Seed of Doubt
Chapter 17: Seed of Doubt
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had to cut their time with Suri Polomare short for dinner with Babs. It was, after all, thanks to their friend that Diamond had been able to reconnect with her mother. The chosen establishment was a little typical for a city pony, picking a table at Hinny's. As much as Diamond enjoyed going to Ponyville's hayburger establishment, and no matter how Princess Twilight made it seem okay to pig out on fast food, as an adult she just felt she had grown out of these burger joints. Still, she could not deny herself the guilty pleasure of a ketchup-soaked hayburger with a pile of fries.
"So what's she like? Your mom." Babs asked as she put down her own platter and squeezed herself onto the bench. "I like to know my efforts weren't a waste of time."
"She was very warm after I introduced myself, and I'm happy that she's a big name in the Manehattan fashion industry. It's just..." Diamond let the words hang, not really knowing if she could segueway into what was bothering her.
"Well, spit it out. You can trust your friend, DT." Babs encouraged.
Placing her head in her hooves, Diamond Tiara admitted what was bothering her. "It's just that she levelled some accusations at Rarity. Things that seem so unlike her. I don't know if I should be calling her a liar, or if the quaint village outlook made me blind to Rarity's faults. She was something of a role model to me once. Classy, more sophisticated than the ponies around us, a mare that pulled herself up by the shoe nails to become a fashion designer." Her thoughts went to her teens, after she realized that having a princess live in their midst was novel and all, but that there were better ponies to emulate. And ironically it was the sister of a filly she despised.
"Maybe you need to hear the other side of the story before making that judgement." Babs replied after an uncomfortable silence.
"I agree, Rarity ought to be allowed to defend herself against Suri's account, sugar lump." Silver Spoon interjected. "Not that I'm calling your mom a liar. But there must be some truth to it that makes them both right and Suri just misunderstands Rarity."
"I don't really want to ask Rarity." Diamond Tiara shook her head. "What if it's true? And she gets mad that I bring it up? I don't want to think of Rarity as a thief and a plagiarist, but I've seen some of the fabric matching my mother's description. How do I just ignore something that bothers me?"
"You can try seperating what your mom said about Rarity from how you view her." Babs encouraged her. "Whatever it is between them, you don't have to be part of it. They live in different parts of the country, so they're not gonna get into a fight where you're put on the spot and forced to choose. You have the luxury of staying neutral."
"I... suppose that's true. I don't really want to be involved in this anyway." Diamond Tiara conceded. "I just gained a mother, I don't want to lose her again. And Rarity's been too kind to us. I can't just throw this in her face and be ungrateful."
"Aunt Applejack always said there was nothing more important than friends but family. I didn't want to get caught up in the spats you two had with my cousin after I found out what a hellion I'd become. Have I been unfair since our first summer together?"
"No, no you haven't." Diamond bowed her head in shame. "Honestly, it's kind of a surprise you wanted to have anything to do with us after you and Apple Bloom made up. I think a lesser pony would have stuck with her and began to hate on us."
"Hey, somepony had to keep you two in line. And the time you spent with me the next years you didn't go looking for trouble with Apple Bloom, because I refused. See how you can stick with your friends and love your family at the same time?" Babs demonstrated to them both.
"You kept our secret of how I loved Diamond even though you threatened to tell it if we bothered Apple Bloom. For a long time I didn't know whether to be grateful or be afraid." Silver Spoon admitted. "But while I was stuck at conversion camp you were the only friend I was allowed to write letters to and even though they wouldn't let me write or read any letters that would give me 'wrong ideas', the ones that got through to me really helped my spirits in there. Just being able to rant about small issues that didn't hit any of their counsellors' buzzwords let me know at least somepony cared."
"Actually, I feel pretty bad about threatening to tell your parents about the gay thing." Babs twirled her hoof awkwardly. "I was blackmailing you two to stay out of Apple Bloom's mane. I feel that was really low and I can't apologize enough. But I'm glad our correspondence helped you through your darkest time, Sylvie. To tell you the truth it was Aunt AJ who told me to stop mentioning orientation and DT after I complained to her all my letters kept bouncing. She was pretty appalled at what you had to go through because you were different, but told me to avoid the subject for the sake of being able to help you in other ways."
"Maybe I should thank her sometime. I never knew she cared. We were awful to her sister." Silver Spoon drowned some of her sorrows with milkshake to cope with the brooding atmosphere.
"Not as awful as what you had to go through. I honestly didn't do anything another pony wouldn't. Sorry I revealed your secret to Aunt AJ. I wouldn't have if I wasn't sure she'd be cool with it." Babs apologized, but Diamond Tiara waved her concern aside.
"Applejack probably already knew a while before. She can tell when you're hiding the truth."
"So," Silver Spoon began, changing the topic to something less loaded. "How's your job as a stylist treating you?"
"I prefer the term barber, it sounds less girly." Babs grimaced.
"What's wrong with that? Unless..." Silver began to wonder, but Babs cut her off.
"Look, I'm just a butch mare who likes stallions, okay? I get enough comments about having a scissors cutie mark from ponies I don't like, don't you two start as well."
"I'm sorry, it's just that you're a tomboy and you know, were really insecure as a teenager and liked to talk about hunky stallions more than any of us." Diamond backtracked, trying to defuse the conversation.
"You're gay, you two never liked hunky stallions. You're the ones who pretended. Just 'cuz I'm a tomboy doesn't mean anything, that's offensive."
"Looks like somepony's stuck in the closet." Silver Spoon sing-sang.
"Why don't you let us help you discover for yourself? I've always wanted to get a third mare involved with Silver and me." Diamond Tiara teased.
"You'll regret that, DT!" Babs dove across the table and grabbed Diamond in a headlock before proceeding to grind her hoof across her cranium. "Say I'm no dyke. I'm telling you to cry uncle."
"Alright, alright, you're straight. Please, no noogies!" Diamond pleaded.
"And don't you forget it! You don't want to get swirlies in this joint, trust me."
Silver Spoon immediately stopped eating from the chocolate swirl in front of her and pushed it away. "So why the tough girl act? I mean, if it's not the hormones, then why?"
"Do I have to have some sort of reason to be myself?" Babs looked her in the eyes, but seemed to wilt under the curious stares of Diamond and Silver. "Fine, I guess foalhood caused it. I used to be a target for bullies when I didn't have a cutie mark. That's why I so easily turned into one for Apple Bloom when you two started teasing me about it as well. I tried to ask my big sister for help after I learned my lesson, but when I got my cutie mark I found out it wasn't about that or being 'immature' at all. It's just an easy way to pick at a pony's vulnerability. And things weren't going so well at home. My mom and dad were usually away, and when they were home they'd often fight. They honestly were glad to put me in somepony else's care when they got the chance so we didn't all have to be together as a family. Which is why I got to spend so much time in Ponyville. My sis and me just had to learn to take care of ourselves. And because I became rather mature for my age that way, I spent a lot of time on the streets when my parents were home and I didn't want to stick around for their arguments. And when you spend so much time out on the streets of Manehattan dealing with bullying and peer pressure, you have to be pretty bad to avoid becoming a bad mare."
"That doesn't make any sense." Silver Spoon said.
"You know, bad. Cool, rad, hip, groovy." Babs summed up.
"I get it, so you just kept up the pretence for protection." Diamond Tiara interrupted.
"Pretty much I guess. I think after a while it just started to become a part of me. I think I'm losing my edge though, I'm talking to you two like it's not bad for my image."
"Hey, we are both plenty stylish! We have class no pony in Manehattan ever did." Diamond responded, indignant.
"Maybe they're saving it all to blow you off your hooves. But I'm joshing. I think having an actual job, my own place and a social life means I don't want to risk that to go make stupid mistakes and be a nobody. You just sort of make peace with where you started from, you know? My big sis has already moved on, now it's my turn. My parents are still not getting along, but if they were sticking together for our sake, we're not standing in the way of their happiness. I'm guessing you two know how things change as you start your own life, make your own choices?"
"I suppose I do." Diamond Tiara admitted. "I didn't have a lot of contact with my dad, and now it's even less. But I don't actually feel worse because I have a wife, a business now, a home. Before I just wanted him to notice me because he was supposed to, I needed validation. Now, I don't need his approval. It would just make me happy if we could talk more, as equals. Not as a co-dependant filly."
"At least you and Rich are on speaking terms." Silver Spoon said glumly. "My parents wanted grandchildren and won't talk to me because that's the one thing Diamond Tiara won't give me."
"Hey now, you don't need your parents, Silvie. That's what I'm trying to say. We all wish we had the perfect Equestrian magical family. But we didn't get one, so we just make do. You have DT. And even if you can't have children, what's the use in crying? Your parents had you and they didn't appreciate their blessings!" Babs tried cheering up Silver Spoon.
"I guess you have a point. I shouldn't waste my tears over what can't be. Their loss if they don't look past some supposed grandchildren I'm not giving them." Silver Spoon put on brave words, only for her slumped look to get more depressed.
Diamond put her leg around her as a gesture of comfort, not oblivious to the lie. She made a mental note she'd ask her mother the next day she'd visit her home for something special to cheer Silver up.
Stats
Page generated in 0.017 seconds
Total duration
1,008 users online
2,032,085 hits today, 2,280,440 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
I can't stop laughing.
ugh, these past couple months have not been kind. I can't believe I let that update slip past me. I feel bad now. ><
Thank goodness though, I could use a pick me up from one of my favorite DiamondSpoon fics. <3
Thanks for the update!
lol now THAT was an awesome Babs Seed. A very mature and natural take on her. I love it!
Loved the callback to one of Diamond's actions with Alula. It's good she feels guilty, shows she really regrets it. I'm sure Silver would understand the things DT did for her sake. She probably wouldn't forgive or forget, but she'd work to get past it. Maybe. I suppose it's all on how it comes out. Would suck if Alula played dirty down the road. But that mare got what she wanted so who knows.
Still, though, that Babs. DT is such a flirt. Though Silver wasn't helping much with that. lol xD
Kinda wonder if DT and SS would be in for a "I'll do your gay thing if you two do the straight thing. Me BF and I, join both of you's." SS and DI's reactions would be priceless. Now to wait and see if anyone makes a fan AU scene to this chapter. ;P
But seriously, Silver really has had it rough. I can't imagine what it must have been like to grow up with such people who so willingly disown their own children over a sexual preference. ><
HOLD IT!
If you watch the episode One Bad Apple you will see that Diamond and Silver never once called to Babs having a blank flank. They did ask if she was going to join their club, and Silver looked like a major moron when she pronounced the name of said club, but they never once used those two loathsome words or made fun of her. Infact they were impressed that she was from Manehatten.
Babs just ASSUMED Diamond and Silver were going to make fun of her and turned on her own kin.
and then when it was convenient she turned on Diamond and Silver.
I have no respect for the filly but I LIKE this mare!
6151475
That is true, though I think it's reasonable to say Babs' memory is a little hazy after all those years and she was projecting her fears on Diamond and Silver.
6161331 all very good points. At any rate I like your dark-age history for Equestria.
I just thought Bloom's news letter would contain more propaganda about Earth Ponies being kept as slaves to the Unicorns or at the mercy of the weather wielding winged warrior race, demanding tribute as if they themselves were gods of Mount Olympus or something.
I think it's interesting that for all their faults, Suri Polomare and Filthy Rich are still the best parents and in-laws in this family Diamond and Spoony have created.
Filthy may have not physically been there for Diamond during her adolescent and adult life, but he supported her decision and gave Silver Spoon encouragement to be herself and love his daughter.
Suri Polomare INSTANTLY accepted Silver Spoon as her daughter in-law and even complimented her daughter for marrying such an elegant mare. I gotta say I like this Suri despite her twisted view on her rivalry with Rarity.
And I LOVE this Babsy!