The Fortune Cookie and Other Tales

by -TheStoryteller-

Be careful what you ask for

From the time she was very little, even too young to be in school, Diamond Tiara never lacked for toys. Being Filthy Rich’s daughter meant she had the best that bits could buy, and she soon learned all she had to do to get something was to ask for it.

One of the things she asked for was a beautiful porcelain pony doll she saw one day while out shopping with her father. Its mane was long and flowing, it had articulated joints that she could position any way she chose and it wore an intricate lavender dress. It was altogether lovely, and Diamond had to have it the moment she saw it.

“Daddy! That one! I want it!” she cried as she pointed it out.

Filthy Rich smiled down at his only daughter and walked over to the window. But even he gasped when he saw the price tag. “Honey…maybe not that one,” he hesitantly said. Then he tensed. This little filly had stolen his heart the moment she’d been born, and he’d vowed she’d always have the best of everything. So saying ‘no’, even hinting at such an answer, caused him pain. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew such behavior was possibly ruining her by making her unbearably spoiled, but he knew all she had to do was pout and he would melt. Such was the case here.

“Daddy, please!” She looked up at him with her puppy-dog eyes, and that was all it took.

“Alright, my sweet filly.”

“Yay!” she cried as she flew into the shop, with her father following.

He walked up to the counter where sat an older stallion with pince-nez glasses perched on the end of his nose. “Good morning, sir. My daughter would like the pony doll you have in the window.”

The proprietor looked up and smiled. “I see you have a discerning eye, Mr. Rich. That doll is a classic, well worth the price.” He smiled again.

Something about the older stallion’s smile seemed off to him, but he shrugged and paid him the huge amount of bits, as his daughter grabbed the doll and hugged it tightly. Filthy shook off his misgivings as he watched his filly light up with joy.

The doll was her constant companion. As she was still too young for school, she had all day to play with it. Filthy and his wife Spoiled watched their daughter carry it everywhere, rarely ever putting it down, even at mealtimes. Though her room was filled with toys, she didn’t seem to be playing with any of the others.

At first, the parents just smiled and thought she’d soon tire of the doll, and go back to her other playthings. But weeks went by, and she showed no signs of interest in anything else. Then they began to worry.

One morning, Diamond came to breakfast with dark circles under her eyes. Her parents looked at each other with concern as they watched her. Was…was that doll somehow brighter? Filthy stared at it. Its mane seemed to be more vibrant…and its…smile? Was it showing teeth before? He couldn’t recall. He’d have to see for himself.

“Sweetie, can I see your doll?”

“No!” she screamed. “She’s mine!”

“Honey, I just want to look at her.”

Diamond jumped to her hooves. “No!” she screamed again, then ran out of the room.

“Let her alone, husband. She’ll soon get tired of it.”

Filthy stared after his daughter. “Something’s not right.”

Spoiled went back to her breakfast. “I’m sure she’ll be fine. It’s just a phase.”

But Filthy still frowned.

Later that day, there was a knock on the door. The butler answered it, and there stood Silver Spoon, Diamond’s friend.

Silver looked up at the tall stallion. “Is Diamond home?”

He nodded. “Yes, Miss. Right this way.” He soon led her to his young charge’s room, then he knocked. “Miss Tiara? A Miss Spoon is here to see you.”

“Go away!” she cried from behind the closed door.

Silver’s mouth opened in shock. “Diamond? Are you alright?” she asked.

“I said, ‘go away’!”

Silver exchanged a look with the butler, then frowned and pushed her way in. What she saw made her gasp.

Diamond was in the middle of the room, holding a doll. Her mane, always perfect, now looked somewhat disheveled. Her eyes were sunken and her voice seemed odd as she spoke to the doll.

Silver came hesitantly into the room. “Diamond?”

Diamond looked up and saw her. “Oh. Silver Spoon. It’s you. I thought it was my daddy trying to take my doll away from me.”

She came forward and looked at the doll. Its eyes seemed to have a life of their own as she stared at it. “Where did you get that?” she asked.

Diamond held the doll up for her to see. “Isn’t she wonderful?!? My daddy bought her for me a few weeks ago!”

As Silver continued staring at it, she thought she saw the doll’s head turn in her direction and stare back. Silver felt her entire body go numb as she backed away. “Diamond…there’s something wrong with that toy,” she managed to whisper.

Diamond hugged the doll and said, “There’s nothing wrong with her! She’s perfect!” She got up and began to approach her. “Here, have a look.”

But Silver backed up even further. “N…no. Keep that thing away from me!”

But still Diamond came nearer. “What’s wrong? I’ll even let you hold her, but just for a minute.”

“No!” she screamed, then turned and ran out of the room. She didn’t stop until she was out the door and running back to her home.

Later that night, Filthy went into his daughter’s room, long after she’d fallen asleep. As he expected, she was clutching the doll. He got an uneasy feeling as he looked at it, one that had been growing inside him for some time. He came forward, and gently took it from her hooves. She stirred, groaned in her sleep, but did not awake. He breathed a sigh of relief then looked down at the doll. It looked innocent, just an ordinary toy, but suddenly he got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach as he held it. Making up his mind, he quietly left with it.

Calling his butler, he said, “Take this out somewhere and get rid of it.”

“Sir?”

“You heard me. I want it out of this house. Come and tell me after it’s done.”

“Yes, Sir.” Filthy Rich then went to his study.

After about an hour, there was a knock on his door. “Come in.”

The butler entered, looking a bit frazzled. “It’s taken care of, Sir.”

“Very good.” Then he stared closely at his butler. “Is something wrong?”

He shook his head. “N…no Sir, not really.”

Filthy sat up and gave him his full attention. “Out with it.”

The butler seemed nervous. He’d had to do some questionable things for the Rich family in all his years of service, but he was normally unflappable. This time, however, was different. “You will think me mad, Sir.”

A feeling of dread came over Filthy. “Tell me.”

The butler stared down at his hooves, then pulled up his tattered sleeve, exposing a wound.

“The doll, Sir. It…it bit me...”

Comments

[-TheStoryteller-]

8191095
Thank you so much!

[DraconequusInLove]

oh, wow. this leaves so many good questions, I love it!