Sticks and Stones

by CowgirlVK

Will break my bones

Diamond Tiara paced up and down the length of her large, luxurious bedroom. She had everything she could ever desire—everything. Money, fame, land, a future business, and every gizmo and gadget. If she wanted it, she had it. Well, almost everything.

The filly paused and looked out over Ponyville. From her perch in her room, very little of it couldn’t be seen from where she stood.

The town was so small, so welcoming, so... friendly. But to her, it was nothing but a bunch of strangers. She sighed as she turned back to and hopped upon her feather mattress with its satin sheets.

For Diamond, it was nothing but the finest. However, sometimes, she wondered if it really was worth it.

Her mother’s stinging words for not getting to represent Ponyville at the games stung. They really stung. Allowing the “blank flanks” to take that position instead of her.

She curled up, her ears still ringing from the tongue lashing her mother had given her. This way wasn’t right. She knew it wasn’t right. She glanced back at her own Cutie Mark. It wasn’t too hard to guess it, and when she thought of it, it wasn’t really all that out of the box. But neither was Twist’s, Snail's, Applejack’s, or most anypony else in Ponyville. It was like your mark adopted whatever your name was.

This wasn’t always true, but it was often enough that nopony questioned it. And as was the case, her Cutie Mark was just a simple, uncreative, purple crown. Well, it had round dots that were supposed to represent diamonds, but come on, she was somepony special! She—no. She wasn’t going there again. Her special talent was getting what she wanted, where she wanted, and when she wanted it. Most ponies would kill for such an ability. Just imagine where they could go with life!

Imagine where she could go—or could she? She glanced back. Was she original? Did she really ever do anything that wasn’t first planted into her fluffy, empty head by her mother?

Well, there was that event with the bunny suit—no. That wasn’t her, that was her father, and she wasn’t about to get in on that again. Jumping around like a furry, overgrown, long-eared mouse? Who did that! Obviously Granny Apple.

Diamond rolled over, staring at the ceiling. “It’s not fair!” she grumbled, “I don’t get it!” She suddenly felt like crying. But that would ruin her sheets and would make her mother yell. “Noble ponies don’t cry, they never need to.” She could hear her mother grinding that fact into her head like wheat into flour.

Wheat into flour! Now she knew she had spent too much time at Sugarcube Corner. Only Pinkie would say something that stupid. Or maybe... Shaking her head, she dismissed that thought.

Jumping up from the bed, she crossed the room to watch out the window once more. She had to laugh as she watched Scootaloo jump off a ramp only to get her head stuck in a cloud. Of course Rainbow was at her side in a moment to help her down.

Diamond snarled, “You think you are so good, Flightless? You can’t fly well enough to save your own skin from a CLOUD.”

Down the road further, she watched Sweetie singing. Suddenly, a crosswind flared up and blew her hair in all kinds of directions, and no matter how much Sweetie tried to keep her carefully styled mane in place, it just became worse.

Apple Bloom was almost just outside of Diamond’s eyesight, but Diamond had a set of binoculars. Apple Bloom zigged about in the middle of her fields with Applejack as the two played in a friendly competition of Apple Knock-out.

At least, that’s what Apple Bloom called it. It was a stupid game if you asked her. Apple Bloom normally went from her sweet yellow color to nearly black from the mud and juice, not to mention her own sweat. Dimond didn’t get it, and she didn’t want to get it. She wanted to blame those blank fanks for making her life so miserable. If they and their sisters weren’t hogging all the attention, then maybe her mom would let her off the hook. Then her life might be more than just a doll to be played with, or a pawn in a chess game.

In this regard, this is one place Silver Spoon understood her. She was from a great and noble family, and like Diamond Tiara, Silver often found herself being used for social status rather than a child to be loved. Not that she fully understood herself what was going on.

Once more she looked out over Ponyville, watching ponies go about their day-to-day lives, she herself unable to be a part of it. She was to gain status by not showing cracks, but by stomping down the littler ponies by not losing to blank flanks in sporting events. That should have been her. She should have done what it took to make sure she and Silver got that spot. They had to be known.

Instead, she got no position, no new dress, no dessert, and a tongue lashing from her mom that she wasn’t soon to forget.

Don’t lose, be first, achieve great things. Her eyes wandered back to Rainbow Dash. Why could she not be like her? Strong, athletic, graceful, the best Ponyville had to offer. Despite having two of the worst members on her team, she still was enough to make the mark. Dash had the attitude, but she also could back it up with something.

Could she, Diamond, back-

No. She didn’t care. She really didn’t care. It didn’t matter. She wanted to be first, and she always got what she wanted.

Sticks and stones could break some bones, but her mark could never hurt her. It was, after all, her destiny, and destiny never steered you wrong. Ever.

But in her heart, she didn’t feel it. She jumped back off her window seat and over to her bed. Lying down, she placed her tiara on the table and gazed up at the ceiling some more.

Down below she could hear something break. She sat upright for a moment, muffled voices travelling up the stairs.

“Listen Spoiled, darling, she’s a filly. She’s allowed to make mistakes.” It was her Father.

Diamond’s heart sank as she bit her lip. Not again. Oh, not again.

Something else, expensive no doubt, broke. “NO! She will be famous, she will be respected, and I will be the mother of a legend!”

A pawn, nothing but a pawn. That was all her mother wanted of her. Something she could use as bragging rights. Right now, she was a disgrace.

“Honey!” The sound of shattering glass quickly resounded throughout the house.

“Mom must be drunk again,” Diamond said, her eyes going to her collection of china dolls.

Then it was quiet. Diamond wondered how much damage there was this time. No matter though, Father could afford it.

Moments later, a soft knock sounded on her door. “Diamond?” It was her father. “Precious?”

“Go away. I’m busy.” It was a lie, but she didn’t want to deal with him at the moment.

“I need to talk with you.”

“You can’t get the pink dress? I guess I could go with the purple one,” Diamond redirected.

“Not about that,” Mr. Rich said, sighing deeply.

“Then you can come back later.”

Filthy Rich opened the door. “You heard what happened?”

The filly glared daggers into her father.

“Please don’t be angry with me too, Tiara,” he said, “But I heard what your mother said to you, and I think you need to talk about it.”

“ME!?” she exploded at him. “She’s right you know! I let blank flanks beat me. I should have done better, begged harder, wished for more... then maybe—”

“We will never be able to win every business transaction. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.”

“I don’t lose,” hissed Diamond. “Got that? I. Don’t. Lose.”

He crossed the room and sat down beside his daughter. “Really?” he asked.

“No,” she stated.

He sighed. “Please—”

“Leave me alone or give me some money. I need a shake,” Diamond hissed, “Now, Daddy!”

Filthy turned and left the room, but not before dropping a bit on her desk. “I love you Diamond,” he said.

Diamond Tiara watched as her father left the room. This wasn’t right, none of this felt right, but she was just a filly, and maybe in the real world, her mother was right.