Hard As Diamond

by jmj

Epilogue

Diamond stood at the door to her father’s office, one hand laying on the styled, overly-embellished knob. She had been released from Canterlot Community Hospital after an overnight stay for observation two days ago and had spent much of the time between recovering alone in her room.

She had received multiple notifications from her social media accounts but hadn’t worked up enough motivation to look at them. Her friends, the few she had, gym partners, and coach knew that Diamond spent time after each fight reflecting and allowing her body to repair from the damage it had taken. This time was different, she was dealing with her first loss.

In truth, the loss didn’t phase her. She had gained so much from it, had faced more than Farnese Hera in the octagon and had come out victorious in all matters important. Not that her first title defense wasn’t important, but the belt would come again. Already there were offers on the table to fight for the interim title in six months. Hera’s nose needed time to recalcify and she was under a nine month medical suspension. She wouldn’t be able to fight for almost a year if everything went perfectly and promoters couldn’t wait that long for a title bout.

The interim belt, if Diamond won it, would lead to the unification fight and the trilogy with Hera. That’s what sold seats, what built legends, and Diamond would be ready for that fight.

She watched her hand rest on the long handled knob and reaffirmed her will.

One way or another, she wouldn’t be distracted by her father ever again.

Diamond swung the rich, ornate door open and stepped into the dim light of the office. Tobacco smoke filled her lungs and the sickly sweet scent nearly made her choke. Across the room, in front of the windowed wall, sat Filthy Rich, head cocked to one side and pinning the deskphone between his ear and shoulder. He didn’t even look up as Diamond entered.

“Yeah, yeah… made a bundle on liquidating those assets we bought from Ramhorn’s company. We also have a buyer interested in the name. Despite being completely inept, he made fine products and we could license or sell the brand name.” Filthy was deep in conversation with some croney.

The dim office was rendered nearly black behind the designer shades Diamond wore. She folded her arms and struck an irritated stance. Filthy finally looked up from his conversation, waved her away, and rotated in his expensive leather chair, turning his back to her and looking out of the window wall to continue the phone call, dismissing her.

“Well, if we license the name, we’ll get a considerable yearly amount and, provided they build on the name, we could elevate the fees each year as we see fit.”

Diamond had had enough and strode across the room, grabbing the phone cord from the wall, Filthy always had been fixed to the old world and preferred to do business over a landline. With a quick tug, the phone went dead and Diamond let the cord dangle in her hand as Filthy spun about.

“Diamond! What is your problem? Do you have any idea how important that call…,” Filthy began, rising from his chair angrily.

“Shut up, Dad!” Diamond barked and leaned over the desk, one accusing finger striking like a whip towards the older man who, perplexed by the behavior, fell back into his seat. “I’m finished letting you hurt me! Do you understand?”

Filthy looked as if he were in a stupor. “Hurt you? Hurt YOU? After everything you’ve done in your life to make me look like a fool, you dare have the guile to come into my office and accuse me of hurting you?”

“Yes! You’ve never once been there for me! You’ve never supported me in what I want to do! All I’ve heard my entire life is how ‘girls shouldn’t’ or ‘girls can’t’. This isn’t the 16th century, Dad. I can do whatever a man can and I can do it better because I’m smart, I’m stubborn, and I’m determined!” Diamond’s pent-up aggression lashed out violently, each word sizzled and burned like a match head, a moment of intense heat broiling a hole in the space between them.

“You couldn’t win your last fight. As stupid as it is for you to get in a cage and fight, you can’t even win without my help. What did you get for it? Take off those ridiculous sunglasses,” Filthy pointed his words and worked them into her guts.

Diamond slowly pulled the glasses from her face, revealing the stretching blue and purple bruises that ran beneath both eyes. Her left orbital had been cleaned up in the hospital and the tiny fragments of broken bone removed. The eye was still shut, swollen closed. It looked gruesome. Diamond averted her eyes as she removed the glasses but brought her one working eye to meet her father’s gaze. She was momentarily silenced, felt naked and exposed without the dark mirrors hiding her.

“But, I should thank you. I won quite a bit of cash betting against you. I knew your hard head would keep you from getting knocked out. So, I guess you were good for something after all.” Filthy rubbed glass and salt into her injuries with his devilish tongue but Diamond held her temper and refused to let her emotions eschew her from the room. This would be a knock down drag out; one she refused to lose.

“Classy, Dad. Betting against your own daughter? But, you’ve never been much of a father, have you?” she retaliated.

“I gave you life, put you through school, gave you the finest clothes and anything else you could have wanted. I don’t remember you ever going hungry at night like the children of so many other ‘loving’ parents. Isn’t that what a father is supposed to do?” Filthy refused to back down, menacing her like she was a child.

“You never loved me, Dad,” Diamond stated bluntly. “I didn’t need the fancy clothes, the elitist programs you made me take, or anything else money was used to replace what I needed. All I’ve ever wanted was for you to tell me, ‘I love you, Diamond.’ That was all I have ever wanted or needed. Not tickets to shows, jewelry, or automatic reservations in snobby restaurants! Love’s free, Dad. It wouldn’t cost you a thing!”

Filthy shrunk in his chair, eyes glancing away. Diamond had hurt him, she’d seen the body language of a shook and rocked rival in the cage enough to recognize it. She pressed him as she would an injured opponent.

“Why, Dad? Tell me why! Because I’m a girl? If I was your son, would you have cared about me? Asked me about my day? Told me how proud you were of my accomplishments?” A tear slipped from her good eye. She had dreamed of this moment, of confronting her father and how good it would feel. It didn’t feel good. It hurt. She suppressed the emotions churning in her belly and leaned forward, demanding an answer.

“Diamond, you… you’re being very unlady-like,” Filthy was dodging the question.

“I’m not a lady! I’m just me: Diamond Tiara! Your only offspring! I am who I am, now answer me!” Diamond pinned him, mounted him with her will and prepared to land vicious, hateful blows.

“Yes, okay? I wanted a son, I got a daughter in some kind of grand cosmic joke! I… I don’t know anything about girls, Diamond. I was afraid of you. Afraid I’d screw you up if … if I tried to raise you the way I would raise a son,” the old man answered sheepishly. He looked small, afraid.

“What?” Diamond couldn’t process the answer. It just turned into anger and she bit it back. “All you had to do was … was show me attention and affection, Dad. Tell me I was worth something!”

Filthy frowned and looked sadly up at her, “Of course you are worth something, Diamond. You’re my girl.” Filthy’s eyes were hollow, looking inward.

“Of course that’s what you would say. It always comes back to you, doesn’t it? The whole world revolves around Filthy Rich,” she snapped.

“Not like that. Not that you are MY girl, because you’re my girl, you’re a part of me. You’re … Diamond, I’m not good with things like this. I don’t…,” Filthy’s head drooped to the mahogany desk and he paused, choosing his words.

“You think I don’t love you, Diamond Tiara?” He asked bluntly, a direct question that made Diamond scoff.

“Between telling me I’m nothing but a toy for a man, that I can’t do the same things a man can do, and ignoring me for my whole life, what other answer is there?” She replied tartly.

“Diamond…,” he turned a deep shade of red and found it difficult to meet her eyes. “I love you more than anything in my whole life.”

“You liar! Money is all you care about. You never had time for me, never wanted me around you.” She shifted, the words she longed to hear were acidic to her now.

Filthy nodded to himself and opened a desk drawer to retrieve a bottle of high end whiskey. He let it thump loudly against the polished, lacquered wood. He motioned for her to sit and laughed to himself when she remained standing, her face screwed up into a visage of indigo rage. Taking a pair of glasses from the desk, he poured each half full and offered Diamond one of them. When she didn’t accept, he quickly drank both of them in a liquid, smooth motion.

He then stood and walked to one of the giant bookshelves that lined his office to retrieve a worn album. The leather bound book was old and faded, the binding loose from use. It was the antithesis of everything neat and expensive in Filthy’s office. Bringing it to his desk and laying it down in front of Diamond, he stated, “Look in that, Diamond.”

As confused as curious, Diamond opened the ancient album. The cover felt flimsy to her touch as she flipped it open. Inside were a series of photographs. Filthy as a young boy with a much older man Diamond had never seen but could identify the likeness of features to her own and her father’s; it must have been her grandfather. Having never met the man, she had to ask,” Is this my grandfather and you?”

Filthy nodded, filling one of the glasses nearly to the brim. “You can skip ahead. That surly old bastard would rather punch you in the eye than look at you. There’s a reason you’ve never met him, Diamond.”

Diamond flipped the pages, there were very few of her father when he was a boy, and rapidly they were consumed by images of her. There must have been ten pages of her as a baby, another ten of her at recitals, birthdays, dance lessons, growing up to become a woman over the multitude of pages. She could see her whole life in them, the corners of each page damaged from wear and overuse.

Images of her graduating college, of her in the gym, training, and during fights. She could see stills of every opponent she had ever faced and much of the ire in her receded. She didn’t know what this was or how to react. She looked questioningly to her father and saw he was fingering the empty glass of whiskey. The potent alcohol was having an affect on him and he sagged sadly.

“My...father,” the word was spat more than spoken,” was a very hard man, Diamond. He didn’t believe boys should show any kind of weakness and love was something he despised. I don’t want to talk about him too negatively, he made me what I am today, gave me the motivation to become something of myself and escape his cruelty.” Filthy poured and swallowed another glass, the bottle nearing its end.

“I hated him. I still hate him. I’ll probably never feel anything else for him. ‘Business is hard, son’, he’d say. ‘You can’t have emotions in business. Just makes you soft, and you’re plenty soft enough for us all. You should have been a girl.’” Filthy shook his head in dismissal of his memories. “He was right, though. You have to be hard in business, can’t show any weakness. It’s like you and your MMA, Diamond.”

Diamond was quiet, she felt pity mixing with her frustration, felt her moment of triumph was being squashed, like she may be being played a fool but she had never witnessed this kind of candidness and openness from her father.

“That behemoth of a woman kept hitting you, hurting you. I could see you bleeding. It was horrifying. I hate seeing you get hurt and when she caught you with that uppercut in the first round and you fell against the fencing, I thought I might die but I couldn’t let anyone else know how I felt. My chest hurt as that monster knocked you out at the end of the second round.” Filthy paused to reach for the bottle once more but Diamond snatched it up and took the last couple swallows directly from it, feeling she needed it.

“Was it that obvious that I was out?” She asked dryly as the fire from the bottle licked her stomach and filled her with heat.

“Obvious? No. You held up very well but I could tell how badly you were injured.” Filthy looked at the bloated, purple eye on her face and winced. “Girls are supposed to be soft, Diamond. They shouldn’t have to be hard like me. They deserve a life of ease and pretty things.

But life is hard, Diamond. Very hard.” He looked her over once more and smiled lightly. “I wanted you to be a boy. Yes, I did. I could be hard on a boy but do it the right way, not the way my father was to me. When you were discovered to be a girl, I wasn’t disappointed in you. I was disappointed in myself because I knew I didn’t know how to raise you. I didn’t know how to approach you, hold you, or even talk to you.

So, I did what I knew how to do: be hard, make money. I thought I could give you all the luxury you deserved, all the love I wished I could show you but didn’t know how. I wanted you to always be taken care of. That’s why you frustrate me so much, Diamond.” Filthy pulled another drawer and produced another bottle of liquor. He filled both glasses.

Diamond felt tears in her eyes, the left burned angrily from the salty liquid, and she accepted the offered glass this time. She quenched it nearly as quickly as Filthy.

“Despite everything I did to try and keep you from a life of adversity and difficulty, you pushed against me. You still do, obviously, but not just to spite me, though I know you have done a great many things because you were angry with me. I think, maybe, being hard is just in our family. It runs in us. You take very much after your grandfather, Diamond.”

Diamond shuddered. He had almost complimented her and it was such an odd feeling. “Yeah, well. Sorry to disappoint you again,” she shot her words like a jab, wanting to stir a little pain despite his story. He had harmed her so many times, made her resent him when she never wanted to. She had just wanted his approval and he snuffed it whenever he had the chance. He deserved to hurt a little.

“When you stood up and told the referee you wanted to continue the fight after that late kick, I was so proud of you,” Filthy said.

Diamond felt as if she had fallen into a trap. Her jab was slipped and she had been dealt a knockout counter. She was stunned, her heart clutched in her chest. “What?”

“You were resilient, Diamond. Not just to the beating you were taking, but to what I have been forcing on you since you were born. I wanted to let you be soft, live an easy life. But, I realized while watching you fight, that I was wrong. Just like my father wouldn’t let me be myself, I was taking that right away from you. Making you into what I thought you should be and not who you are. You aren’t fighting to get back at me. You do it because you enjoy it.”

Diamond was rigid, frozen in space. She didn’t know how to feel after hearing her old man had paid her a compliment and admonished himself. The moment was unprecedented in her life.

“For that, Diamond, I am truly sorry. I don’t expect you to forgive me, but, I’d like an opportunity to be a better father.” Filthy went quiet, his head tilted downward in shame. He had said what he wanted to say and waited for Diamond’s answer.

Diamond was apprehensive, mulling her feelings over. She wanted to answer him though she knew she couldn’t give a complete answer. Time would tell, and though she was still very angry, something inside had given a little. She looked her father over and saw a very tired middle aged man. A man who had been pressed into this life whose nature had been restrained. He hadn’t been as hard as her, as resilient. He had allowed himself to change to the world around him. Even if it had made him very rich, he was compromised, diminished because of it.

Filthy Rich wasn’t the villain he had seen him as the day before or the hateful, misogynistic man she had thought him to be. Still, she couldn’t forgive him.

“Why did you rig my title match?” The question was simple.

“I had hoped that if you won, you’d stop fighting. You could throw it in my face, prove your point, and move on. It was wrong. I stole something from you that you can’t get back: your pride. I’m sorry, Diamond. I was foolish.”

“Did you rig any of the others?”

“No. I thought, once you lost, you would be finished but I couldn’t bring myself to intentionally cause you to lose.” He sat, his sentence unknown.

“Dad, I…,” Diamond shook her head. ”I can’t forgive you for the way you’ve made me feel. Even if I know why you did, you’ve hurt me in ways no father should ever hurt their children.” She replaced the glass and turned her back to her father, walking quickly to the door. She reached for the knob.

“Diamond. I didn’t bet against you. I just said that to hurt you. I thought you would win because I’ve watched you grow from a distance your whole life. I’m sorry I was never there in person but that doesn’t mean I never loved you. I knew you had what it took to win. If it means anything, I think you did. I’m very proud of you, Diamond.”

Diamond paused, a small smile rolled on her lips as tears rolled down her cheeks. “Hera’s out for a year recovering. The CFC offered me a bout for the interim title in her absence. I’m going to take it. That means I’ve got two months of medical suspension and four months of training before that fight. If you want to come, I’ve got two front row seats for family or friends. Might be nice to have an extra hand during training every now and then too.”

Diamond opened the door and looked back, her good eye glowed a fierce blue. “If you want to help, I can make it happen. If you don’t, it’s nothing to me. I’ve learned to be hard, Dad. As hard as diamond."

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Are you going to write more stories with fighting tournaments in them?

[jmj]

10703301
I've written what could be viewed as chapter 1 of a Fluttershy MMA story. I actually started on it first but it would be a very long series. Shows her reasons for getting into MMA, beginning to go to a gym, impressing a few people, joining an amateur tournament. After that, I don't know where it would go but we are talking a minimum of 3 fights and lots of stuff in between. Hard As Diamond was 30k words and it was only a brief background, 5 rounds, and an epilogue.

Fluttershy would be a series. I wanted to see if there was an audience for MMA themed stories. HaD didn't do as well as I hoped but I really enjoyed writing it, so... maybe. We'll see.

Is that something you would want to see? I'm not giving up on horror, I've got a collab and like 4 stories started but I wanted to knock out HaD before I continued any of them.

[the dobermans]

Once again, readers and writers, take note: this is how you close a character arc.

[Dainn]

It's kinda saddening now that we're at the last chapter.
But I remember you saying that you had possible plans for continuing.
If you follow through, I'll be happy to read.

[jmj]

10706016
A spiritual successor more than anything. I don’t think I’ll actually continue with Diamond Tiara. This told the story I wanted to tell about her. It was fun ad leaves off on a crossroads for Filthy and her relationship. From there, it’s open to interpretation.

We may see Farnese again if I decide to continue the other MMA story. I figure Hera was 30-31 in this match which is the typical prime of an MMA martial artist. We’d see her earlier in her career.

Thanks for being there each chapter, sir. I appreciate it. It is kind of sad to end a story. When I finished MFC:R after spending a year thinking about it, I didn’t know what to do for like a week. Hell, I still think about it.

[Blast]

Diamond Tiara has come of age.

She will not turn into her father.

[jmj]

10943325
Thanks for reading and commenting. I loved writing this story as it was a combination of two big interests of mine. I tried to explain the MMA portions in ways casual fans would understand but also showed the techniques and skill involved in the sport.

It was fun putting Diamond, the spoiled brat now grown into a bitter young mare, growing and becoming a more complete character. It's a bit of a stretch for her, but I like to think that Filthy is old fashioned and Diamond, as she grew into her own and realized Filthy was controlling her life based on sexist principles, would resent him and rebel in some way. It just happened to be MMA in this story.

I've got a sequel in the works but it will be very long. I may write a prequel in the mean time but there will be little of a character arc in it.

[Blast]

10943419
Just as long as (1) it offers dimension to Filthy and (2) you're seriously careful about involving Spoiled or Silver Spoon.

[Jinxed]

Solid fight descriptions, good characterisation.
DT is a cunt in the show, but she has a wanker for a mum and a spoiled dandy for a dad.
It's not a far stretch at all to see her become bitter with the slight-friendship she struck up in later seasons leading her into a different kind of dislike, realising that her daddy's money was all just because of outdated notions against her, and using it for personal gain netted her nothing of her own value.
It works well. Good story.

[jmj]

10944243
Spoiled and Silver Spoon will have basically nothing to do with the story. Silver Spoon took karate like a lot of kids, meaning she progressed through a couple belts and quit. Silver Spoon also embodies the rich, pampered snob archetype where Diamond had begun to foster a dislike for her father because he pushed her away when she wanted to be near him. She had become emotionally calloused and had the first sparks of rebellion by the time Silver Spoon quit. I would imagine they never regained the friendship they once had.

I just started a prequel. Revolves around the same themes because Diamond doesn;t overcome her issues until this story, but the central theme is becoming an adult and putting an end on hiding who she is just to please Filthy.

10958069
I went into the story wanting to explain what was happening so someone who didn't understand mma would be able to follow. IE: a kimura means nothing unless you know what it is but bending one's arm back beneath them at an awkward angle and putting pressure on the shoulder and forearm bones is relatable. That being said, I think I may have went overboard with descriptions instead of charging the fight with easily understandable phrases.

Diamond charged forward, her hands lashed out angrily, seeking and finding Hera's body and head while slipping counter hooks with deft, precise head movement.

or

Diamond charged forward, letting her left jab piston forward. Her right hand crossed the midpoint of her body for a straight that fell below the blocking hand to connect solidly into Hera's ribs. Hera countered with a wide looping set of hooks but Diamond had already pivoted her weight off of her lead leg and pulled with her back and neck to retract her head as the first, lead hook narrowly skirted her nose. Diamond shifted forward again, recognizing the right hook that followed Hera's left, and reached in with powerful left jab, the straight punch finding Hera's cheek before the wild, arcing blow could land.

I prefer the second and that's what I did but I think the verbiage may confuse people and they may not find the reasoning behind why certain strikes were thrown as interesting as those who actively watch the sport. And, in general it slows down the pace where a fight should be frenetic and quick. I don't know. Any thoughts?

[Jinxed]

10958631
Oh no, if I read an MMA fic I'm going to expect a level of involvement when it comes to MMA or boxing terms.
There were a few terms I didn't get as I don't watch MMA, but I enjoyed that there were details of it. Even if I don't fully understand the moves, I can see down to the basics of 'A punch happened against X part' or some such, same for grapping and going to the mat, whatever BJJ is a fighting style for grapples or judo of some kind, and I could infer that from how it was well described and such.