• Published 17th Aug 2013
  • 1,082 Views, 45 Comments

Diamond Tiara and the Hand of Phoe - Mudpony



Jealous of Twilight becoming a princess, Diamond Tiara makes a wish and winds up as Twilight Sparkle's student. - A story written using the prompts from EQD's NATG III.

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A Pony Made Over

"I just don't see why this is necessary," Twilight said.

"Darling, these reenactments of your coronation are taking place all across Equestria. It is not every day that a new princess is crowned, so it is only natural that ponies want to see it. And since not every pony could travel to Canterlot to be there for the real thing, this is the next best thing. After all, it isn't like we have some magic box ponies could watch it on."

Twilight pondered the possibilities. Perhaps if she used Star Swirl's fifth law and combined it with Eisenhoof's theory of —.

"No," Rarity said, derailing Twilight's train of thought. "You were just thinking about how to make the magic box thing, right? Well, even if you could, it'd be too late. You've already been crowned, so unless you also made the box able to travel time, you'll still have to go through with it." Rarity frowned as Twilight's mind started to wander again. She reached out a hoof and gave her friend a light shove. "Oh no you don't, darling. The last time you messed with time, it took your mane a month to grow back." Rarity gave an involuntary shudder at the horror of it.

"I suppose you're right," Twilight conceded. "Besides, I don't think I could get all the items I would need in time anyway." She sighed. "I still don't get why ponies can't just be happy with what they've read the newspapers and magazines."

"Photos in a newspaper just don't do an event like this justice. They can't capture the true magic of the moment. And a movie, well, it just isn't the same thing as a live performance." Rarity paused to think. "Remember that first Summer Sun Celebration you went to? How much that meant to you? That was much better than reading about it, wasn't it?"

Twilight nodded, still remembering the first time she had seen Princess Celestia.

"For most ponies, this is the closest they'll ever get to something like that. A near brush with royalty. A chance to behold the splendor and majesty. And here it will be even more spectacular, since the role of you will be played by an actual princess."

"That's what I mean. Couldn't somepony else play me? Maybe Cloud Kicker? She knows all my lines, I'm sure."

"And get her to give up playing Princess Celestia, after she had her coat bleached just for the role?" Rarity asked, flipping her mane slightly. "Though I think she might be letting the role go to her head a bit. Telling people to 'worship my butt' indeed. As if the princess would even be capable of saying such a thing. Near scandalous that is." She brought her hoof down hard for emphasis. "Although it was funny the first time." She giggled. "Okay, the first couple of times."

Twilight scoffed. Cloud Kicker would be lucky if she wasn't locked up for the rest of her life if Princess Celestia heard of her actions, she thought. But then she stopped, wondering if Princess Celestia really would, or if she'd take joy in a pony who dared to treat her the same as if she was anypony else. No, she ultimately decided. Princess Celestia wasn't anypony else. She was Princess Celestia, Ruler of Equestria, the Diarch of the Dawn, the Herald of the East, the Bringer of Order, the Sister of the Sun, the Holder of a Thousand Titles. Twilight decided it would be best to take Cloud Kicker aside and warn her about the potential consequences of her actions. Decision made, she turned her attention back to Rarity, who had not stopped speaking, listing reasons why Twilight should do this.

"Besides, it comes with this complimentary makeover for two, and with the week I've been having, I need this. So if you won't do it for them, then do it for me?" Rarity looked pleadingly at Twilight.

Twilight sighed, then nodded. "Okay, fine. For you. I guess it's just that I'm not comfortable with all this attention yet. Before I moved to Ponyville, I was happy with just my family and my studies. And then I met all of you gals and I knew what I was missing. But this… this is something else, you know?

"Yesterday, Roseluck practically tied her tongue in a knot trying to figure out how to address me. She's usually in the library at least twice a week. We've spoken hundreds of times and she always has an opinion on things. And now she's treating me like I'm suddenly a different pony. She didn't even disagree with a single thing I said." Her frustration showed as she shoved the door, only barely managing to use her magic avert a loud collision with the wall inside. "Can't they understand that I'm the same as always?" Twilight said, her wings flaring out. "Okay, maybe not the quite the same. But I'm still me." She folded her wings and stepped through the doorway, followed by Rarity.

Inside, the chatter died away, as ponies noticed who who had entered. For a second, there was silence before it was broken by ponies scrambling to bow to the princess. Twilight sighed, turning to Rarity. "See what I mean?"

Rarity placed her hoof on Twilight's shoulders and spoke softly into Twilight's ear. "They're just adjusting. That's all, Twi. This is all new to them too, you know. Before you came here, no princess had ever come to Ponyville. Now we have one living here, and they aren't sure how to act."

"I just want them to behave like they always did," Twilight whispered back, before turning to address the still bowing ponies. "Please, everypony, there's no need for this. I'm just here to get my mane done, same as you."


"Now be sure she takes those curlers out in half an hour," Rarity said to Diamond Tiara. "Don't let her get so enthralled by a book or some experiment that she forgets." She paused. "Actually, don't let her run any experiments."

Diamond Tiara nodded dutifully before closing the door behind the departing unicorn.

"Lock it please, Diamond," Twilight asked. "I just want to read a book for a bit."

Diamond froze. She looked back at Twilight, who was already curling up with a book. With a shrug, Diamond did as Twilight had asked. With the door locked, it meant nopony coming in and making work for her. She plopped down on the chair she had claimed as hers and resumed reading the romance book she had started reading earlier.

Half an hour later, Diamond Tiara slid off the chair she'd been sitting on and called out, "Time." With deft movements, she removed the curlers from Twilight's mane, then took a few steps back to look at the results.

"Well, how do I look?" Twilight asked, while Diamond continued her critical appraisal.

"I'm not sure if I'd have gone with that color of blush or that particular manestyle," Diamond said, as she circled slowly around Twilight. "Though I suppose your coat coloration does somewhat limit options," Diamond Tiara continued. She rubbed her chin in thought, before rendering her final judgement. "It's not bad at least, though it could definitely have been better."

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Diamond."

"Huh?" Diamond said. Ponies didn't normally react this way when she told them a harsh truth.

"Besides my friends, you're one of the few in town that doesn't seem to have let these" —she pointed at her wings— "impact how they treat me."

"Well, duh. You're just the town librarian."

"If only others could see that," Twilight said, her head hanging lower. "It's all bowing and scraping. Can I get this, Your Highness? Princess this and that. Pointing at me when I'm walking around town and near fainting when I ask them something. Like they haven't ever seen or spoken to me before. You can't imagine what it is like, Diamond."

When no response came from the filly, Twilight lifted her head up to see Diamond sitting there, staring dreamily into space, a huge smile on her face as she swayed slightly from side to side.

"No, you definitely can't imagine it," Twilight said again, shaking her head sadly. "Still, to you I'm who I was before. That's something, at least. I just hope the others come to see that as well. I'm not sure how much more of this I can take. If nothing else, thank you for that." Diamond made no reply, still lost in her daydream.

Twilight glanced at the clock. It was time to go. She brought her hoof down on the floor, the sound snapping Diamond out of her reverie. "Come on, Diamond. Time to go. My subjects await their princess."

Diamond frowned slightly at the hint of sadness of Twilight's voice.