A Living Death

by Diamond Sparkle

Filthy's Punishment

"If indeed she has nothing wrong, then why not bring her back to life? Nurse Redheart could cure her and I could ease her back into living again," Twilight suggested.

"I'll think about it," Celestia said. "For now, I would like to ask you to leave, as I have a private meeting with Filthy Rich today."

Twilight sighed and went up to the statue that looked so much like herself. "Don't worry, I'll see if I can get you changed back. Unlike the others you really don't deserve to be here." What sort of meeting is this, that even I, the Princess's personal student and one of the Mane Six, cannot attend? And why has the Princess had the Elements of Harmony worked into her crown like that? I think I'll pretend to go and then secretly watch what happens. Nopony will ever know that I did it. So she left and then crept back to see what was happening and hopefully eavesdrop as well.

Celestia smiled as she watched Filthy Rich trot up to him, with his daughter Diamond Tiara beside him but it was a smile with no warmth in it. Filthy bowed low to his Princess.

"As everypony knows, Princess Cadence was kidnapped by Queen Chrysalis and her changelings, ruining the Royal Wedding and causing chaos in Canterlot. The thing is...they were only able to do so because they were tipped off by somepony,and only four ponies other then Cadence knew her route. Me, my sister, Shining Armour were the first three. There is no way any of us would have betrayed her-she's the love of Shining Armour's life,and neither me nor Luna would hand our niece into the hooves of the Changelings. Which leaves the fourth pony-you.How many bits were you paid to betray my niece, Filthy?"

"There is no way that I would ever do such a thing! For a start, I'm one of the richest ponies in Equestria,certainly the richest earth pony. I'd have far more to lose then I ever would have to gain from such a thing. I have no need to gain money from selling state secrets; but if you really think that I betrayed your niece, then grant me a formal trial before the Equestrian court system and prove my guilt."

"Such a thing would be embarrassing for me." The elements glowed brightly, and Filthy let out a scream and tried to run, as his legs lost their color and turned into immobile gray stone. "What are you doing to me? I never betrayed your family..."

"Look around you whilst you still can, Filthy. All those statues around you are living, alert ponies encased in stone, unable to move or speak, and you are going to join their number, forever frozen in one position."

Diamond Tiara went up and knelt low by Princess Celestia. "Your Majesty, I beg you, please, please don't do this to my father, it would be a living death for him. I can offer you..."

Princess Celestia sneered and said "What can you possibly offer me, little filly? From the taxes I have all the bits I need to run Equestria."

Diamond made an attempt to look sexy and wiggled. "Bump, bump, sugarlump...rump..." and the Princess kicked her and sent her sprawling. "I'm a millennium old and you are underage. Oh, and if you tell anypony about this, there will soon be a little Diamond Tiara statue in my Garden." She finished the spell and Filthy's protests were cut off as his entire body turned to stone. Diamond Tiara burst into tears, ran up to the statue, hugged it and kissed it's forehead.

I will find a way to free you and every single statue in this garden-even Discord. And then we'll see how well Celestia copes with the chaos I unleash. Celestia, like everypony I worshiped you and thought everything you did for Equestria was right. And in fact you are so cruel and uncaring as to trap my father in stone without even a formal hearing. You will wish you had never done this to my father, I promise. "Your Majesty, at least let me take Daddy home with me where he belongs?" Diamond managed to ask through her tears.

Celestia smirked. "No, he will stay here in the garden, getting cooked or frozen depending upon the season and getting crapped on by the birds as part of his punishment. Do you want to join him? If not, leave now whilst you still can and remember my warning."

"Farewell, Daddy, I'll visit you often if I'm allowed to." Diamond managed to force herself to stop crying. Don't get unhappy, get even. And I think I know what to do. Recently Twilight Sparkle made a cockatrice healing spell public, as such a spell would benefit everypony. I find it, get back here, free my father, then Discord, and then as many ponies as I can. Discord may be fearsome, but surely he would not harm the pony that set him free? Celestia, my goddess no longer, you'll be sorry when your life falls down around your ears. And she set off to the Ponyville library to find the spell, looking around every now and then to make sure she was not being followed by anypony, least of all Celestia. If I try this and fail and get caught, I too will be turned to stone and most likely be left staring forever into my father's eyes whilst I slowly go insane from boredom. But I can't just leave him there.

Finding the spell was easy enough, as was making a note of it, holding the pencil in her mouth. Then she went back to the Canterlot Royal Gardens, expecting Celestia or a posse of Royal Guards to be lying in wait for her. But apparently nopony was there, so she went not to her father first of all, but to the great statue of Discord. From what little I have heard, he's a very dangerous being, a spirit of pure chaos, but he won't harm, me and he will go after Celestia for me. She spoke the spell and the stone began to melt away, revealing skin in it's place. The many limbed creature blinked, stretched, scratched it's belly with a paw, and then focused upon Diamond Tiara.

"Thank you so much, it is wonderful to be able to move and speak again. When I cause chaos, you and your father will be spared from the consequences since you set me free." And he vanished with a light popping sound. Diamond Tiara went from pony to pony setting them free and only then did she cast the spell upon her father and wrap her legs around him, pressing a kiss upon his forehead.

"Thank you for setting me free, but did you really have to free Discord as well? Who knows what he'll do?" Above them the clouds merged together as if pushed together by an entire air wing of pegusai and there was a bolt of lightning, a loud clap of thunder, and it began pouring down chocolate rain. Except on Diamond Tiara and her father; the drops all avoided them, turning aside so not a single drop smeared their coats.

Comments

[The Great Derpsby]

I'll say this: Things turned out quite differently to what I expected. Kudos.

However, you should definitely slow down a bit. I mean, Diamond Tiara going from Canterlot to Ponyville, sneaking into Golden Oaks Library, copying the de-petrification spell (nevermind that she's an earth pony who can't use regular unicorn magic, so she'd need some other way to cast it), going back to Canterlot, and freeing Discord all happens in a few sentences. That's moving too quickly! Take some time to explore a bit more; your readers will be grateful.

[xTSGx]

[youtube=dV8S_2lwDkQ]

Warning: Tyrantlestia detected! Warning: Tyrantlestia detected! Abort! Abort!

[Redweapon1984]

Aw, man. You ruined it. The first chapter was so good with the explanations as to why the ponies were stoned were there. Then you had to go and pull this stunt. What a let down.

[RandomBlank]

Wow, Earth Pony casting such advanced spell? Diamond Tiara is truly a prodigy!

[Weird Dragon]

More chapters please

[Dragonborne Fox]

I don't think earth ponies can cast magic...dude, this needs an AU tag for that alone.

[Windlife]

5094307
not like you storys are any bettar. This is a really good story and i am waiting for a new chapter for long time. Please stop talking about good storys because you have the no taste.

[Windlife]

5094307
salo, why is he in need of the AU tags? It's not like you read it anyways.

[Nebbie]

That was a bit...fast. At least let things more lament on the "frozen and baked, crapped on by birds" sort of fate and let Twilight really realize the horror as she secretcly watches. And show a bit of tricking Twilight, or have Twilight in on it. Just having a character turned to stone immediately, then immediately unturned with a mistaken other depetrification is bonkers, let alone for so short a chapter, and Diamond Tiara doing this so easily and with such adult-like thinking is jarring.

[ClareLaBelleRose]

Shame the story went by so fast. The first part was so good.