Diamonds in the Apple Tree

by Bionic Star

Chapter 3: The First Morning

Author's Note:

Apologies for taking so long to write this chapter, writer's block and life set in and stunted the ability to write this! Hope you enjoy!

Diamond Tiara didn’t leave the room that entire night; or even the bed for that matter. She just laid down, face planted firmly into the pillow and lost in her own self pity. Once or twice, Applejack tried to get the filly to talk but she was just met with a grunt. Eventually, Diamond ended up falling asleep in the bed.

In her sleep, Diamond had a dream of what her life used to be: easy and luxurious. She was at a party similar to the ones her father would often host for his clients. She was dressed in an elegantly complex dress and had her mane done up in an almost impractical manor in order to make herself stand out. She stood at the height of wealthy frilly filly fashion.

All around her, rich and important looking adults stood idly conversing with one another. Some told jokes and laughed while others snacked on small expensive treats. Diamond went largely unnoticed at the event like usual, save for a couple ponies stopping to complement her on how beautiful she looked this evening. Though. this didn’t bother her too much, as most of the conversations that these ponies were having were about subjects she was largely unfamiliar with and she didn’t want to risk embarrassing herself. Feeling thirsty, Diamond weaved her way through the crowd of ponies and towards the refreshment table so she could fix herself a glass of punch.

The refreshment table stood more or less in the center of the room. Atop the table sat plates of mini sandwiches with toothpicks through the center, a plate that contained a bowl of imported salad dressing surrounded by a plethora of vegetables, an already cut cake, several bottles of alcoholic beverages, and the fancy bowl that contained the fruit punch. A long, red table cloth separated all of these foods and beverages from the table beneath as to prevent anything spilt from possibly staining it. Diamond approached the edge of the table, grabbed herself a glass, and went to fill it with punch.

Unfortunately for the small filly, the table was so tall that the bowl stood just out of her reach. To combat this problem, she brought a chair over to the table and stood atop it. What she didn’t know however was that she had chosen to stand atop a chair that had a leg slightly shorter than the other three, due to a factory error. So, as she leaned forward to grab the ladle, the chair leaned forwards a bit as well, causing Diamond to lose her balance and fall forward.

She let out a small yelp as she grabbed the front of the table in order to stop her fall. This only resulted in her bringing the table down with her. All of the foods on the table flew forwards and onto the heads of the numerous party guests. The bowl of punch that Diamond had been trying to get a drink from fell directly onto her, drenching both her hair and the expensive dress she wore in the red liquid.

Everything went silent for a second. Every single pony in the room turned their eyes towards Diamond with disappointed and disgusted looks on their faces. They moved aside, forming a clear path that lead towards one pony: Diamond’s father, Filthy Rich. Only his face wasn’t disappointed like the other party guests’, his was angry.

Filthy stomped through the isle of ponies, growling louder and louder with each step. It felt as though his hooves were shaking the very foundation of the house. Diamond tried to get up and run away, but the table was overturned behind her and ponies blocked her on all sides. She could only sit where she was and timidly look up to her father, who had finished his trek towards her at this point. With an expression that seemed like it was made of pure anger, Filthy Rich raised his hoof in a manor that Diamond was all too familiar with…

Diamond jolted upwards in her bed with a start, panting just as heavily as she was sweating. Instinctively, she clapped her hooves together in order to turn on the lights. But when she was met with no light she remember the reality of the situation that she was currently in.

She sighed and huffed, sitting herself up in the bed and pushing the sheets off of her. Her neck felt sore from not having her form-fitting pillow behind it. She didn’t feel the slightest bit rested; if anything, she was more tired now than when she had gone to bed.

Holding in a curse, she grumbled as she turned to the small bedstand, picking up her tiara and trying to place it on her head. Normally, a servant did so for her. However, without the help, she fumbled trying to place it on her head with just her teeth. When that failed, she tried to grip it with her hoof. Despite that, after dropping it several times, she stomped her hoof and looked in the mirror, sighing.

Her mane was matted from sweat and presumably tossing in the bed all night. She gave a low moan and walked up to the glass, rubbing her eyes and staring at the filly in the mirror.

There was a reason she wore the tiara every single day, and now it was clear. There was a circular shaped scar on the top of her head, stark red against her pale skin. That night was permanently engraved into her memory: her father had come home, drunk from what she guessed was some sort of fancy party. He’d taken a glass and slammed it on the floor, breaking it. He picked up the largest shard and proceeded to…

She shook her head, not wanting to relive the memory. She whimpered and brushed her mane over the mark. It wasn’t completely covered up, but one would have to look close to actually see it.

Sighing, the filly gently picked up the tiara and put it back on the nightstand. She trotted over to the closet and looked through it, only to see that her suitcases were still packed and stacked up in the corner of the room.

She muttered. “Couldn’t have even unpacked my things...?” She trotted over to them and found the light green suitcase, slowly laying it on the bed.

Hitting the button, the suitcase sprung open to reveal one single item: a green scarf. The scarf was hoof-stitched, all the fabrics personally woven into it. Upon the end was a small note, which had also been sown into it:

For My Filly, Diamond Tiara

The scarf was all she had left of her mother. Apparently her mother had made this for her a few months before she was born. When she’d passed on, her father had given it to her as a sole airlom of her lost parent.

Bending down, she gave a small sniffle and pressed her nose to it. If she concentrated hard enough, she could smell a hint of lilac and vanila. Her mother had always loved the keep the house smelling perfect from she was told.

Diamond let out a tiny whimper and then gently folded it up, laying it inside the drawer of the nightstand. She took the padlock she’d packed with it and locked the drawer shut, hiding the key within the suitcase so that nopony would wash it. She couldn’t risk losing her mother’s scent.

Sad thoughts and self pity were cut short by the loud sound of Diamond’s stomach rumbling. Quickly, she was reminded of one very important fact: she hadn’t eaten in at least two days.

She gave a sigh and quickly pulled on a small dress which she usually wore for breakfast. She didn’t want to appear helpless at breakfast time after all. She trotted up wordlessly to the door and hesitantly knocked on it.

When she heard no pony, she opened it up and slowly walked out into the long hall. Instantly, the smell of pancakes and soy bacon hit her nostrils. Even a high class filly such as herself couldn’t resist the sweet aroma of those delicious breakfast treats.

Slowly, Diamond made her way down the stairs and into the main living room. While she found no one, the sounds coming from the kitchen were definitely signs of their location. She steeled herself and quickly trotted into the kitchen.

Inside, Apple Bloom, Big Mac and Granny were sitting at the table, laughing about farm jokes. Applejack was flipping pancakes over the stove, frying the batter with impeccable skill. As she watched, Applejack flipped them into the air, spinning them around and catching them perfectly right back on the center of the pan.

“Mornin’!” Granny called. “You sure slept late today!”

Diamond looked around, confused, “What… time is it?”

“Almost eleven.” Apple Bloom said, a little forced, “We waited until you would get up.”

Diamond gave a harsh glare at her, yet Granny simply chuckled, “It ain’t you little filly. Apple Bloom here just gets a little angsty when she don’t get her breakfast on time!”

“Do not!” She turned even as Big Mac started to crack a smile.

Diamond saw two empty chairs, one next to Big Mac and the other next to Apple Bloom. She quickly sat in the one next to Big Mac, casting a quick glare at the yellow filly. Apple Bloom let out a little growl.

“Why, when she was little, Apple Bloom would always bang her little stool whenever she was hungry!” Granny began to chortle, “I remember this one time she got so upset she hit a plate with hashbrowns on it! It went soarin’ through and air and landed right on Big Mac’s face! And she said ‘I want mah food now!’”

Apple Bloom’s cheeks burned as the table erupted in laughter. Diamond cracked a smile at her, her eyes narrowing as she stored that story for later.

Applejack was still flipping the pancakes and finally moved over to the soy bacon, which she repeated the same process of flipping. The tantalizing aroma hit her nostrils and the filly let out a slightly impatient snort, “When is she going to be done?”

“In a minute or two!” Applejack said, muffled slightly by the pot in her mouth. She laid the pot down and wiped the sweat off her brow before turning to Granny, “Got the syrup?”

“You bet!” She smirked.

“Butter?”

“‘Yep!”

“Orange juice? Milk?”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac said pointedly.

Applejack took the hint and quickly set her sights back on the food before it burned. Apple Bloom looked at Diamond and leaned back, “Ya want milk or OJ?”

“Hmm… I guess milk will do.” She wanted to see how many buttons she could push on Apple Bloom before she snapped.

“Milk it is then.” She reached over and gripped the handle with her hoof, holding it over the glass. However, one of her hooves was on the tablecloth, which slipped when she put her weight on it. She fell forward, giving a little cry before she spilled the milk over the cloth.

“Hey!” Diamond hissed, jumping back from the splash, “Watch what you’re doing, blank-flank!”

The entire room went silent as Granny turned to look at her. Applejack turned and gave her a disapproving look, whilst Big Mac said very slowly, “Nope.”

“Young filly,” Granny looked right into her eyes, “I may not be your mother, and I won’t be. Yet in this house, you won’t be insulting anypony! If you insult her again then we’re gonna have some serious issues!”

Diamond turned to look at Granny, and then she froze. The look she received reminded her of another look. A look she never wanted to see again.

“I-I’m sorry daddy!” She pushed the chair out of the way and ran into the living room, diving behind the couch and curling up behind it. She trembled softly and covered her head with her hooves.

The family was stunned, Granny the most so. Applejack put the pot down, yet Granny stopped her, “Make her a plate, yungin. I’ll handle this one.”

“Granny I may know a little about what she’s going through….” Applejack countered, only for Granny to turn and give her a similar stare. Even the hardened cowpony had to shiver and move aside to let her pass.

Granny left the room, trotting over to the couch and knocking on the wooden part on the back. “Knock, knock!”

“What’s my punishment?” The petrified filly choked out, shivering harder. “Please just… just don’t use the pot please!”

“Yungin!” Granny walked behind the couch and sat down, gently stroking the filly’s mane, “I wouldn’t dream of hurtin’ you in this house.”

“Don’t lie to me!” She cried out, pulling far away from the old mare’s hoof.

Granny sighed and she looked down at her form. A stab of pity went through her as she realized that this filly had more scars than the one she’d spotted on her forehead. She thought carefully and then slowly spoke.

“Imma makin’ you an apple family promise that I won’t ever hurt ya. It’s like a pinkie promise, though we won’t go chasin’ you on a cart in the middle of the desert.” She awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck.

Diamond lifted her head up and she rubbed her eyes, “Are you… are you lying to me?”

Granny chuckled, “If I was, I’d already have broken it.” She gently reached out her scrawny hoof, “Let’s get some food in us, okay?”

Diamond looked at the hoof and slowly took it, almost letting out a tiny cry before she let herself get hauled to her hooves.

“That’s it youngin’!” Granny smiled and helped Diamond back into the room. The filly sat in her chair, head downcast and not sure what to say to the ponies that were around her.

Surprisingly, she didn’t have to. Applejack and Big Mac were talking about something having to do with Twilight mixing up a spell about bats, while Apple Bloom had her nose in a book that she was conveniently hiding under the table.

Everything seemed to peaceful. Granny happily began to cut up her soy bacon and eat it piece by piece. Applejack would nudge Big Mac just to mess with him, who would retaliate by pushing her back. Even Apple Bloom, who she expected to look up and make a chastising remark, only looked at her before going back to munching on a pancake and reading the book.

To Diamond, this was something completely new. Something that she’d never seen, much less dreamed of. To her, breakfast was always taken up to her room and she ate it there, afraid to face her father in the mornings. There was no nudging, no laughing, nor talking. There was only her and her food, which, even though it was imported from wherever, looked bland compared to this simple feast.

Yet her pride shone through as she realized that, if she acted like she was enjoying this, she would give them more reason to think she was weak. She adjusted her rump so she sat up straight and gripped the fork in her hoof, awkwardly cutting the pancakes.

“So, Diamond?” Applejack spoke up, smiling a little to her, “What’cha think of the farm so far?”

The filly muttered, “It’s stinky, gross and too big… but I guess it’s alright.”

Granny chuckled, “That’s the spirit! We’ll have ya’ farming apples in no time!”

This earned Granny a scowl from Diamond, whose face looked adorable as she tried to pull off a death stare. Granny was sent, once more, into hysterics, laughing at her failed attempt to impose fear upon the Apples.

“Ya’ really should work on that face Diamond,” Apple Bloom muttered, “Ya’ look like a pig that accidently drank some old cider.”

The pink filly whipped around to face Apple Bloom, opening her mouth to fire back a witty retort. Before she could, Big Mac’s deep voice again rumbled, “Eenope.”

“Why don’t you two go on and help get Diamond’s things unpacked?” Applejack suggested, “That way ya’ can get settled in a bit better.”

Diamond’s face turned into a frown. Apple Bloom sighed and put a small bookmark in her book, holding it to her side and muttering, “Fine.”

The two began to walk out of the kitchen together. As they did so, Diamond couldn't resist the opportunity and bumped Apple Bloom, causing her to hit the wall. The yellow filly only grunted, but dropped her book so it laid cover up.

As the two disappeared, Big Mac stood up to go and do his chores. He adjusted the harness around his neck and walked over to the very same exit that the two fillies had. As he did so, his eyes landed on the cover of the book.

His eyes widened and he looked around, a small bead of sweat forming. He quickly kicked it so it slid underneath the couch, He hastily began to trot away, wondering how it was that his little sister had managed to get her hooves on such a book.
~

The two made their way up the stairs, Apple Bloom careful to stay one step behind Diamond to avoid her tricks.

Diamond walked up to the door to her room and opened it up, holding it open in mock respect for her new ‘sister’, “After you, Apple Lame.”

Apple Bloom muttered something about the weather and walked inside. Diamond stepped in after her and closed the door so that it hit Apple Bloom and sent her into the center of the room. The yellow filly pulled herself up and whipped around, “Hey!”

Diamond shrugged and walked over to her suitcases, “Come on, we have some things to unpack. And don’t even think about trying any of them on, they’re probably more expensive than all your dresses combined.”

“Shut up.” Apple Bloom pulled a suitcase down and opened it, pulling out a white frilly dress. She pulled a hanger down and slid it into the sleeves, hanging it up like she would her bows.

“No no, you’re not doing it right!” Diamond pushed her aside and adjusted the dress, “You’re going to leave a crease in it if you hang it like that!”

The patience of the blank-flanked filly was beginning to deteriorate. She growled through clenched teeth, “Well then why don’t ya’ show me how ta’ hang them?”

Diamond looked up and she nodded, “I guess you would need to know, having never handled anything this expensive before.”

“I said shut up.” Apple Bloom muttered a little louder, pulling out yet another dress from the suitcase.

“If I do, then you’ll ruin everything that I took so many hours to-”

“SHUT UP!” Apple Bloom flung the dress at Diamond, causing the pink filly to trip when it landed on her face. When she removed it, she saw a very angry and very different Apple Bloom than the one she would tease of the playground.

“Listen here Tiara!” Apple Bloom fumed, “If we gotta live in the same house, then ya’ outta’ treat me like I’m a pony! Ah don’t care that yer an abused filly, but ya’ outta’ show some respect to us fer agreeing to take ya’ in! If it weren’t for us, you’d be in the middle of an orphanage right now! So show some respect!”

With that, the yellow filly trotted over to the door, left and slammed it. Diamond was left, stunned, in the middle of the room.

Her mouth was agape for several seconds before reality kicked in. She shook herself and muttered, “Gah, nevermind her.” She picked up the dress and dusted it off, laying it on the bed.

If it weren’t for us, you’d be in the middle of an orphanage right now!

The once rich filly began to think, realizing now that she was lucky to even be here. She could be in the middle of some relocation center and get sent off to Equestria knows where. As she realized how much Apple Bloom was right, the more angry she became for her situation.

As she stared out the window, she saw that the sun had just started to peak. She sighed and rested her head on her hooves, looking out the expanse of the apple trees and wondering where the future might take her.

“Wonder why I didn’t have to go to sch-” Her eye widened as a terrible realization sunk in.

How was she supposed to go to school tomorrow?

Comments

[Ellington]

Applebloom goes to school too Diamond. I think you'll make it.

[FoolRegnant]

her as a sole airlom of her lost parent.

The word is heirloom.

[Frankie2]

Diamond Tiara is used to the 'finer' things in life. Unfortunately, she was also used to her father laying a serious smackdown on her whenever. She is also used to hiding and dealing with her true emotions by making others as miserable as she is. There a lot of adjusting that has to be made.

[Fire Seeker12]

Well a lot of stuff is going to hit the fan tomorrow at school.

[Wiimeiser]

Hope to see the secret of the scar get let out of the bag at some point. I wonder how the other crusaders and Silver Spoon will react...

[Bookshelf-]

Why can't she just be homeless

[josue]

6375857 yet lol it might be to late