Sentry bellowed. He was a iron colored Pegasus with a shield on his flank. "Maybe he's not home." Bon-Bon shrugged. Suddenly a magic blast blew a hole in the door scattering splinters everywhere. "...Okay, he's home. I correct my previous statement." Bon-Bon muttered before Steel kicked down the door and he, along with Bon-Bon and another guard went inside the home which was mostly unremarkable except for one thing on the tile floor. "We have blood!" Bon-Bon shouted, catching Steel's attention. "Follow the trail." He ordered. "And keep your eyes peeled. Pine's around here somewhere." "Yeah, tell me something I don't know." Bon-Bon snarked. Steel rolled his eyes as they continued their investigation and moved further into the house. The twosome followed the blood trail to the bathroom door. Bon-Bon nodded at Steel, before she ever-so carefully opened it. Behind the door, was Pine Tree lying dead on the floor blood pooling out from a wound on his head. "Seems like somepony didn't want him to talk." Bon-Bon muttered. "How do you know he didn't just take his own life to avoid being captured and thrown in the bin?" Steel asked. "Believe me, that's one possibility but it doesn't add up. See that wound right there?" Bon-Bon pointed out. "Yeah, it's hard not to." Steel commented. "Saw something similar back in a case I worked once. It's a concussive wound, and as far as I can see I don't see any blunt objects nearby do you? Whoever did this must have teleported off and killed old Tree here before we got here." Bon-Bon reasoned. "They wanted it to look like a suicide, whoever we're dealing with is very devious and quite possibly insane." With that unsettling statement, silence filled the room. Script Residence Later, Potion was walking by Diamond's room on the way to his own when he heard sobbing. He peeked his head in, and silently watched Diamond sob into her pillow. "I know she's a bully and everything I'm supposed to hate but why do I feel so sorry for her?" Potion wondered, before he closed the door before Diamond even noticed he'd seen her crying. "I've got to do something to cheer her up. But what?" Potion whispered to himself.