1: The Proper Etiquette
Spoiled Rich closed the door behind her, still holding between her teeth the paper her daughter had given to her. Her hooves were trembling and she was taking quick breaths. She still wasn’t quite sure how to process that Diamond Tiara had made such a scene in front of all those ponies! Didn’t she remember anything she had taught to her? What would everypony else say when the word would get around?
It was only now when Spoiled Rich was inside her home that it actually occurred her to read the thing she had carried to her home all the way from the schoolyard.
It didn’t take more than a moment to read through the simple note. Her daughter was asking Filthy Rich to donate money for the new playground equipment. She had no doubt that her husband would immediately agree to the request. He loved their daughter just as much as she did, but he could never say no to anything Diamond Tiara asked for. And he never paid enough attention to acting like the rich pony he was.
Why did he even need to do his dealings with those apple farmers in person like some common pony, instead of sending an employee like anypony else would!?
She blinked and snapped her head up from the note when Randolph came to her, but before the old butler could say anything, she shoved the note to him and almost yelled,”Give this to my husband when he comes home, it is from Diamond Tiara!”
It was taking all her self-control to just keep her composure, so she shoved the Rich family servant to the side before he could even nod in response, and made her way to the large spiral staircase and from there to her room.
Once she was safely in her room and had locked the door, Spoiled Rich finally allowed herself to relax, now when there was nopony else to see her.
Or at least she tried to relax. But she just couldn’t. It was all so terrible.
So instead of laying down in an attempt to calm down, after a while she found herself pacing in a circle between her bed and the door to the balcony, trying to make sense of this horrible mess. How could her daughter do something like that? To embarrass their family so openly? What would the rest of the school board think?
Filthy Rich wouldn’t even notice the mocking stares or hear the gossip, he never did. He barely paid any attention to appearances. But she knew that just because he didn’t think that things like that were important, it didn’t change that everypony else did.
But no. No matter how much she thought of it, she couldn’t find any real fault in her daughter. Diamond Tiara was simply confused. Yes, that was it. Those blank flanks were a bad influence, along with the rest of that school filled with peasants.
When she had become the president of the school board, she had hoped she could make the place more refined. Her beautiful, smart daughter deserved only the best education bits could buy.
So why did they have to live in this backwater town where a simple baker could be counted as a noteworthy pony?!
Spoiled Rich sighed, turning to look at the photographs on the wall. It was a question she had asked her husband hundreds of times. But the answer was always the same.
Family business.
His family had created Ponyville, so that is where it would stay. Even though their business had grown out of the small town decades ago and any accountant could have handled the remaining obligations and day-to-day businesses, he insisted on staying here.
Even when they had first met in Canterlot University all those years ago, business of his family had been the only thing in Filthy Rich’s mind! His father had paid a small fortune to have his son be given the best education possible for handling the family business.
Spoiled Rich looked at the photograph of their old class, and despite of everything that had happened today, smiled. Even as an young stallion, Filthy Rich hadn’t acted like an heir to one of the richest families of Equestria that he was.
As embarrassing as it was to admit now, Spoiled Rich’s first words to her future husband had been scolding him about his lack of the proper behaviour for a stallion of his status. Back then she had thought he was just a dense country peasant.
Thinking back, she realized that the reason she hadn’t been able to bear looking at his silly antics any longer was because she knew how challenging it was to act like a high-class pony better than anypony else did.
After all, she hadn’t always been one.
The memory made Spoiled Rich shudder. She didn’t like thinking about those times. Filthy Rich’s family had barely even noticed the entry fees. To them they were trivial sums. Her family had barely been able to afford it.
She never talked about her own background in any social gathering of high-class ponies she and Filthy Rich went to.
It was only through marriage she had the right to be in them in the first place. Her husband had never cared about the fact that he was marrying the daughter of a simple jeweler, but that didn’t mean that she could simply forget it.
She turned away from the old photographs, trying to escape the memories of withering glances and thinly veiled insults. She hadn’t known how to act among all those ponies whose parents made as much bits in a month as hers did in a year. And even when she had already become the laughingstock of her class, she had taught herself how to act in the proper manner and had never allowed herself to slip ever since.
That was why she was trying her best to teach Diamond Tiara how to act in a proper manner! Maybe she had been just a bit too harsh at times, but mingling with common blank flanks was exactly the kind of thing that would make her the laughingstock of other high-class ponies!
Of course, the proper etiquette of Canterlot high society wasn’t exactly the kind of thing ponies of a small backwater town like this would or even could appreciate. But that was just the price to pay. When they would eventually move away from this town to Canterlot and Diamond Tiara would begin her own studies, she would thank her.
Yes, she would double her efforts from now on with her daughter. And the first thing to do would be to make sure that those blank flanks wouldn’t be anywhere close to Diamond Tiara. She was the president of the school board, she would be able to come up with something! Their kind would stay as far away from her daughter as possible until they were...
Suddenly Spoiled Rich rose her head and turned towards the balcony. There was some sort of ruckus going outside. It almost sounded like singing. She frowned at that but then glanced at the decorated and priceless antique clock on the wall and blinked in surprise. She hadn't even noticed how much time had already passed. It was already afternoon.
The sounds of the noisy crowd got closer and Spoiled Rich frowned again, walking to the balcony doors. Was that horrid party planner again up to something completely ridiculous? Honestly, she didn’t understand why Princess Twilight bothered to spend time with ponies who were so much below her station. No one had probably ever taught her proper etiquette either...
Spoiled Rich pushed the doors open and walked to the balcony, looking down at the street. At least thirty ponies were present, celebrating something. Even Diamond Tiara was there! And in middle of all that were...those blank flanks! Why would someone want to…
Her eyes grew wide and her mouth hang open, and for the second time during that day, Spoiled Rich’s expression was that of complete puzzlement and utter disbelief.
Haven't ever really liked somepony being written as a horrible, terrible person just because story needs them to be, so wrote this to justify at least a little bit why Spoiled Rich would act the way she does.
Also, English is not my first language, so pointing out grammar errors that I am sure are there will be appreciated. I just hope that this isn't complete gibberish, so I dare to start writing longer stories. 
Also LikedSimilarAuthor
- Arreis Of Avalon · 2.6k words · 1,205 21 · 16k views
- naturalbornderpy · 2.4k words · 754 15 · 6.8k views
- Possiblydominator · 67k words · 1,659 44 · 19k views
- LightningBass94 · 5.7k words · 302 3 · 5.5k views
- Bad_Seed_72 · 96k words · 724 15 · 9.7k views
- Metool Bard · 4.4k words · 437 9 · 7.5k views
- TheVulpineHero1 · 3.1k words · 241 4 · 3.2k views
Stats
Page generated in 0.062 seconds
Total duration
1,003 users online
1,399,982 hits today, 1,996,409 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.®
You said English isn't your first language?! Wow, this is great! I didn't see any mistakes. I really enjoyed it. Great job! ^^
I didn't notice that English wasn't your first language, you did a good job with grammer and spelling. I liked this stroy, it makes sense why she acts the way she does. Also, I am curious what she found out that made her so suprised. Overall, good stroy.
I feel that Spoiled Rich means well for the best for her daughter but like Starlight Glimmer though with less emphasis on removing cutie marks, she was just demanding and very controlling.
I like it. There's ALWAYS a reason someone acts the ways they do. I love reading stories about the root of the cause of them... And I love writing about the subject, too. Keep on typing your stories... When you get a break from throwing shruikens around, of course...
I like this story but I feel like it sort of just ended abruptly. Maybe you could have found away to end it better like say she saw the cutie marks or something.
6645049 Do you think a situation like would count for Discord, Sombra (we've seen it in the comics), and Chrysalis' case?
Oh and Post Ninja, I believe it was Spoiled Rich who blasted you with that one dislike.
6649598 Or maybe someone just dislikes her so much that even seeing her face causes immediate hatred. I think some people didn't like her at all when they first saw her in the episode.
And thank you for your comments, everyone! I do realize now that the ending should probably have been done a bit differently. When I wrote this right after the episode aired, it didn't occur to me that many of the people who would read this wouldn't actually have seen the episode itself. For them, the ending doesn't make much sense, since they don't know about the parade at the end of the episode.
Oh well, a lesson learned. Don't assume everyone have seen an episode of the show just because you watched it six times in a row.
Nice to give her a freakin' MOTIVE for unwittingly being an emotionally abusive parent.
And here we go..... Was only a matter of time until someone would write a fanfiction to victimize Spoiled Rich and sugarcoat her actions. *sigh*
It happened for Diamond Tiara and now it happens for Spoiled Rich again.....
The way Spoiled Rich acts can't be justfied by anything. Even if what you wrote here would be true for her, this wouldn't excuse to abuse Diamond Tiara like that by dictating her how she has to live, by turning her into a bullying monster with no empathy for her victims and by inflicting verbal and probably also physical abuse on her.
What you mean is that your story gives an explanation for why she acts that way, not a justification. Her actions can't be justified.
6649978
She is a villain. One of the worst sort even.
She is not supposed to be liked, like Diamond Tiara was not supposed to be liked before we found out that she was forced to act that way.
If you hate Spoiled Rich, you're doing it right, because you show that your sense of moral is exactly how it should be, by condemning the actions of a mother who abuses her daughter.
6696884
Please don't tell me you really believe that she is not aware of what she causes to Diamond and that she is an abusive mother by accident.
6701930
Just saying it's nice to see her be more than just taking over her daughter's role as hate sink.
6701959
I was actually referring to it that you called her a "unwittingly" abusive mother. Which means the same as "unintentional abuse".
I understand what you were trying to accomplish and this is well-written, but I still don't think this justifies her actions.
Sooo, really she wanted to not let her daughter get teased like she did but it ended up with DT being a bully!
Fairly interesting and somewhat believeable, the path to hell is paved with good intentions. But I think Spoiled crossed the line at some point from just being overconcerned to being emotionally abusive.
6701930
Way to be a judgemental prick.
7659500
What, please? Are you kidding me? She abused a filly, her own daughter, in order to make her successful so that she can feel good herself, for having such a successful, talented daughter and getting all the praise and compliments for her in which she can bask then at the expense of DIamond Tiara, and ruined a significant portion of her foalhood with that.
Not to mention the things she did when Diamond Tiara didn't succeed and didn't fulfill her expectations and demands.....
If you think I'm a prick for this, then you really need to get your priorities straight.
6701930
1. Antagonist and villain are not the same thing.
2. Of course we're not supposed to like her, but that doesn't mean we're not allowed to. And Diamond wasn't forced to do anything.
3. You actually judge people by their taste in fictional characters? Wow. Just wow. You do know that most people don't apply the same standards to fictional characters that they do to real people right? Besides, the only characters worth hating are unlikable ones that we're supposed to like.
7659518 I was referring to your bad attitude towards people who like a character that you don't.
7659539
1. Manipulating someone for your personal gain is something a villain would do. That's far beyond antagonistic.
2. Rewatch "Crusaders of the Lost Mark". Diamond Tiara clearly expressed that she wasn't actually okay with doing all these things and that she only did it because her mother forced her to do it.
3. You underestimate this and you don't understand how the human mind works. If someone has sympathies for a child abuser and cuts him or her slack, then they will have the same sympathies for a character in a TV show who abuses a child.
People always relate to characters in TV shows if they are either like them or similar to them or if they know someone who is like them and who they sympathize with. Or they don't relate to the characters and hate them if they met people like them that they hated too.
I hated Diamond Tiara for the things she did to Applebloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, because I was heavily bullied myself and know how it feels. I could suddenly relate to her after it turned out that she has an abusive mother who forced her to do all these things and began to feel for her and like her, because I had an abusive mother too. And I immediately started to hate Spoiled Rich, because of my own experiences with my abusive mother.
In that same way, our author here relates to Spoiled Rich and sympathizes with her.
So, in the best case, PostNinja knows an abusive mother/parent who plays the victim role for abusing his/her child.
In the worst case, he is on the path to become an abusive parent as well (or already one).
People see themselves or people they know in characters and that is how it depends on if they like these characters or not.
That's how it always was and always will be.
7659589 You can never know why somebody likes a character without them telling you. Liking a character is not the same thing as condoning their actions. By that logic, every single person who enjoys a villain in any way is a terrible person. You also apparently fail to grasp is that real life and fiction ARE NOT THE SAME THING. Fiction is an art form, and art is SUBJECTIVE. Nobody has any right to judge people for their taste in art. That includes you.
7659647
There is a difference between enjoying a villain, for bringing action or suspense into the show or for creating challenges for the characters by creating conflicts between them, and glorifying what a villain does.
In other words, saying "I like Spoiled Rich's role in the show because she is a good villain and has potential for further dramatic episodes" is perfectly okay, and nothing I criticize anywhere.
Saying "I like Spoiled Rich because she is a child abuser and I can relate to her" or saying "I like Spoiled Rich, she has reasons for what she does and can't be blamed for having had a hard life and therefore can't be blamed for her abuse of Diamond Tiara" isn't, and the latter of these two things is what PostNinja does here, he glorifies a character who is a child abuser and expresses in his fic that child abusers are just poor people with issues who can't help it to abuse their children.
This is wrong by every moral standard and if it isn't wrong for you, then you simply have no moral standard, because spreading stuff like this about child abusers with the purpose to portray them in a good light, even if it's just in a fictional story, is downplaying their actions and if you do that, you show themselves supporting of them.
>>> Trying to justify child abuse = Supportive of it, intentionally or not.
7659756 How do you know PostNinja isn't simply misusing the word "justification"? After all, English isn't his first language. And making a bad character multidimensional is NOT the same thing as condoning their actions. I shouldn't even have to say that.
7659756
7661393
Oh boy, I didn't see this one coming.
In short, the word "justification" was a mistake like Osakayumu said, I should had used "explain" instead. English isn't my native language, so I sometimes get the context of words wrong. It wasn't my intention to justify her actions, only to explain why she is the way she is. Doing bad things is bad no matter why you do them, but usually when people do bad things they have some sort of reason for it that makes sense to them at least if no one else.
That being said, I don't like people putting words in my mouth either. I haven't said anywhere that I relate to Spoiled Rich or that child abuse is okay, or even that I like her as a villain. Accusing someone of supporting child abuse because they wrote a story about a fictional cartoon pony in a show aimed for little girls strikes me just a tad silly anyway.
Just to make absolutely clear, I wrote this story because I found Spoiled Rich to be a boring, cliché stereotype. I think that villains who are evil just for the sake of being evil are boring, and they cheapen the struggle of the heroes against them. Good characters have motives and depth, this applies to both protagonists and antagonists.
7661682
.....
I take you word for it.
Child abuse is a serious topic one should be careful about and writing such stories can easily give a wrong impression, especially if you speak about justification like you did. I just go at that with the philosophy I go at everything:
Hope for the best, but expect the worst.
And for villains, it makes them unrealistic as f
k, because many bad people who do bad things just do it because they enjoy it to let others suffer.
At least as long as all villains are written with that assumption.
Motive is always nice to flesh out for a character, good exploratory writing.
Why has nobody done a Christmas Carol parody with Spoiled Rich yet? She's perfect for it.
Nice to see that there are some people willing to give her a more detailed background just like before with DT.
Hope to see more of these fics.
Thanks for sharing this post. Nice information we get. www.monkey.cool