> The Diamond and The Apple
>  by SuperPinkBrony12
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Happy Hearth's Warming?
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               Hearth's Warming, an annual occasion which is always sure to be filled with wonder and happiness for many, especially fillies and colts. However, for a certain pink-coated filly with eyes of cornflower blue, there wasn't much joy to be found anywhere. Her father  was working at his business, Barnyard Bargains, and her mother... well, the less said about her the better, but she’d made it abundantly clear she preferred not to celebrate the holidays at all (she always said it was a complete waste of everypony’s time).

And so it was that Diamond Tiara found herself present at the castle of Equestria's newest and most popular (if the latest polls were anything to go by) royal, Princess Twilight. The young alicorn had opened up the castle doors for all of Ponyville to enter, promising a Hearth's Warming Eve celebration like no other. Diamond quickly found herself growing slightly jealous at the fact that each of her friends seemed to have family to spend time with. Even Sweetie Belle's parents, who tended to be away quite often, had shown up for the big party.

Heck, even Silver Spoon's parents had stopped by briefly to drop off their daughter's present and wish her a happy Hearth's Warming. At least they had an excuse, owning a business in Canterlot that had to stay open even on national holidays. Technically, there was no rule or law saying the same had to be true for Barnyard Bargains, but Filthy Rich had made it perfectly clear he was going to keep the store open for the sake of any last minute holiday shoppers. Never missed a beat, that stallion.

Diamond's school teacher, Miss. Cheerilee, had offered the chance to let the pink-coated filly spend the special day with her, but Diamond had rejected the kind offer. "It's not the same as celebrating with friends or family." She’d insisted at the time. 

Now however, Diamond was kicking herself for such a boneheaded move, at least spending Hearth's Warming with her teacher would've been preferable to enduring the holiday with just her butler, Randolph for company (and her father, if she was lucky).

Silver Spoon quickly took note of the rather pronounced frown on her best friend's face, and the appropriately named gray-coated filly knew she had to try and do something to get her friend to smile again. "Hey, don't be standing there all gloomy. Nopony should be sad and alone on Hearth's Warming Eve of all days." She commented to her friend, hoping to get some sort of positive reaction out of her.

"And yet I’m alone, anyways..." Diamond glumly replied, barely acknowledging Silver’s presence. "It seems like everypony has someone special to spend the holiday with, except for you and I."

"So? I don't see why that has to be a problem," Silver observed, slightly nudging her friend with a gentle hoof. "Look on the bright side. This Hearth's Warming Party by Princess Twilight is off the hook! There's festive games, snacks, refreshments, you name it! What more could a pony need?"

"Some family that actually cared enough to celebrate the holiday with would be nice." Diamond replied with an elongated sigh, and it seemed like nothing even her best friend said or did could break through her pronounced case of holiday blues.

Silver audibly groaned and gave up, she’d always hated how stubborn Tiara could be. But then perhaps that bullheaded streak ran in the family, if Tiara's dire accounts of her mother’s consistent mood swings were anything to go by (and from what little Silver had seen of Spoiled, she knew her friend wasn't over-exaggerating when she called her mom a.... well, Silver was pretty sure such a term wasn't supposed to be repeated in polite company). 

"There's just no way to get through to you, is there?" Silver said in defeat, accompanied by a slight humph. "Well, if you need me, I'll be at the refreshment table enjoying some hot chocolate. With marshmallows, naturally." And with that, Silver trotted off to another part of the castle, leaving Diamond all alone once more.



                  

Tiara hadn't been by herself for long, when she heard a familiar country-twanged accent call out to her. "Hey, Diamond Tiara! Fancy seein' you at this here fancy Hearth's Warmin' shindig!" 

Tiara spun around, quickly recognizing the familiar pale, light grayish-olive coated earth pony filly with orange eyes, a reddish-pink mane and tail, and a light pink bow. "Oh, hey Apple Bloom," She said, attempting to force a smile as she greeted one of her newest friends (Tiara still couldn't believe the two had been fierce rivals up until just recently). "Well, it's not like I came to this party because I'm lonely or anything..." She quickly added, hoping Apple Bloom wouldn't notice the obvious lie behind the words.

Apple Bloom raised a questioning eyebrow ever-so-slightly at her pink-coated friend's false statement. "Is that so?" She inquired, her skeptical tone of voice indicating she didn't buy Diamond's explanation one bit.

"What? Are you implying I came down here because I have nowhere better to be?" Diamond frowned, immediately hoping to shut down the unwelcome conversation before Apple Bloom had a chance to press further.

"It's the truth though, ain't it?" Apple Bloom asked in reply, refusing to let the topic slide. "I mean, you've always had those lavish Hearth's Warmin' parties at your house in the past. An’ I can imagine this here get-together pales in comparison to them."

Tiara had not been prepared for Apple Bloom to read her so easily, and the pink-coated filly found herself at a loss for words for once. How on Equestria was her new friend so good at seeing through her carefully concocted lies?!

Tiara's silence proved to be all that Apple Bloom needed to determine the cause of her friend's misery. "You ain't got nopony to celebrate with this year, have ya?" 

Sensing that her little fib had been easily dispelled and disproven, Tiara reluctantly realized there was no point trying to hide the truth from Apple Bloom anymore. With a mournful nod she said sadly. "Yes, though this is hardly the first occasion it's happened. Father's always so busy working at this time of year, and ever since I stood up to her in front of the whole school, Mother has stopped caring about pretty much everything I enjoy, Hearth's Warming being one of them."

"Shame she ain't learned her lesson the way you did." Apple Bloom mused, with a shake of the head.

"Well, it's not like it makes that much of a difference," Diamond confessed, irritably. "Even before I turned over a new leaf, Mother never really liked Hearth's Warming very much. She always viewed it as a waste of time, a holiday based around some silly fairy tale that she says doesn't exist."

Apple Bloom couldn't help but laugh slightly at that statement. "Your mom sounds an awful lot like that Professor Flintheart character from A Hearth's Warming Tail. But maybe all she needs is to get a visit from those three spirits, like with what happened to Snowfall Frost."

"Either one of those two would be a better parent than my mother, as far as I'm concerned," Diamond replied sadly, as she looked on with jealousy at her companion's relations while they helped to decorate the tree in the center of the castle. "You know, you're lucky to be able to have such a tightly knit family to spend the holiday with."

"What do you mean?" Apple Bloom asked, even though it was quite obvious what Tiara was suggesting.

"What do you mean what do I mean?!" Tiara huffed, snorting slightly. "Your family is always so close, and you always get to spend time together. And on holidays like this, everypony knows having loved ones around becomes even more important. Heck, most ponies don't usually get to have their grandmothers living so close to them, and you've got your Granny Smith living with you, so you get to see her everyday. For me, I'm lucky if I can go a day without Father getting distracted by his business, or Mother always heckling me over something trivial. And having butlers and maids to boss around gets tiring after awhile, especially when they start getting wise to my tricks."

"Like that time you talked that one servant of yours into performin' acrobatics in front of the whole class," Apple Bloom chortled at the memory. "I gotta admit, for an old butler, that stallion was pretty nimble."

Diamond briefly joined her for a mutual giggle. "Well, Randolph's always been the easiest to manipulate. If anypony asks you, you didn't hear this from yours truly, but I think he has a bit of a soft spot for me. In a lot of ways, I think he sees himself as my uncle or second father, especially when my real father isn’t around."

"Sounds to me like he's quite fond of you, and I'd also say that if he truly cares that deeply about ya, he's practically family," Apple Bloom commented, her eyes gleaming. "So how come you didn't try to sweet talk him into hostin' a Hearth's Warming party at your place, anyhow? I'm sure all the staff would’ve appreciated it."

"And risk them getting into trouble with Mother for taking a day off without her express consent?" Diamond scoffed at the mere notion of such a thing. "Father may be forgiving, but Mother certainly isn't. You give her even half an excuse and she'll yack your ear off. If she says no, it’ll take everything I've got to get her to even consider changing her mind."

"Geez, just what did your father ever see in a mare like her?" Apple Boom pondered, at a loss. "She sounds so nasty that I wouldn't touch her with a fifty hoof pole."

"Your guess is as good as mine, maybe she used to be different..." Tiara shrugged, and sighed once more. "...Which is why you're lucky to have such a loving family. Especially on a holiday like this." The pink-coated filly then trotted over to one of the castle windows and gazed longingly out at the snow covered ground surrounding it.

Apple Bloom couldn't stand to see her new friend looking so downcast, but the farm filly was clueless as to how to get Tiara to feel better. Then, she spotted the sweets table, filled with many of her family's delicious homemade apple products, and an ingenious idea entered her head. "They'll probably have some idea as to what I could do. Granny Smith especially has good advice, most of the time." And with her mind made up, the farm filly trotted over to have a hopefully productive chat with her family.





Tiara continued to just gaze out of the castle window out towards the town, wondering solemnly if the day would get better. In the distance, she could just make out the faint outline of her father's business, decorated in festive Hearth's Warming lights. "Well, at least Father hasn't lost his appreciation for the holiday," She noted, to little effect. "If only business wasn't so boring, I'd rather be at work with him instead of just staying here and being reminded of what I don't have."

But then suddenly, Diamond's depressing thoughts were interrupted prematurely, as her nose caught a whiff of something rather delicious. She quickly spun around and spotted Apple Bloom with an apple pie balanced precariously on her nose. "Thought you might like somethin' to eat," Apple Bloom offered, with a sheepish grin. "Never met a pony yet who'd turn down a delicious apple pie made with Sweet Apple Acres apples, whatever their mood."

"Really? You'd let me split that with you?" Tiara replied, as if surprised anypony could be that selfless.

Apple Bloom nodded slightly, and led her pink-coated friend to one of the tables set up in another room of the castle for eating. Once both fillies were seated, they made short work of the pie, devouring it in a matter of seconds. 

"Thanks for the pie," Diamond said genuinely to Apple Bloom, as she wiped a few stray crumbs from her face. "Your family's baking is always so good, I can see why my great grandfather became business partners with your ancestors. It just further proves my point that you're so lucky to have such a wonderful family."

Apple Bloom wasn’t quite that enthusiastic in her reply. "Well, it ain't all sunshine an’ rainbows, ya know. There's plenty to complain about from where I’m sittin’. Take my big sister, Applejack, for example. Sometimes she can be so overprotective of me and it just gets really embarrassin'! At other times, I think she's havin' difficulty understandin' that I'm growin' up, and it makes her a little loco in the coco, as Pinkie might say. Guess I can see how she might be related to us."

"Yeah, your sister can be pretty weird sometimes, I must admit," Tiara agreed, remembering a day when she'd dropped by Sweet Apple Acres in the hopes of playing with Apple Bloom, only to find the older pony acting like a chicken in front of the pig pen (the wealthy filly had wisely decided it was best not to ask for specific details). "But I'm sure she always means well, unlike another grown-up related to me I could mention. Plus, she's so strong, and she's a good friend to Princess Twilight."

"So, that just means she always seems to end up bein' called away on friendship missions or gettin' involved in somethin' else that causes her to be away all the time," Apple Bloom said with a groan. "And Granny Smith, well, she can be pretty wise. But she often tends to be nappin' or blabberin' on about somethin' I have no idea about. As far as my big brother, Big Macintosh is concerned, well, he's a hard guy to pin down since he don't like to talk much. Kind of a shame too, from what Granny Smith told me he used to be quite a chatterbox when he was younger. Sure wish he'd speak a bit more often now, especially since he always seems to have somethin' important to say when he does."

"He must believe that actions speak louder than words," Diamond suggested to her friend. "I overheard Father mention that saying once, don't know what it means though."

Apple Bloom shrugged, unsure of the definition too. "Me either. And of course there was that one time where my brother went on a date with Miss. Cheerilee, the two of 'em had a picnic lunch outside of town," The farm filly gagged a bit at the memory. "At least from what I heard they didn't make mushy love talk like they did when we accidentally gave 'em a love poison."

"Love poison?" Diamond raised an eyebrow, wondering if perhaps that might explain what had drawn her father to her mother in the first place.

Apple Bloom shuddered slightly. "It's a long story, and trust me when I say you're better off not knowin' about it. My friends and I had to spend an entire week doin' all of Big Mac's chores, to say nothin' of how much Applejack and Granny Smith blew their stacks when they found out," Then, after letting out a long and somewhat anguished sigh, the farm filly added: "And there is one thing about my family I'd trade everythin' in Equestria for, especially on today of all days."

If Tiara suspected that what Apple Bloom was going to say next was going to be so revolutionary, it certainly didn't seem to show as she inquired in a rather innocent tone of voice. "What would that be?"

Apple Bloom opened her mouth to respond, but stopped momentarily to glance all around, as if she feared being overheard. When she was certain the coast was clear, she looked across to Diamond, and with a noticeably sorrowful expression she explained. "Well, it's my Ma and Pa. They passed away when I was just a foal and I never really knew 'em. Nopony at Sweet Apple Acres likes to talk about it, and even cousins who were old enough to know about their passin' keep quiet ‘bout it, they all say it ain't right to focus on how they died. They tell me it's best to focus on what they were like when they were livin', and try to move on and be happy 'cause it's what they'd want."

Tiara, not expecting her friend's comment, found herself at a loss for words once more. She wanted to try and cheer the farm filly up, but the words just wouldn't form on her tongue. All she eventually managed to get out was a muffled. "I'm sorry to hear about that."

"It's alright, you didn't know," Apple Bloom sniffled, and you could clearly see the tears in her eyes. "That's why I've always worn a bow just like this one."

"Was it a gift from your parents?" Tiara wondered, assuming the connection was obvious.

Apple Bloom nodded, just a little. "Sort of, this bow at least was. Same goes for the hat my sister likes to wear all the time. But we've got a whole stack of spare bows and hats back home in case of emergencies, and my sister swaps hats frequently, if she knows she's gonna be away from home for a while. She insists I do the same with my bow, that way it can't get lost or tarnished. It’s easy to see my folks passin' affected her far more than it did me, and on holidays like this, it's pretty hard not to be reminded of the fact that they ain't 'round no more." 

Diamond couldn't help but feel guilty, as she felt her heart sink a little. Here she was, moping and complaining about her own neglectful parents, when one of her newest friends had lost both her mother and father before she was even old enough to really know them. 

"I know it’s hard, havin' to live with that fact, and it always does make Hearth's Warmin' a little more somber," Apple Bloom continued. "But at the same time it serves as a reminder to us all that we gotta make the most of every day, 'cause we may not always live to see tomorrow. Life's short, so it's best to take the time ya have to appreciate what ya got. And while we're on the subject of family, don't you have any kind of nice Hearth's Warmin' memories with your folks?"

"Not really," Tiara unhappily replied. She was hoping this subject wouldn’t come up. "I mean, Father has occasionally taken me sledding or to build snowponies, and I seem to recall that when I was younger, he tried to take Hearth's Warming off to spend time with me. But Mother never once really tried to get into the spirit of the holiday, she'd just spend a little money on some random gift and make a big thing of letting me know that it was all I was getting from her until my birthday."

"Well that stinks, such a pity your mom don't have that Hearth's Warmin' spirit like your dad does." Apple Bloom bemoaned her friend’s unfortunate situation.

"Yeah," Tiara said with an elongated sigh, before a long forgotten memory suddenly came flashing back to the forefront of her mind. "And, now that I really think about it, I seem to remember there was at least one occasion where I truly had a fond Hearth's Warming experience with Mother. I think it was the Hearth's Warming, just after I'd gotten my cutie mark." 

"Oh?" Apple Bloom observed, curious as to whether or not she'd get more details. After all, she was never one to pry. She didn't have to wait long for her unspoken question to be answered, though.

"Mom accompanied Dad and I as we went to go see my grandparents," Diamond recalled, racking the depths of her brain for details. "I believe Father wanted to show off my new cutie mark to them. Mother actually bundled up and spent a little time with me, while Father largely spent our time at my grandparents house talking with them. I think they lived on a moderate country house just outside Fillydelphia, and they treated us all to dinner and a show later at a local theater." 

"Hey, I think Applejack mentioned she heard from Rarity that Hinny of the Hills got its big debut in a theater just outside of downtown Fillydelphia, before it hit Bridleway!" Apple Bloom raised her voice excitedly. "Was that the play you guys saw?!"

"I think it was, but I fell asleep midway through," Diamond confessed, blushing at her past inattention. "Plays didn't hold my interest as much back then as they do now. That must've been the same Hearth's Warming where you and your fellow Crusaders got to see your big sisters and their friends perform the story of the founding of Equestria in Canterlot."

"Yeah, but I'd have given anythin' to see Hinny of the Hills instead. Applejack says if Rainbow Dash of all ponies likes it, it has to be good!" Apple Bloom smiled, glad that Scootaloo wasn’t around to hear that. "Too bad it ain't on Bridleway anymore and it ain't comin' 'round these parts anytime soon."

"Guess that means I was all the more lucky to see it back then… at least, part of it," Tiara realized, before sighing with frustration. "I just wish some of my other Hearth's Warmings could be like that one, back when Mother at least 'pretended' to care about me, and her and Father weren't always arguing. But at least now Father and I are aware of Mother's true colors, and with any luck maybe Mother will finally get the message that we're sick and tired of her selfish behavior. I always hope Father would take a bit of time off to spend with me, he says Barnyard Bargains makes plenty of money for us, so I don't see how it would kill him to not work on Hearth's Warming."

Much to Diamond's surprise, Apple Bloom offered up an eager hoof and told her pink-coated friend. "Well, how would you like to spend Hearth's Warmin' with my family? I'm sure we’d love to have ya, just as long as you don't mind eatin' lots of juicy apples and bringing along your own Hearth's Warmin' doll to hang above the fireplace. Think of it as my way of repayin' you for that Hearth's Warmin' shindig you hosted last year."

Tiara became ecstatic at the offer, practically leaping into the air in excitement and bouncing around at a speed that would've made even Pinkie Pie jealous. "Oh thank you, THANK YOU! Thank you SO much, Apple Bloom!" She squealed in delight, not minding the complete loss of dignity in the absence of her mother’s scrutiny. "You've given me the best Hearth's Warming present I could've possibly asked for! I mean, short of Father showing up at the party, but let's be honest, that hasn't got the chance of a snowball in Tartarus of happening."



                            

Just then though, in the midst of Diamond Tiara’s jubilation, there came an unexpected knock on the front doors of the castle, which everypony found most odd. The celebrations were already in full swing, so who in their right mind would be showing up at this late hour? They'd already decorated the tree and sung a few carols, and most of the prizes for the party games that had been hoofed out, to say nothing of the fact that most of the food and drinks provided were already gone.

Apple Bloom and Diamond rushed to the front of the castle, with the pink-coated filly taking a clear lead. Her heart was racing with anticipation that she could barely suppress. "Could it really be?! No, it's not possible!" She breathlessly thought, yet she still somehow managed to open up the doors anyway.

Into the castle trotted Filthy Rich, and following him from a careful distance was his wife, Spoiled. Both of them were noticeably dressed up for the cold snap outside, with Filthy having exchanged his signature tie for a bright red scarf with green trim and a matching hat and earmuffs, as well as a simple wool coat of red. As for Spoiled, she too was wearing a hat and scarf, but they were both a simple dull gray in color. To match her gloomy temperament, some might say. Everypony froze, and not just because of the chilly blast of wind the opening of the large double doors had let in briefly.

"Father, you came!" Tiara exclaimed happily, rushing up to embrace him in a fond hug.

Filthy smiled, enjoying the sensation of his child’s affection. "Yup, hope I'm not too late to join in on the festivities."

"Of course not, there's still lots for us all to do! We're gonna party all night long!" Diamond declared, squeezing her father even tighter before she hesitantly asked him: "But, why did you show up now? I thought you had to work tonight."

"Business was pretty slow today, practically nopony wanted to do any shoppin'," Filthy explained, patting his daughter lightly on the forehead. "Besides, Hearth's Warmin' only comes once a year doesn’t it, my little Diamond? Your mother and I reckoned the least we could do was celebrate it right here with our pride and joy, ain't that right hun?" 

Filthy seemed to briefly cast a stern glare in Spoiled’s general direction, which appeared to have its intended effect, as the mare known for almost always frowning and turning her nose up at everything, finally forced a half-grin onto her face, as she remarked somewhat hesitantly. "O..of course, dear. What a... wonderful way to celebrate a holiday."

"Exactly," Filthy nodded with satisfaction, happy that his earlier lecture to her appeared to have worked wonders. "Nice to see ya gettin' into the spirit of the holiday for a change, dear." He then gave Tiara a knowing wink.

Tiara was absolutely thrilled to have her parents for the evening, but one look at Apple Bloom reminded her of the little talk they'd had earlier, so she asked her father. "Can I go over to Sweet Apple Acres and spend Hearth's Warming with the Apples tomorrow, please? Apple Bloom offered before I even knew you were going to be coming home."

"Well, if you have permission from them, then of course you can," Filthy agreed to his daughter’s proposal in earnest. "But I hope at least you'll hang around tomorrow until after we open presents. I think you're gonna really like what I got ya this year."

But Tiara immediately told him, after her recent chat with Apple Bloom and finding out about her life. "You've already given me the best gift I could've ever asked for, Father. You’re here, right now. I love you so much. You’re the best dad ever!"

Filthy blushed, unused to this show of adoration from his filly. "Aw shucks, darlin’. I love you too. It's nothin', really," But even Apple Bloom could tell he appreciated all the praise he was getting. He then cleared his throat and addressed Diamond and Apple Bloom together. "Now, why don't you two fillies run along and ask the Apples if it's okay for Diamond to spend tomorrow at Sweet Apple Acres? I think they’d appreciate the heads up..."

"Will do, Mr. Rich!" Apple Bloom avowed, and seized a surprised Tiara around the neck. "Come on, the sooner we talk to my family, the quicker you can come over for Hearth's Warmin'! We're gonna have so much fun!" And the two fillies sped away as fast as their little hooves could carry them. If all went well, they’d have a Hearth’s Warming Day unlike any other in their young lives.