Chapter 2
My worst enemy...
Fanfic by Englishwitch
Chapter 2
Diamond Tiara’s first thought when entering the house was ‘Small’. How did such a big family get any privacy in a such a small house? It was going to be really crowded with she and her dad staying too. As well as Small, the word Rustic also was on her list. Bare floorboards with a few small rugs, old furniture but not the good kind of old; antiques. Just old and probably passed down from one family generation to the next. Every wall, wooden beam and piece of furniture had an apple theme on its décor. There was living up to your name and then there was unnatural obsession.
Apple Bloom was already at the top of the stairs, the three suitcases didn’t seem to be weighing her down at all. How did she do it? Diamond Tiara gritted her teeth and tried to call on extra reserves of strength. She wasn’t going to be shown up by some blank flank.
“So why couldn’t you stay in a hotel?” Apple Bloom huffed down at her while Tiara struggled to climb the stairs with the huge weight on her back. “Or with Silver Spoon, ain’t you two s’posed to be pals?”
“I wanted to.” She grunted back at the farm filly. “But daddy said he wasn’t going to pay for a hotel when he knew your dumb family would have a bed for us.” Then she changed the tone of her voice to do a passable impression of her father. “Now Diamond, you don’t get rich and stay rich by wasting money. Never pay for something you can get for free, or at least a significantly lower price.” then she changed back to her normal voice. “And he said it would be too much of an inconvenience to Silver Spoon’s parents if I imposed myself on them for a month.” She finally reached the top of the stairs. She had to drop the trunk and sit down. She wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hoof and she panted rapidly to catch her breath. “Trust me...” she said between breaths, “I’d leave... if I could. I... don’t want to be here.... any more.... than you want me here.”
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes and lowered the suitcases she was carrying to the floor. Then, to the surprise of Diamond, she lifted up the trunk onto her back. When she’d found sure footing she grabbed a suitcase and tossed it on top of the trunk, then she tossed a second suitcase up to join its twin, leaving the smallest of the three suitcases in front of Diamond Tiara. “Bring that in when you’re ready. My room’s down the hall, first on the left.” She walked off, a little slower than before but she was by no means as hampered by the weight of the bags as Diamond Tiara had been.
Diamond grabbed the last suitcase in her mouth and ran after Apple Bloom.
Apple Bloom’s bedroom was....nice. Not that Diamond would admit it out loud. Smaller than her bedroom at home but it was more.....cosy was the word that came to mind; another thing she wouldn’t admit out loud. There was more apple-themed décor in here. Pale green floral pattern wallpaper, with apples, a four poster bed, with an apple at the top of each post, apples were painted on the wooden eaves, apple bed covers and even apple shaped handles on all the draws in the bedside cabinet and the vanity table.
Apple Bloom had unloaded her burdens in a corner of the room. Diamond Tiara stared at the filly; she hadn’t even broken a sweat. “How the hay did you carry all that?”
Apple Bloom looked smug. “I live on a farm, work on it too sometimes, You get good and strong when you do a lot of liftin’ and carryin’.” She jumped up onto her bed. “That said, you gotta be about the weakest earth pony I ever seen. You ever done a hard days work?”
Diamond Tiara looked like she’d been hit. “And get all dirty and end up smelling like you? No thanks.”
Apple Bloom raised a hoof to her nose and took a quick sniff. “What’s wrong with how I smell?”
Diamond Tiara just snorted, “Humph”
Apple Bloom cocked an eyebrow. “No, c’mon, what’s wrong with how I smell? I take baths every night. I use soap and everythin’.”
Diamond Tiara shook her head. “Well you still smell. It’s like, I don’t know, apples and grass and mud and stuff.”
Apple Bloom first smirked, then giggled. “Well hay, that’s just the smell of fresh air and the outdoors. It ain’t nothin’ bad.”
Diamond Tiara huffed again. “That’s what you think.” she muttered under her breath. She then turned back to Apple Bloom. “Well if I’m going to be forced to stay here you better get off my bed and unpack my things.”
Apple Bloom jumped up. “whoa, whoa, whoa, YOUR bed?” She jumped to the floor and stood nose to nose with Diamond Tiara. “Diamond, y’all need to talk with my friends, Bucky McGee,” she held up one fore-hoof, “and Kicks O’Claire,” she held up the other fore-hoof. “That’s MY bed.” She jabbed a hoof into Diamond Tiara’s chest. “If you want a place to sleep we got an old cot and a sleepin’ bag with the campin’ stuff in the barn. You can get it after YOU have unpacked YOUR stuff.”
Diamond Tiara pushed herself against Apple Bloom, squashing their noses together. “You can’t talk to me like that you.... you, blank flank loser!”
Apple Bloom pushed back, their faces were squashed together to tightly their eyeballs were almost touching. “You’re in my room, in my house, I’ll talk to you however I like!”
“Ahem.”
The two fillies pulled apart to look at the source of the noise. Applejack was in the doorway and was looking at the two of them with annoyance and thinning patience. She sighed and stepped into the room. “Now I can see y’all ain’t happy ‘bout this situation. But this is the way it is so y’all gonna hafta learn to like it, or at least tolerate it. I don’t wanna hear no fightin’, no raised voices, no disagreements. If I catch either of y’all arguin’ you’ll both be spendin’ the night in the barn.”
“You can’t do that.” Diamond Tiara yelped. She’d tried to sound angry but the sternness of the older mares tone, the seriousness and honesty in her voice, had made the filly feel afraid.
Applejack smirked and adjusted her hat with a nudge of her hoof. “Try it an’ see.” She walked out of the room backwards, keeping her eye on the two fillies the whole time until she vanished around the corner.
...***...
“Dinner time!” Granny Smith’s voice carried up the stairs. “Soups-on everypony.”
Diamond Tiara put the last of her jewellery on Apple Bloom’s vanity alongside her hair care products and make up.
Next to the bed Apple Bloom was still fighting with the sleeping cot. Tab B didn’t want to fit into Slot A, or some nonsense like that.
Tiara was tempted to tease her but if Applejack overheard then it would be a night in the barn. So she decided to just leave her to her battle with the canvass and headed out of the room and for the stairs. “I wonder what these hicks have cooked up.” She muttered to herself. “Probably bakes apples, stewed apples, apple pies or maybe it’s just a big bowl of apples they picked up right out of their orchard.”
She was mostly wrong. There was an apple pie cooling by the window but no other apple related items were gracing the dining room table. The centrepiece was a large bowl of freshly steamed corn on the cob, dripping with butter, there was also corn-bread, carrot sticks, oat cakes and each place at the table had a bowl of fresh salad with lettuce, celery and tomatoes.
Her dad was already at the table, sitting next to Granny Smith, who was sitting at the head. Applejack and Big McIntosh were just joining them. The mare was carrying a large pitcher of apple cider. She smiled when she saw Diamond Tiara at the foot of the stairs and waved her hoof. “C’mon sugar cube, take a seat and dig in.”
Tiara took a seat at the table across from her father. It surprised her to see he’s taken off his collar and tie. Even his mane wasn’t as well groomed as it usually was. They’d only been at this filthy place an hour and already her dad was turning into one of these farm bumpkins.
Apple Bloom trotted down the stairs and sat at the far side of the table, as far away from Diamond Tiara as she could get. She had a red weal on her cheek that looked very fresh.
Apple Jack noticed it instantly. “Where did you get that missy? You two been fightin’?” She looked between her sister and Diamond Tiara.
The pink earth pony was about the scream in protest. She hadn’t even touched Apple Bloom and had no idea how the filly got injured. Now she was going to get the blame for-
“No we ain’t Applejack, I just had a little disagreement with the cot. The cot won.” she smiled sheepishly. Applejack just chuckled and rolled her eyes.
Diamond Tiara just stared at Apple Bloom from across the table. She had told the truth? It had been a prime opportunity to get her in trouble and Apple Bloom had actually told the truth. Diamond Tiara had to admit she wouldn’t have done the same if the situation was reversed. Apple Bloom must be too dumb to see a prime moment when it presented itself, or maybe she had something better in mind to get her into trouble. That must be it. Who knew what evil thoughts were lurking under that frizzy red mane. She would keep a close eye on Apple Bloom.
Filthy Rich grabbed a corncob. “Granny Smith it looks delicious. I hope you didn’t go to too much trouble on our account.”
Granny took some corn and slipped in her best biting dentures. “No trouble at a‘tall Filthy. Just an average dinner, only there’s a little more.”
Diamond grabbed one of the oat cakes and took a bite. It was palatable, for such basic food. Their chef, Silver Platter, had intended to serve roasted artichokes with a chipotle aioli tonight. Any artichokes left in their kitchen now had certainly been roasted all right.
Conversation and jokes were shared around the dinner table, mostly from Granny Smith who was sharing a lot of stories with Rich about his grandmother Nouveau. Through it all Diamond Tiara stayed silent. Why was her dad being so nice and friendly to these farm ponies? It had to be about keeping them on good terms so their business deals wouldn’t suffer. It couldn’t be that he actually liked them, could it? They were dumb, poor, low class, uncouth farm ponies. He couldn’t possibly see anything in them worth liking.
But there he was, sitting next to the Apple family matriarch, smiling, laughing and joking. She just didn’t understand.
...***...
Diamond Tiara placed her namesake accessory carefully on the vanity then grabbed her hairbrush. “1,2,3-” She counted along with the strokes through her mane. Every morning and every evening she brushed her hair 100 times. It was the key to a healthy mane.
Apple Bloom came into the bedroom, her face still damp from washing her face and brushing her teeth. She barely gave Diamond Tiara a second glance, she walked across the room, jumped into bed and clicked off the lamp at her bedside, plunging the room into darkness.
“Hey!” Tiara rounded on her. “I was brushing my hair.”
Apple Bloom crawled beneath the blankets and settled her head down onto the pillow. “What you brushin’ your hair for? It’s only gonna get messed up while you sleep.”
Diamond Tiara huffed. “You wouldn’t understand, it’s a beauty thing.” She put the brush down on the vanity. There was no point trying to brush her mane in the dark. “And get out of there, I’m getting the bed. You can sleep in....that.” she pointed to the sleeping cot. Apple Bloom had managed to successfully construct it, after a long time and a lot of effort.
Apple Bloom gripped her blankets tightly in her hooves. “Not a chance. This is my bed, you can have the cot.”
Diamond Tiara rushed across the room and jumped onto the bed. “I am a guest in this draughty barn you call a house and I’m having the bed.” She made to grab the blankets from Apple Bloom, the farm pony yanked them out of her grip.
“No way.” She snapped back at the pink filly. “This is my room and my bed. If I have’ta put up with you in my house then you’re getting’ the cot.” She waved a hoof threateningly.
Tiara grabbed the blankets again and pulled them from Apple Bloom. “Get. Out!”
Apple Bloom grabbed the blanket and pulled back. “No!”
The pink filly jumped on the yellow one. She grabbed Apple Bloom and tried to push her out of the bed. Apple Bloom pushed back, thrashing her hooves and yelling angrily. The two rolled over each other, pushed, kicked and slapped in their attempts to shove the other one out of the bed.
The bedroom door bust open. The two fillies froze in their fight and stared at Applejack. Her furious eyes burned into them. She looked them up and down and took a deep breath. Without saying a word she strode across the room and grabbed Diamond Tiara with one leg. Tiara yelped , fearing a night in the barn. It wasn’t fair, it was Apple Bloom’s fault.
With her mouth Applejack rolled back the blankets then with her free hoof she pushed Apple Bloom to the very edge of the right side of the double bed. Then, with a huff, she threw Diamond Tiara down on the left side of the bed, grabbed the blankets with her mouth again and drew them over the two confused fillies. She glared down at them. “Go. To. Sleep!”
She spun on the spot and strode out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
In the dark Diamond Tiara and Apple Bloom lay back to back in the dark, neither one daring to move or even say a single word.
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I feel like this line was pointed directly at me, but I'm just as happy to see friendshipping as regular shipping. That is, if they ever become friends. If they just stop hating each other can we call it neutrashipping?
Somehow this is reminding me of the Tv Series "Common Law". Must be the friend-enemy relationship. Applebloom as Travis and DT as Wes.
Feels natural to me. Maybe they can learn to tolerate each other.
Is... is it wrong to have a sort of crush on Kicks O'Claire?
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I'd say the story is coming along nicely overall. It's understandable to think some parts have them bordering on hatred to each other, but that's only natural given the circumstances. They obviously don't want to have anything to do with each other and now they're thrust into a situation that forces them to spend the majority of their time together. So there's going to be a power struggle for some time before they manage to regain a semblance of normalcy in their lives.
Ponies argue and fight over weird things when they're tired and forced into a less than ideal situation, such as this one. So far, I'd say you're doing good, since at this point it's not clear if they will become friends, or just learn to tolerate each other long enough to survive the month.
Dear God that sounds good. Now you made me hungry!
I think you are doing a good job. Apple Bloom normally has Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell as buffers for DT and SS's attitude and teasing, but with just the two of them forced to stay in close proximity I think the feelings of what they already think about each other are being brought to the front unfiltered and in their faces. I thought that after a while Apple bloom would border on hatred and DT would stay steadfast in her condescension to the point of disdain. I think you captured that fairly well; Apple Bloom does not want to put up with DT's "better than you" attitude and her putting down others worse off than herself and DT feels like the Apples are not worthy of herself or her family and wants to stay away from their more simplistic lifestyle and anypony that lives by it. Apple Bloom I feel would definitely take this situation much more personally and I could not see her and DT's relationship ever shifting paradigms to anything less antagonistic.
This is flowing nicely! The fight over the bed isn't hatred, it's fillies being fillies. I think their biggest problem is simply that they don't understand each other, and don't know why they value the things they value. And that goes both ways.
Sounds about perfect for dislike to me do not forget that Diamond is very spoiled and use to getting her way if her attitude in the show is anything to go by
Hatred would lead to violence not a slap fight over a bed like that
2279684 all it needs is a slab of prime rib (medium rare) with au jus and creamy horseradish... Dangnammit, my gut's a gurglin now! and there's only one solution... TO THE FRIDGE!!!
HAHAHA! Ok, that ending reminded me so much of my sleep over at my cousin's house. only we'd refuse to go to bed and had a habit of always getting into arguments. Uncle was a stern and scary guy. When the man said BE QUIET, even the gecko's outside would shut up
Great follow-up!
I should end this story and read the next one tomorrow just because it ended so well
(also, I don't think they hate each other, AB and DT just have that whole alpha pride going 
and they just refuse to give in to the others' demand), but I just can't help myself! 
To new chapters and BEYOND!
Thank you so much for not having any sort of romantic relationship between these two fillies.
-CS
Yeah, their personalities clash a lot, but they seem to at least be on talking terms most of the time.
Well I guess don’t make Applejack lose sleep.