> The Broken Tiara > by Diamond Sparkle > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter One-Queen of my Heart > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alula hovered overhead and watched Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon walking home with a big smile on her face. Diamond, you are so beautiful, and the Queen of my heart. she thought. I first saw you in your best dress at your cutecenara, with Silver Spoon at your side, and you were so happy and pretty and for me it was love at first sight. Of course, I didn't dare go up to you, but Hearts and Hooves Day is coming up and I'll declare my love for you then, in front of the whole class. It will be so romantic and I'll love the look on your face when I give you my card. She hovered just outside the tall spiked fence far below that marked the limit of the Diamond Family property, a truly luxurious mansion that she had never been invited into. Physically crossing the fence would be no problem for a Pegasus pony. Alula was no lawyer, but she knew that to just fly over would be trespassing. She had done that secretly last night, looking through the windows with great care, trying to uncover the location of Diamond's bedroom so that she could see what it looked like. She had only dared to spend a short time within the Rich-controlled airspace however, and had not yet succeeded in her plan. What must it like to be a pony as wealthy as you are? And not just rich, but so gorgeous and pretty as well? Silver Spoon, you don't know how lucky you are to be able to hang out with Diamond Tiara almost whenever you want to. I wish I could join you. She flew back to her cloud house and into her bedroom. It was a plain but nice little room, with a lovely soft cloud bed, several books; Alula had started reading at the age of two, and her cutie mark would have been a book if foals that young could have earned their cutie marks. Two pictures hung upon her cloud walls. One was a portrait of Princess Celestia of Equestria; there was no law making ownership of such a portrait mandatory by Equestrians, but plenty of them, particularly the more religious, were happy to spend a few bits to buy one. And the other was one she had made by hand from memory of Diamond Tiara. She knelt in prayer in front of the Princess's picture. Please, Princess Celestia of Equestria, make Diamond Tiara make her truly understand what I feel for her. She looked at her flank, which was blank. Maybe if I had my cutie mark she would let me hang around with her. Why does she have to hate blank flanks for? After all, she herself was a blank flank not so long ago. If I had my cutie mark, I would go up and befriend her and with time and patience I would become as close as Silver Spoon. Is Silver Spoon her very special somepony? Is that why they spend so much time together? I am so jealous of you, Silver Spoon. You get to hang around so much with the prettiest filly in school. She decided to wait until the sun had been lowered and the moon had been raised and then fly once more to the Rich mansion and try again to find Diamond Tiara's bedroom. It took a bit of circling around, taking great care that she was not seen by anypony, but she finally located it. Diamond Tiara's bedroom. And what's even better is that she's left the window open! O Celestia, I really lucked out tonight. I know it's wrong to go inside, but I'll only be here a little while and it's not as if I'm going to steal anything or do any damage. I just want to be in the same room as her for a short time. She pushed the window open with her muzzle and went inside, furling her wings. The room had a deep, plush mauve carpet the same colour as Diamond Tiara's fur, and on each white wall there was a portrait. One of Diamond Tiara herself with her father Filthy Rich beside her, one of a smiling Silver Spoon, one that was of Princess Celestia in all her royal glory, and the fourth was a grand map of Equestria and all the surrounding countries of the world. There was a four-poster bed in the centre of the room with a sleeping Diamond in it, the duvet pulled back so that most of her was visible. The next thing Alula noticed was Diamond's tiara that she was never seen without, sitting on the floor on a silken cushion. I think I'll put that on, just for a short time. Diamond will never know, and I'll put it back as it was and leave no trace that it was ever moved. She lightly picked up the tiara and set it upon her own head, grinning, and looked in an ornate mirror that was next to Diamond's desk with it's make-up and boxes of precious jewellery. I need to go, I can't stay here, every second that I stay in this room makes me more likely to get caught. But I don't want to go without taking a close look at Diamond. I'm sure she'll look so cute whilst she's sleeping. Alula unfurled her wings and lightly hovered in the air, something that she was an expert at, and looked down at Diamond Tiara. She looks so sweet, I wonder what she is dreaming of? Diamond, I love you... There was a flash on Alula's flank and her cutie mark appeared...a pink heart with a diamond tiara above it. Oh my, I just earned my cutie mark, and my special talent is my love for Diamond...wow... Looking at her thigh with her brand new cutie mark, Alula lost concentration and flew a little too close to a chandelier. With a loud clang her wing hit it, causing a short term spasm of numbness. Making her fall directly onto Diamond Tiara who woke and screamed in terror, then stared at Alula. Her eyes focussed and then blazed with anger. "Alula-what are you doing here? Get out of my bedroom! GET OUT!!" With a flap of her wings Alula took off again and flew backwards out of the window, but she flew a little high, bashing her head and knocking off the tiara. "NO!" Diamond screamed again as she saw her precious tiara which she wore every day fall out of the window. Temporarily dazed by hitting her head, Alula had to concentrate on staying aloft and was unable to dive down to grab the tiara and return it to it's rightful owner. Diamond jumped out of bed and galloped to the window just in time to see her tiara hit the mosaic floor far below and shatter into pieces, sending diamonds bouncing across the floor. Filthy Rich came in wondering if his daughter was being murdered and she wailed and flung herself into Filthy's hooves. "Daddy, Alula came into my bedroom and she jumped on me and stole and broke my tiara," Diamond said through her tears. Meanwhile Alula flew as fast as she could away from the area and back to her cloud home, almost in tears herself with how things had gone. All I wanted to do was watch her sleep. Now I've totally blown any chance that I have that Diamond will ever agree to become my very special somepony. I scared her in her own bedroom and broke her tiara. Maybe if I make her a new tiara she will forgive me and at least agree to be my friend and let me hang out with her and Silver Spoon. So that's what I'll do, I'll make her a beautiful new tiara to say sorry. > Chapter Two-Putting Things Right > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next day Alula went to school as normal where she was met by a scowling Silver Spoon and an unhappy, pale, tiara-less Diamond Tiara, her mane and tail hanging down. "Diamond, I'm sorry for what I did last night, I just wanted to watch you sleep. Is there any chance that we could hang out together?" Silver Spoon narrowed her eyes and snorted in annoyance, and Diamond looked at the ground. "After you destroyed my pride and joy? I would rather go and play with the blank flanks then with you. You have done more damage to me then they ever did. It could be weeks before my tiara is fixed." Alula wanted to shout in front of everypony near them "I'm not a blank flank anymore! I have a cutie mark and it shows that my special talent is loving you!" but decided that doing such a thing would deeply embarrass an already very upset Diamond Tiara, and decided to do what she said. So reluctantly she walked over to the Cutie Mark Crusaders who greeted her with smiles and hugs. "That was great what you did, I wouldn't have dared crack Diamond's tiara like that. You must really hate her even more then I do. I've never seen her so upset," Scootaloo said. Alula looked at her sadly. "You don't understand...I wish Diamond was my very special somepony, and now I've blown it. Look at my cutie mark...it shows that my special talent is being in love with Diamond. And I managed to destroy her finest piece of clothing. Can you help me make a new one for her?" Sweetie Belle stared at her. "You want her to be your very special somepony? I think if she was to pick a fillyfriend, it would most likely be Silver Spoon. But I'll help you make a new tiara for her if that's what you really want. What are your plans to make one?" "Well, I want to start with a cardboard base, and then attach all manner of jewellery to it, obviously within my means as I don't have anywhere near as many bits as her. Small silver charms, pieces of amber, other gemstones if I can get my hooves on them legally. Could you help?" Sweetie Belle gently prodded Alula's cutie mark with her hoof. "Well...all right then. Maybe one of us will get a cutie mark out of it. Perhaps I can persuade Rarity or Spike or both to give you a few gemstones or at least buy them at a lesser price. You must genuinely love Diamond to get a cutie mark from it. I really doubt that Diamond or Silver will come to your cutecenara somehow." The bell rang for the first lesson of the day and Alula was not surprised to find that she had been given a new seat as far away from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon as possible. She only got scornful glances from Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara refused to look at her at all. When the school day ended, a member of the Royal Guard in full armour was waiting outside the school for her. "Alula, if you were an adult pony you would be arrested for what you did, and might well end up serving time in the royal dungeons. Stay away from the Rich mansion and don't stalk Diamond or despite your youth you will end up in a cell. Diamond is deeply upset with what you did to her." When she had seem the officer, Alula had flicked her tail over her cutie mark fearing that it might get her into further trouble. "I'm sorry, I really am," she told him. And she was sorry. All I wanted to do was gaze at Diamond as she slept, and I've made her so unhappy. She soon cheered up when the Cutie Mark Crusaders invited her back home with them. Sweetie Belle helped her make a tiara from strong cardboard, and from her saddlebags she brought out the few jewels that she had so far. A single small piece of Fool's Gold, two silver charms, a bit of amber and a chunk of amethyst. Over the next few days, the number of jewels grew. Sweetie Belle went to her sister. "Sis, Alula wants to make amends to Diamond by making a new tiara for her. Is there anything you can donate to the cause.?" "It's strange that you want to help Diamond, she's not one of your friends after all. But you can take an emerald from my gem stores. Only one, I trust you not to steal from me." Next Sweetie Belle went to Spike. "Rarity said it would be really kind if you donated a ruby from your hoard to Alula, who is making a new tiara to replace Diamond's which she broke." In fact Rarity had said no such thing but Sweetie Belle decided it would not hurt to tell a little white lie. "I was saving it for my supper, but if Rarity asked for it, ok then," Spike said, handing over the ruby. Sweetie Belle gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you Spike, this is a kiss from Rarity," she said, and Spike blushed. Over the next two weeks, Alula brought a few gems, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders donated a few more. Alula meanwhile helped Scootaloo gain her confidence and learn how to fly, at first in short hops, then for longer periods. Finally Scootaloo was able to take off and soar through the sky, and was very pleased when she flew back down again. "Thank you, Alula, without you I might still be grounded! My parents and Rainbow Dash have been too busy to teach me flying skills." She looked at her flank. No cutie mark had yet appeared, but the sheer excitement of being able to fly was enjoyable enough. Slowly, what had been a bare cardboard crown ended up glittering with gems. Amethyst and amber and topaz. Emeralds and rubies and fool's gold and many more, with a single diamond set in the centre. At last it was ready, and that afternoon Alula went up to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. "I know that you are still angry at me, but I made you a replacement tiara." Diamond looked at it for a while, rubbed a hoof lightly over the gems, put it on, and smiled. "Thank you, Alula." She walked in a circle around her and touched her cutie mark with a hoof. "I've been reading up about cutie marks recently, and yours is a rare lover's mark, it really does mean that your special talent is being in love with me. If you still want to...we should start hanging out together. Don't expect anything too quickly, but I think you would make a great special somepony. But you'll have to stop hanging out with those blank flanks if you want to be my fillyfriend."