Epilogue-Breaking the Cycle
Diamond wandered happily through the rows of apple trees. The air was sweet with the scent of the succulent fruit. All around her leafy, green branches swayed. Juicy, red apples hung from the trees, tempting her with the promise of their delightful taste dancing on her tongue. She licked her lips, which tasted like apples due to the lunch she had shared with her very special friend. Sunlight shimmered on the rough bark of the trees which enveloped her like the embrace of her lover. It was beautiful, all so beautiful. A poet she had once read wrote that love made all things beautiful. Diamond agreed.
She whistled as she continued to slowly trot, the tall grass tickling her bare hooves. The high branches shaded her from the fierce heat of the summer sun. She paused and sat down near the gnarled roots of a particularly ancient tree. Silvery lichen and emerald moss ran up the tree's trunk. Patches of moss held the soil together. Apple Bloom had explained to her how everything in nature served a purpose. Moss held the soil together. Fungi broke down dying plants. Lichen helped prevent erosion. Nature was a cycle, an endless circle of death and renewal.
A tree fell in the forest and became a nursery for new seeds. The seasons followed one another. New plants grew from rot and decay. One generation followed another. Foals became mares. At her age she could be called a mare. The pink-coated mare rose up and stretched. A yellow-coated, red-maned mare trotted into the grove, smiling at Diamond and giving her a nuzzle. Diamond returned it, brushing her lips over the other mare's lips. She tasted like sweat, having just completed her daily task. The taste was intoxicating.
Bloom gave her another kiss and drew apart. "You ready Diamond?"
Diamond sighed. "Do I have to?"
Bloom chuckled. "You don't have to do a darned thing you silly filly. We can go down to the swimmin' hole and spend the rest of the day there. But I got a feelin' you and her got some unresolved business."
"Yeah, we do."
"So, what's it going to be? Swimmin' hole or talkin' things through with your mama? Her shifts ending soon and she'll be out of here. She's only got one more month of community service. Time sure does fly doesn't it?"
Diamond nodded. "Yeah. It sure does."
Bloom leaned into her. "I'll be right here. Whatever you decide."
"Where will she be?"
"West orchard."
"Lead the way."
She followed her marefriend. She would follow her anywhere. They wandered through the seemingly endless rows of trees until they reached a clearing. In the distance a pink mare could be seen. Her mane and tail were still a vibrant shade of purple. If one liked older mares, she could be seen as attractive. Her muscles had become toned, particularly her back and legs. She wore an expression of great concentration on her face as she turned and slammed her back legs into the tree. A rain of red apples fell into the waiting basket. She moved onto another tree, bucking it as well.
Bloom rubbed Diamond's withers. "Go on. Your choice."
"I know you want me to do it."
Bloom shook her head. "It ain't about what I want, Diamond. It's about you always cryin' about her when you've had too much cider. It's gettin' on my nerves."
Diamond chuckled at the obvious good natured teasing.
Spoiled noticed the two, but said nothing.
"It's been five years since we last spoke. She had supervised visitation rights. Our relationship sort of went from freezing, Northern wasteland to just cool then back to freezing wasteland when I started dating you."
Bloom frowned. Diamond tickled her side, eliciting a squeal. "Don't you dare feel guilty about that."
Spoiled trotted over to them. Diamond felt her back stiffen. Spoiled addressed Apple Bloom. "Applebloom, I am done for the day. Good afternoon and I'll see you tomorrow."
"See ya tomorrow."
She began to walk away.
"Wait."
Spoiled stopped. "Yes, Diamond?"
"Mom, can we talk?"
Spoiled walked back and stood to face her daughter. "I was under the impression you didn't want to speak to me."
"Yeah, you probably got that from how I haven't said one word to you in five years."
"That is how I arrived at the conclusion, yes."
That condescending tone grated on her. Spoiled looked away. "What is it you wanted to say?"
"You know me and Bloom have been dating for a long time. I've discussed things with Dad. He approves and Granny Smith approves. We're getting married-"
"I know, Diamond. Your father still talks to me on occasion. It is a rather momentous event and he felt I should know." Her eyes moved from Bloom to Diamond. "If you're debating about inviting me to the ceremony, I assure you I will not act as my own mother did."
"Would you want to come?" Diamond asked.
"Of course. I wouldn't miss my daughter's wedding. Do you want my blessing?"
Diamond sighed. "It'd mean a lot to Bloom. She's a stickler for tradition."
"Blame my upbringing though we're gettin' married with or without it."
Spoiled nodded. "I can see how happy she makes you. You positively glow with the radiance of being in love. You might not believe me, but I do wish for your happiness. So yes, I give my blessing."
"Mom..."
"There's a condition."
Diamond's shoulder sagged. "Of course there is."
"Are you marrying Apple Bloom just to anger me?"
"No, of course I'm not!" She spat, placing her foreleg around Bloom and drawing her close. "I love Apple Bloom more than I've ever loved another Pony!"
"Good. I'm glad."
"There's more. Me and Apple Bloom plan on having foals. With Unicorn magic we can merge our DNA. One of us will bear the foal, we haven't decided who yet. Soon, I'm going to be a parent." She paused, drawing strength from her lover's presence and her own supply of confidence. "Look, Mom, you might not realize this. I don't think you can, but you were an awful mom."
"I know."
Diamond gaped. "You do?"
Spoiled looked her straight in the eye. "Yes, Diamond. I do know. My therapist helped me to realize just how many things were wrong with my way of thinking. I'm a narcissist. I can't help being that. Much of it is because of my own mother. You...you wouldn't believe how I was treated by her."
"No, I would."
"I was never that bad to you."
"No, you were."
"She was worse."
"I don't know if that's possible."
"It is, I assure you."
Diamond breathed. "We'll be arguing all day if we keep going. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I'm going to be a better mom than you were. I'm going to be a better mom than Grandma was."
Spoiled snorted. "You already are better than her."
"I know your mom abused you and you abused me. That ends here. It ends with me." She stomped her hoof. "This cycle has to end and I'll be the one to end it."
Spoiled closed her eyes. She smiled when she opened them. "I know you'll be the one. I want you to." She gulped. "You have to."
It surprised Diamond when she embraced Spoiled. It surprised her more when Spoiled returned the embrace. Apple Bloom trotted a respectful distance away. Mother and daughter only left the embrace after several minutes had passed.
Spoiled wiped away Diamond's tears before wiping away her own. "Good luck, Diamond."
"Thank you. I have to go now. I have a wedding to plan."
"Of course, my dear."
Together, leaning into each other, Diamond and Apple Bloom walked off into town.
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Cudos to Diamond for breaking the cycle of violence. And at least Spoiled has finally realized what a terrible pony she was all those years. Too little too late to heal a broken heart though, some wounds cannot be healed.
Closure.
so is this story fnished? because it still says incomplete.
I'm glad she learned the lesson. Now he can be a good pony and shows what is to be the two sides of the same coin.
and here i was hoping for more spoiled bashing..... bugger it.
would like a second epiloque where Spoiled meets their foal.
Sweet Apple Acres? Spoiled got sentenced to work at Sweet Apple Acres? Well, at least she was somewhere ponies could and would keep an eye on her. And she got the therapy she desperately needed. Break the cycle of abuse is NOT easy. I believe Diamond will be able to break it thanks to Apple Bloom.
Hopefully Diamond will be a great parent and relay on her new family for help.
7873857
Also the fact the Apple Family is probably one of the few who probably wouldn't try working her to death. With how people sometimes portray Carrot Top or some other Random Ponyville Farmer, she'd have likely been dead in less than a year from working with anyone but them.
With any luck Spoiled will move away from Ponyville and go back to her roots, since it seems we're keeping her. Farming, mining. She needs to remain humble and without escape from said humility in order to temper her urges and outbursts, with semi-regular therapist access. Otherwise she'll backslide, which is not pretty.
Glad Diamond's managed to cover up her scars. The damage Spoiled did to the poor girl will never, ever heal. But she can bury it under happy memories and new foundations of the better pony she's made herself. Filthy got her away from Spoiled at the perfect time.
Good job, Diamond. Wow that feels weird to say.
.... this was perfect.
Can't say I'm pleased about the "marriage" between two mares.
That said, I did like Spoiled being redeemed, or something like it.
7874098
Do you think the story could have done without the marriage?
How would you have done it?
I can see that the marriage was a little..cliche i guess, but Spoiled's 'redemption' was something that was going to happen when she first decided to question if she was anything like her mother was early on. And she was almost guaranteed to be redeemed when she actually decided to help one of Filthy's employees.
Either way a good story.
A satisfying end to an amazing story. Wondered what Filthy would be like after all of it, figure though he'd be more invested in spending time with Diamond and managing his business.
Anyway, this was a fantastic story.
A satisfying end to a grand story, and props to Diamond to breaking the cycle that her mother and grandmother started before her.
even if I'm not fond of TiaraBloom or however you want to call it, I believe this is the perfect ending to a story like this.
if Twilight can forgive a pony who tried to kill her, Tiara can forgive her mom. that doesn´t mean what she did wasn´t wrong, it just means Equestria is a land of love and forgiveness and it still took five years for it to happen, not just one song. And no talk about her mother being just as bad justifies it.
this is exactly how it was suppoused to end.
Ahhhhh. I love it when stories have such amazing closure.
I like the ending, if a bit anticlimactic. But that's just me, the person who'd rather a story end with a bang and a sequel rather than conclusions.
Good for Diamond Tiara, growing up to be a better pony than her mom. And good for Spoiled Rich, recognizing her failings and trying to be better.
Good story.
circulus, sed unde coepit
7873990 Actually, I think going back to her roots is the LAST thing she should do. Don't want Granny Dearest to undo the hard work. It might actually be better for her to stay in a small village/town like Ponyville.
7876225
No, no. I don't mean back to her mother. Just... to similar humble beginnings.
hope you don't mind, i placed this on my sad shelf. thanks for the story- was a good read :)
Justice, closure, and peace. Well done.
I liked this story. Good concept, good payoff, good closure. There are a few things I could nitpick but that doesn't change that this is a good story.
glad to see things have worked out. can't help wondering if spoiled has found she now prefers the farming life, what with how buff it's made her over five years
Yay, spoiled became a character that I can't hate anymore!
7875230 Which Pony tried to kill her?
That last chapter was okay.
7907184 Sunset Shimmer
Will there be a sequel with Obsidian Heart in it?
I'm really glad I finished this. Took me a while, but it was worth it.
I used to think the mark of a good fanfic was that there's no discerning it from something that would happen in the actual show. You both achieved that and broke away from it at the same time with this fic, and I admire that. The concept works in the show, but your execution was emotional and realistic, and it got really dark in some spots, sometimes really quickly. A bit jarring sometimes, but still a breath of fresh air from the show if I'm being honest. The topics you touched upon are so important and you handle them with dignity and finesse. I'm very impressed.
And I like the ending. Spoiled did get her proper due, but there was a chance for her to change, and you showed that really well. And adding to the "mother vs. daughter" aesthetic with Diamond being in a relationship with Apple Bloom was a nice touch.
Thanks for the fic, Bard. Have a fave.
Can you possibly hate either of them after all this?
Wow, Didn't expect this... Twas beautiful **Wall of Fame Time!**
Words cannot describe the feels, however numbers can.
7000000000/10
And yes, I did just ReDiscover this story.
7708424
The truth though is that it's often the one-note villains that are the most beloved. Examples include Malificient from sleeping beauty and Darth Vader in the very first Star Wars movie.
Another argument against this I've seen is in the Ace Attorney trilogy which has a 1 dimensional, a 2 dimensional and a 3 dimensional villain each one right after the other. Yet most love all 3 equally. The 1 dimensional one because he's the most intimidating and threatening. The 2 dimensional one because he's the most despicable and the most insufferable and the 3 dimensional one because she has the most depth and the most personal connection to the hero.
Nice fic! I enjoyed reading it!
A friend of mine recommended this fic to me and I'm glad he did. I started to ship DiamondBloom a few months ago, and I'm glad they became a thing in this story!
But I'm not keen with the idea that they're not only getting married at the age of 16, but also havning a foal right away
Great job writting this!
8932497
Unless I royally screwed up, both are 21. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
8932839 My apologies. Since it was mentioned that Diamond Tiara was 11 years old then the epilogue says it cuts to five years later, I got confused. Then I suppose I read wrong and the epilogue happen 10 years after the whole panking fiasco
I mentioned to a friend that I was looking for ideas for antagonistic parents for DT since I'm planning to write a DiamondBloom fic at one point, and he recommended me this story. I'm glad he did, because it inspired me even more. Again, thank you for writting this!
Diamond sassing the hell out of her mom, I love it, I live for it
9621229
That's what I meant by "harebrained scheme." Thank you for taking the time to explain that, never mind how long it took. :)
7874098
TBH, I was thinking of hooking her up with a male Pegasus OC, but a lesbian relationship with the local farmer just seemed something that would piss Spoiled off more and Diamond and Bloom have an interesting relationship in cannon that could be interpreted as suppressed feelings on Diamond's side.