Accidentally on Purpose
By 'Cuteness Overlord'
(~Ijab featuring Bookish Delight)
A beautiful pink filly stood in front of her large, oak-framed mirror. With her nose tilted up, she used a golden-handled brush to stroke her two-toned mane to a wavy perfection.
The morning sunlight flooded her bedroom which caused her hair to shine all the more. She twirled around and her tail wrapped around her small body as she spun. Satisfied with her now well-groomed and lustrous coat, she put down her brush and gripped the sparkling tiara that rested upon her dresser.
She placed the shimmering piece of jewelry atop her head and narrowed her eyes with a slick grin. "Perfect."
A hard tap-tap sounded close by.
Diamond Tiara jumped at the noise, then glanced at her bedroom door with a scowl. She marched up to the door and yanked it open with a huff as she made way for her friend to pass. "Silver Spoon, what are you doing here so early?"
Silver winced at the harsh undertone in her friend's voice but forced a smile. "What? It's not that early. I just thought you'd want to know my dad said we can travel in the same train car with you guys tomorrow."
"Hmm," Diamond Tiara scoffed as she trotted back to her mirror and continued brushing. "Have you ever even been to Manehattan? I've been there three times already, and it's not a city for... lesser ponies."
Silver Spoon stood behind her friend and gave another wide smile. "I haven't been there yet, but I'm really looking forward to it. I'm just glad I have a friend like you to look out for me while we're there, because it would be really lame if it was just me and my dad."
A grin slithered across Diamond's face as she sat her brush down. "You are lucky to have a friend like me, aren't you?" She trotted past Silver Spoon, brushing a gentle, tickling hoof beneath her chin as she went.
With several quick nods, Silver Spoon followed her friend to her bed. Diamond Tiara climbed onto her luxurious pillow-top mattress, sank into her plush down comforter and closed her eyes while she soaked in the softness. Silver Spoon joined her, reveling in the cloud-like comfort of the only bed in Ponyville to outmatch hers.
"You're so lucky. My dad says down feathers are cruel," Silver said as she relaxed in the overwhelming softness.
Diamond rolled her eyes beneath closed lids and sighed. "Do we have anything to do today?"
Silver shrugged and rolled onto her side to face Diamond. "No, we don't. Ugh, Ponyville summers can be so boring. I can't wait to spend this one with you in Manehattan."
"Hmm... I can't wait to leave either." Diamond Tiara leaned over and faced her friend before she reached out and took the little gray hoof into her own. "What do you think we should do to kill the time, then?"
Silver Spoon blushed and shrugged, her eyes fixated on her hoof.
Diamond smiled and pulled away before she hopped off her bed, trotted back to her mirror and adjusted the jewel-lined crown atop her mane. "Let's go to the park."
With more quick nods Silver Spoon rolled off the bed. She stood behind her friend, then met her eyes through the mirror and smiled. "You look great, Diamond."
The richer of the two fillies nodded and closed her eyes. "I know. Now let's get going."
The two departed through the bedroom door and trotted down a regal carpeted stairway to the Rich Manor's double-door entrance. Diamond pressed through the front door, and the two fillies were immediately greeted by fresh late-morning air. She closed her eyes and smiled, taking a deep breath as the sun peeked over the treetops to warm her cheeks.
Diamond Tiara then pointed her nose down the street and started leading the way to the park. "Come on! I'm in the mood to be pushed on the swing."
Silver Spoon obediently nodded with a smile and hurried to her friend's side. Diamond Tiara grinned as she thought about her impending trip, imagining a summer filled to the brim with luxury and high class.
"This is going to be, like, the best summer ever. I'm so excited." Diamond beamed and looked over at her swooning friend.
"The best part is that I'll get to spend it with my best friend. We're going to have so much fun. I can't wait!" Silver Spoon squeaked out in delight.
Diamond Tiara stifled a chuckle and nodded.
The two continued down the short road to the park, where they immediately encountered an obstacle. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo sat on the only two swings, while Sweetie Belle merrily hopped in circles around them.
Diamond marched straight up to them and scowled. "What do you three losers think you're doing?"
Scootaloo rolled her eyes while Apple Bloom forced a smile and hoped to avoid a confrontation. Both slowly came to a halt on their chain-suspended seats. "Us? We're just playin'. What're you doin'?"
"I came here because I want to play on the swing, so move it!" Diamond Tiara ordered.
Sweetie Belle trotted in between her classmate and her friends. "We were here first, and it's my turn to swing next, so get in line."
"Get in line?" Diamond Tiara scoffed and looked back at Silver Spoon where she found a burst of encouragement in her supportive purple eyes. Emboldened, she added, "How about you three blank flanks scram, before we make you scram!"
Diamond nudged Sweetie Belle out of her way, then Apple Bloom stood up on the swing and held on to the chains with her front hooves. The angry little mare stared up into Apple Bloom's eyes and snarled.
"Get down!" Diamond Tiara shouted.
Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow and rocked herself back and forth on the swing. "Shoo. You can't boss us around."
Diamond grabbed onto the chains and pulled herself up, while Apple Bloom leaned down to face her with a smile. The condescending look on Apple Bloom's face set a blaze in Diamond's stomach.
"Who do you think you are?! If I tell you to do something, you do it!"
As Diamond shouted, Apple Bloom lost her balance. With a grin, Diamond Tiara jumped back off of the swing and turned around to casually bump her flank against the seat.
As Apple Bloom toppled, she flailed her hooves in an attempt to regain her bearings, but to no avail. Knocked backwards, her bottom hoof slipped off of the seat, and the rest of her followed. Apple Bloom shielded her face in a panic as she tucked in her legs and hit the ground with a dull crack.
"Dang it! Why'd ya... owwweeeheeeheee!" Apple Bloom shrieked out, her front hooves wrapped around her back left leg.
Diamond Tiara gulped and looked back at Silver Spoon with a frown and wide eyes as Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle rushed to their crying friend's side. Apple Bloom bit down on her tongue and squeezed her teary eyes shut, groaning.
"I think her leg is broken! I'm gonna go get help." Scootaloo cantered past Diamond with gritted teeth, hopped onto her scooter and zipped down the street.
With a furrowed brow she stepped towards Apple Bloom, who was clutching her leg and sobbing as Sweetie Belle wiped her tears. Silver Spoon stepped behind her friend, her eyes and ears lowered. Diamond Tiara grimaced and covered her mouth. "I... I didn't mean for..."
Sweetie Belle snapped her teeth with a harsh glare. "Swing's free. Happy?"
Diamond stepped backwards and tears welled up in her eyes. Before she could speak, Applejack and Nurse Redheart came galloping down the street, followed by several other ponies toting a medical cart. Sweetie stood up and backed out of the way as they lifted the injured little filly into the cart.
"What in the hay happened?" Applejack asked with a twisted frown while she looked each filly over.
"It was her fault. She pushed her off the swing!" Sweetie Belle pointed an accusing hoof at Diamond Tiara, who quickly shook her head and backed away.
"No! It... it was an accident! Ask Silver Spoon!" Diamond fought back tears as she glanced around at all the angry, incriminating eyes around her, and a sinking sensation flooded her lungs.
"Well, did ya push her down?" Applejack demanded as she stepped towards her, and the worry in her eyes was replaced with a fearsome glare.
"No! I mean... I bumped the swing because I... I..." Nearly hyperventilating, Diamond Tiara took several steps backwards, and as Silver Spoon moved to place her hoof on her shoulder, she turned and ran towards home. Silver Spoon bit her lip as she watched Apple Bloom wiping her tears, then she turned to chase after her friend.
After making her way down the street, Diamond Tiara stopped at her front door and turned back at Silver Spoon, who stood still with a twisted frown.
"Just go home, Spoon," Diamond said as she slipped inside and locked the door behind herself, sliding down to the floor with her hooves over her churning stomach.
***
Apple Bloom glanced up at her sister as she shook her head and sighed.
"Heck, we'll deal with her later. Let's get you taken care of. You've gotta be in agony right now," Applejack said before she leaned down and kissed her sister's forehead.
"I'm not feelin' too too bad." Apple Bloom leaned up to looked down at her swollen leg and wiped the tears from her eyes as the nurse carefully ran her hoof across it.
"I'm afraid it's going to get a lot worse in a few minutes if we don't hurry back to the hospital," Redheart said as she pulled out a syringe and stuck it into Apple Bloom's right foreleg. "Hold still, sweetheart."
Applejack gulped with a frown as her sister winced and squeezed her eyes shut. "What do ya mean it's gonna get a lot worse? If that's the case then let's get a move on!"
Nurse Redheart smiled and placed a hoof on the troubled mare's shoulder. "Right now her body has released a burst of endorphins which are dulling her pain, but that won't last forever. I need to wait a minute for the pain medication to begin to take effect before we try and move her, otherwise the bumps on the road will be absolutely agonizing." She then turned and patted the Apple Bloom on the head. "But don't worry; you won't feel a thing, sweetheart."
Apple Bloom grinned, slightly dizzy. "I feel... good," she said slowly, hardly even acknowledging the pearl nurse's assurances.
As giggles emerged from Apple Bloom, Nurse Redheart nodded to the EMT's, who began the process of carefully toting her back to the hospital. Applejack couldn't help but smile at her dopey sister, then shook her head in worry as she followed close behind.
"These fillies are gonna drive me crazy one day, I swear."
***
Later that evening, there was a knock at the door of Rich Manor, and Diamond Tiara's ears perked up. She quietly scooted to the edge of the upper-floor's railing and peeked down at doorway as she chewed on the tips of her hooves.
Filthy Rich himself stood up from his large plush recliner, then carefully folded his newspaper and tapped his pipe before he headed to the door. After adjusting his glossy silken tie, he opened the door and raised an eyebrow. "Oh hello, Applejack. Zap Apple Season already?"
"Uh... n-no, not yet." Applejack cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "I'm here to talk to you about somethin' your daughter took part in this mornin' at the playground."
"Oh?" Filthy raised his other eyebrow to match the first and stepped aside to welcome the mare in. "Please, come inside."
Still spying from the top of the stairs, Diamond Tiara cringed and covered her eyes with her hooves. She softly groaned as the two talked and pressed her hooves over her eyes while she let herself fall backwards. Her tiara tumbled from her head and bounced across the floor with a series of quiet clanks.
"Diamond Tiara! Get down here this instant!" Filthy Rich shouted.
She winced beneath her father's harsh voice, then stood up to trot downstairs. As she headed down, two sets of angry eyes burned into her heart and chipped away at the little confidence she had left. "Y-yes, father?"
"Tell me what happened at the park this morning, and why I'm hearing about it only now!" Filthy placed a hoof to his chin, his gaze harsh and his brow furrowed.
With a deep breath, Diamond Tiara bit her lip and looked down. "I-I-I didn't mean for her to get hurt... I just wanted to embarrass her."
"What did you do?" Filthy reiterated.
"I wanted to swing, but her and her friends were already there, so I... I just... sh-she should have listened to me and just moved!" Diamond snarled and huffed, her front hooves shaky.
"So let me get this straight: you wanted to play on a swing set, but she was using it. So when she refused to move when you told her to, you pushed her off of it?" Filthy sighed and shook his head. "Haven't I taught you better than that?"
Diamond Tiara's lip quivered as she tried in vain to hold back her tears. "But dad... It was an accident."
"That's not entirely true, now is it? You didn't push her by mistake. Maybe the results weren't what you had anticipated, but you committed an act of violence against your fellow classmate nonetheless. You have crossed the line this time! Now go to your room!" Filthy Rich pointed upstairs with a commanding hoof. "We'll discuss your punishment when I can think of something suitable."
Diamond obediently lowered her head and dragged her hooves while she slumped her way towards the stairway. Her ears fell flat and she huffed as she stomped the rest of the way into her room, then slammed the bedroom door behind herself.
***
Applejack flinched as the slam broke the silence, then she widened her eyes and glanced back at Filthy Rich with a blush.
"I'm so sorry about my daughter's behavior, Applejack. Of course I'll cover the medical bills. Tell me, is little Apple Bloom feeling well?" the wealthy stallion asked.
"She's doin' good. Just a buckle fracture in her left hind leg. Heck, she's probably a little happy about this whole thing. Since the doctor said she's gonna have to wear a cast all summer, she's getting outta doin' her chores. On the down side, she's gonna miss a whole summer of playtime with her friends." Applejack sighed and shook her head.
"Hmm," Filthy hummed as he placed his hoof on his chin. "Diamond Tiara needs to learn her lesson. I have a proposition for you."
"That bein'?"
"I'm leaving for Manehattan tomorrow morning, and I was already thinking of making Diamond stay behind as punishment. What do you say to having her stay with you at the farmhouse and picking up all of Apple Bloom's chores? That filly could use a mare like you to teach her a thing or two about a hard day's work. Maybe it'll do her some good."
Applejack tilted her head and thought for a moment. "Well, we are gonna be able to use an extra set of hooves 'round the farm 'til AB gets better... Shoot, why not? Maybe those two'll learn to get along while they're at it."
"Very well. And again, I apologize for my daughter's less-than-gracious behavior. I'll send her over to the farm first thing in the morning." With a mutual nod of respect, Filthy shut the door and went back to his seat.
"Diamond, come downstairs," he called out loudly. "I have something to tell you."
***
As Applejack inched the farmhouse door open and stepped inside, Apple Bloom peeked up at her sister, then smiled and returned to her coloring book. She sat upright on a large sofa with her cast leg propped up on a pillow as she colored. Applejack smiled at her little sister and carefully took a seat next to her. "Guess what?"
"What?" Apple Bloom asked absentmindedly as she continued to draw on the blank paper with crayons.
"We're gonna have a guest staying with us this summer. I expect you to be neighborly and treat her right. Ya hear?" Applejack gulped at the thought of her sister's next question.
"Mm-hmm. Who is it?" she muttered, a crayon in her mouth.
Applejack ruefully chuckled and took a deep breath. She then forced herself to take on a strong stance and steeled her nerves. "It's Diamond Tiara. She's gonna stay with us over the summer and help out with the chores you won't be able to do."
Apple Bloom's eye twitched as she snapped her crayon in half with her teeth. She spat the wax out in disgust, then reared her head up. "Ya mean the little hayseed responsible for my leg? That Diamond Tiara?!"
"Hush now, Sugarcube. Ya know she didn't mean to hurt you, and I think some time together could do you two some good," Applejack explained.
Apple Bloom groaned and forced her face against the cushions. Applejack crossed her hooves and shook her head. "I don't wanna hear it. This is what's happenin', and I expect you to be a good host. Uh... she's also gonna sleep in your room. Seein' as we don't have anywhere else for her to stay."
Apple Bloom sobbed into the cushions as she heard all her sister had said. She huffed and turned to face the bearer of bad news.
"Don'tcha think I've been through enough? Diamond hates me and she's just gonna make my life miserable!"
"Hush now, Apple Bloom! I done told ya I don't wanna hear it."
"But-"
***
"No buts about it missy. You're going to do as I say, and I don't want to hear another word." Filthy Rich turned his back to his daughter and unfolded his news paper.
Diamond Tiara stomped her hooves and took several deep breaths in disbelief. "This... this isn't fair!"
"Do you think it's fair that Apple Bloom has to spend her summer in a cast? Go get your bags ready. You're going to the farmhouse first thing in the morning." Paying little attention to his daughter, he turned the page.
Diamond bit her lip and growled before she turned around and stormed upstairs.
Filthy sighed and shook his head as she slammed her bedroom door shut. "What am I going to do with you?"
***
The sun inched over the treetops of Sweet Apple Acres on a crisp summer morning, and its golden rays of warmth spread out across the fields. Diamond Tiara and her father trotted up the hill and through the gate in time to see Applejack tending to the critters and her daily chores.
"Mornin'!" Applejack called out as she rushed to greet them. "Y'all set?"
Rich nodded and nudged his daughter, who sighed and rolled her eyes. "Hello Applejack. Thank you for having me. I'm sorry about Apple Bloom," Diamond Tiara said in a flat, dry voice after setting down her large pink duffle-bag.
"Well shucks, don't sound so happy to be here," Applejack teased as she playfully ruffled her mane.
"Take care, Diamond. I love you," Filthy Rich said as he turned to leave.
Diamond Tiara winced and fought back her quickly rising tears. "Tell Silver Spoon that I'll miss her?"
Her father nodded with a soft smile and walked back down the dirt road towards Ponyville.
Applejack put on a bright smile and waved the stallion off. "Have a safe trip, Filthy!"
"I prefer Rich," he said before he brushed off his tie and he glanced backwards over his shoulder. "And thank you. Take good care of my little girl."
"Will do!" Applejack picked up Diamond's bag, then placed a hoof on her shoulder and led her to the front door.
Diamond Tiara gazed around the simple farmhouse as they entered, an expression of absolute horror plastered across her face. She cringed at the rustic wood-paneling, and raised an eyebrow at the old green mare snoozing away and drooling in a rocking-chair.
With a groan, she drooped her ears and lowered her eyes to the floor. It was even worse than she'd imagined.
"Chin up, li'l filly. It ain't so bad 'round here once ya get used to it." Applejack trotted upstairs and showed the Diamond Tiara to her new room.
She opened Apple Bloom's bedroom door and welcomed Diamond in. The little redheaded filly in question was snoring loudly with her limbs stretched out and her mouth hanging wide open, a scene that caused Diamond to cringe yet again.
"Rise n' shine! Your guest is here!" Applejack shouted with a sparkling smile.
Apple Bloom's eyes popped open and she sat straight up before she wiped a trail of drool from her chin. She clumsily matted her messy mane down and shook her head, still very groggy. "Wha..."
Diamond raised an eyebrow and recoiled. "Ewww."
"Well okay then. I'll let y'all get settled in, and if ya need me, I'll be downstairs." Applejack wiped her brow and backed out of the bedroom.
Diamond pushed her bag over and sat on it. "This already sucks."
"You're tellin' me." Apple Bloom carefully leaned her broken leg over one side of the mattress, then grabbed her crutches and slid herself off the bed. "You can put your things here."
Diamond Tiara gritted her teeth and forced herself to look away as Apple Bloom slowly hobbled over to her dresser and struggled to stay upright on her crutches. She pulled open an empty drawer and gestured to the rest. "I cleared my stuff out of here for you."
"Thanks," Diamond mumbled and dragged her luggage across the floor.
"Don't thank me. I only did it 'cause AJ told me to," Apple Bloom noted and awkwardly shifted towards the door. "I'm gonna go try 'n take a shower."
Diamond scratched at her head with one hoof as she waited for Apple Bloom to leave, then turned to unpack her bag. She pulled out a pink silk nightgown, refolded it, and sat it in the lower drawer. Next she lifted her golden brush and a jewel-lined mirror from the bag, and sat them both atop the dresser. Lastly, she grabbed her gem-speckled ballroom dress and folded it into the middle drawer.
With a deep sigh, she trotted up to Apple Bloom's bed and took a seat. It wasn't nearly as soft, big, well-decorated, or comfortable as her own, but she still managed to find some comfort as she forcefully fell onto her back and lay across the foot of the bed.
This isn't fair, she thought as she rested a foreleg across her eyes. Silver gets to have the best summer ever... without me.
Apple Bloom shoved past the door and clumsily made her way to the bed. "Well, at least I got to wash my mane." She plopped down backwards onto the mattress, flinging chilling droplets of water all over Diamond.
With a drawn-out groan, Diamond jumped off of the bed and did her best to wipe herself off. "Ugh," she grunted as she slid her duffle bag up against the wall, then pulled out her large plush pillow. She curled up against the wall and squeezed her pillow as she bit her tongue and homesickness sunk in.
"Breakfast's prob'ly ready. Get downstairs if you wanna eat," Apple Bloom said as she limped on her crutches out of her bedroom.
Diamond Tiara snapped her teeth and buried her face into the cushion, fighting back her tears. "Why did this have to happen?" she asked herself, her voice muffled as she huffed.
Apple Bloom carefully made her way down the stairs with the help of her older sister, who sighed and headed back up as soon as her sister took her seat. Applejack pressed the door open and peeked inside, spotting the little pink ball cuddled up against her pillow on the floor.
"Hey there, Sugarcube. Come join us for some breakfast. We got biscuits n' gravy hot and ready to eat! Yum!"
Diamond Tiara groaned and flattened her ears, then pressed herself against the pillow even more tightly. "I'm not hungry."
"Aw come on now, don't be shy. There's plenty for every-"
"I said I'm not hungry! Leave me alone!" Diamond shouted and snarled before she buried her face back into the cushion.
Applejack cringed and gulped, then took a step backwards. "Uhm... okay then. If ya change your mind, you're welcome to join us," she said as she tipped her hat and backed out of the bedroom.
Diamond Tiara winced beneath hunger pangs and the growling of her stomach. She did her best to ignore them by biting her tongue and screaming into her pillow.
***
Apple Bloom watched her sister with wide eyes as she took a seat at the kitchen table and poked at her breakfast with a crooked frown. "Y'alright, Sis?"
The older mare nodded and glanced to her sister with a gentle smile. "I'm just a tad worried about your little friend upstairs. A growin' filly's gotta eat, but I don't wanna force her to come down here."
"She ain't my friend, and she can starve for all I care," Apple Bloom mumbled before taking a hearty bite of her meal.
"Apple Bloom!" Applejack scowled. "You know better than to talk like that. Now eat your food and then go make peace."
She simply grunted and stared at her plate with a frown.
Applejack sighed and shook her head as she took her last bite, then headed into the kitchen. As she trotted back by towards the front door, she patted her sister's mane and kissed her forehead. "You've got a good heart, kiddo. I know you'll do the right thing," she said before she stepped outside.
Apple Bloom squinted at her partially completed meal, and images of Diamond Tiara groaning in agonizing hunger pains flooded her mind. She quickly shook them away and scarfed down the rest of her food with an adamant huff. Flustered and torn, she hobbled into the living room and sprawled herself out across the plush sofa, the repetitious creaking of her grandmother's rocking chair lulling her into a familiar sense of comfort.
***
Diamond Tiara stared blankly across the room, and the back of her mind wandered to an image of Silver Spoon sitting alone, bored in a luxurious private train car. Her eyes slowly inched closed, and her tantrum-filled night caught up to her at last. With a deep yawn, she shut her eyes completely and snuggled her cheek against the plush pillow.
When she opened her eyes again, she stretched and groaned, her mind still shrouded in a grumpy grogginess. She then noticed the sun painting a soft orange glow on the bedroom walls as she leaned up. Diamond Tiara wiped her eyes and traced the walls while hoping to spot a clock. Still, she knew a sunset when she saw it.
The sound of laughter caught her attention. She wobbled to her hooves and winced beneath renewed hunger pains while her stomach churned.
"You're silly!" a muffled voice sounded from behind the bedroom door.
Diamond Tiara slowly stepped towards the door and inched it open, then poked her head out.
"Typical Apple Bloom. She's always gotta have the first roll hot outta the oven. Am I right?" Applejack laughed.
"Eeyup," a deep voice answered.
Diamond Tiara leaned out further, her eyes fixed on the floor. With each loving burst of laughter from the dining room, she recoiled further. The warm aroma of freshly baked bread beckoned her down, but she instead turned back into the bedroom and slammed the door shut.
Applejack dropped her smile and glanced towards the stairway, then her gaze shifted to Apple Bloom. She wore a frown and shook her head while she mumbled beneath her breath.
"Come on, Sugarcube. Go take her some food. I'll help ya up the steps." Applejack stood up and placed several bread rolls on a plate.
Apple Bloom sighed and nodded, then inched herself off of her chair and taking the plate with her teeth. Her older sister smiled and nodded and trotted by her side while she supported her weight, and they slowly made their way upstairs.
Diamond Tiara gulped as she heard the hoofsteps growing louder. She paced the room, then quickly returned to her cushion, forcing her eyes shut.
The door inched open, and Apple Bloom stepped in on her crutches. She carefully sat the plate down on the nightstand by her bed and leaned back onto her mattress as the crutches fell to the floor, and she muttered, "I hate those things."
Diamond scoffed and rolled away to face the wall beneath the bedroom window.
"If you're hungry, you can have these rolls. There's prob'ly leftovers downstairs still, too," Apple Bloom added.
Diamond gritted her teeth and pressed harder against the pillow.
"Well if you ain't gonna eat 'em, guess I'll just help myself." Apple Bloom grinned and reached for the plate.
"Wait." Diamond Tiara held onto her growling stomach and sat up. "I... I want them."
Apple Bloom looked into Diamond's watery blue eyes and nodded. "Then they're yours. We don't need ya starvin' to death in here."
Diamond stood and trotted over to the plate, then bit down on it and carried back to her spot on the floor. She curled up onto her pillow and nibbled on the still warm bread.
Apple Bloom frowned and pulled a blanket over herself, then rolled onto her side and closed her eyes. "You're welcome."
Diamond finished her last bite, then laid flat on her back and stared up at the dark blue ceiling as starlight speckled the night sky. She winced again at the thought of Silver Spoon traveling away on her trip, particularly of how her closest and only friend was so far out of reach.
She bit her lip, sniffled, and wiped her eyes, wishing she could just go home.
***
"Y'all ready for breakfast?!" Applejack peeked her head through her sister's bedroom door and shouted, a large smile plastered across her face.
Both fillies groaned and slowly leaned up, then wiped the grogginess from their eyes. Apple Bloom smiled and wiped the drool from her cheek before carefully grabbing her crutches and sliding out of bed.
Diamond Tiara reluctantly followed as she matted her messy mane down, and her bad attitude slipped away as she met the sweet aroma flooding the stairway. Applejack lifted her little sister in her front hooves and carefully carried her down the steps, and Diamond couldn't help but smile at the sight.
"Thanks, Sis." She kissed her sister's cheek and hobbled towards the dinner table.
Applejack nudged Diamond into the kitchen and followed. "Don't be shy now. There's plenty to go around."
Diamond looked around at the table and noted the unfamiliar faces watching her every move, certain they resented and blamed her entirely for Apple Bloom's injury. With a deep breath, she swallowed her discomfort as Applejack stood behind her and placed her hooves on her shoulders. "Listen up. This here is Diamond Tiara. She's gonna spend a couple months here while her dad's away on business. Now I know what you're all thinkin', and Diamond here didn't mean to hurt Apple Bloom. Isn't that right?"
Diamond nodded and Apple Bloom rolled her eyes with a scoff.
"Say hello to my family. That there's my big brother, Big Macintosh. Next to him is Granny Smith, who I think y'already met. Then there's me and Apple Bloom." Applejack smiled and patted her little sister on her head.
"Well ain'tcha just the cutest l'il filly I ever seen," Granny said from across the table, and Big Mac nodded in agreement.
"Hiya Diamond. How about you tell us all somethin' about yourself?" Apple Bloom asked with a devilish grin.
Applejack nodded. "That's a great idea. Best we all get to know ya better right away, since you're gonna be stayin' a whie."
Diamond Tiara gulped and shrugged. "What do you want to know?"
"What's it like bein' spoiled rotten?" Apple Bloom asked with a chuckle.
"Hey! You behave yourself, little lady!" Applejack scolded her sister from across the room. "Ask your friend a real question while I serve up a nice hot breakfast."
Diamond snickered at Apple Bloom, who crossed her front hooves and stuck her tongue out. Applejack trotted back into the dining room with a large tray holding five tall plates of steaming hot pancakes.
"Here y'all go. Whipped 'em up lickity split." The mare sat a plate in front of each pony before trotting back into the kitchen. "Well, Sis? I didn't hear you ask nothin' yet."
"Come on Apple Bloom, I'm an open book. Don't you want your family to get to know me better?" Diamond Tiara sharply stared into her eyes, while Granny Smith and Big Mac glanced back and forth at one another.
"Okay," Apple Bloom thought for a moment. "What's your favorite thing to do? Besides bein' a big bully—I'm just sayin' 'cause I never see you do anythin' else."
Applejack stepped back into the dining room with a checkered apron and a crooked frown. She then brought out a series of toppings for the breakfast and placed them across the table while glaring at Apple Bloom.
Diamond Tiara looked down and adjusted her sparkling jewelry. "I, uhm..." She looked around the table at all the ponies who were preparing to eat and hardly paying attention to her. "I guess my favorite thing to do is to dress up and attend my father's dinner parties and charity balls. You know, the things I can't do this summer because I'm stuck here."
"And whose fault is that?" Apple Bloom added.
"Yours!" Diamond smacked the table and shouted.
Applejack swallowed a mouthful of pancakes and waved the two fillies down. "Easy now. You two need to get along, startin' right now."
"How the hay is it my fault that you pushed me off the swing?!" Apple Bloom smacked the table harder and hoisted herself upright.
"Girls..." Applejack scratched her chin and chuckled.
"You should have just moved when I gave you the chance! It's not my fault that you're clumsy and fall over at the slightest nudge!"
"Heh, alright now. That's about enough." Applejack tilted her hat and lowered her ears.
"Slight nudge? Are you kidding me?!" Apple Bloom slumped back in her chair and glared across the table. "You're crazy... There's really somethin' wrong with you, ain't there?"
"That's enough!" Big Macintosh shouted. "You two be quiet and eat your breakfast. Y'all got chores to tend to."
Diamond Tiara and Apple Bloom each froze, then silently agreed with a shared look to argue another time. In awkward silence, the five ponies ate their breakfast, the only sound being the occasional pinging of metal against porcelain. Diamond Tiara had saturated her pancakes with maple syrup before digging in, and as usual, Applejack was the first to finish her meal.
"Whoo-ee. That's good eatin'. Now who's ready to get some chores done?" Applejack asked while she rubbed her stomach.
Diamond silently groaned as she finished her last sticky, sugary bite. The farm mare then stacked up the empty plates, and Big Mac headed outside without a second glance. Granny Smith yawned and rubbed her full stomach, then removed her false teeth and dropped them into a glass of water.
Diamond turned away in disgust. "Let's go Apple Bloom. Show me what I have to do so we can just get it over with already."
Mutually repulsed by her grandmother's antics, Apple Bloom slid off of her chair and onto her crutches. "Right this way."
Diamond Tiara reluctantly followed Apple Bloom towards the front door, and nervousness suddenly began to overtake her. "So, what am I supposed to do anyway?"
"Just do what I tell ya so you don't hurt yourself..." Apple Bloom continued outside and slowly made her way towards the barn. "Ya see, Applejack said I was ready for responsibilities 'round the farm, so now I'm in charge of takin' care o' this pig on top of my regular chores."
"Pig?" Diamond Tiara swallowed hard. "How do you... take care of it?"
"Easy! Ya just scrub the mud out from between her hooves and wipe 'er down. Then ya fill her bucket up with yesterday's mushy old apples," Apple Bloom explained as she hobbled to the wooden pen.
Diamond hesitated while repugnance grew inside her churning stomach. "I'm not touching that thing."
"Aw come on. Don't be such a baby. Look, I think she likes you!" Apple Bloom waved at the muddy animal from the outside of the pen.
"Oink," the pig replied.
Apple Bloom giggled. "Look Diamond, I'd do it myself, but..." She put on a frown and nodded towards her leg.
Diamond sighed and closed her eyes. "Fine..."
Apple Bloom chuckled and pushed the gate open. "The sponge and bucket are right over there by the barn."
Diamond fetched the items and headed into the dirty pen, then was immediately greeted by the large hog, who insisted on rubbing its wet nose against her cheek. "Get off of me! This thing is repulsive!"
Apple Bloom covered her mouth as she forced herself to contain her laughter. "Her name's Big Bertha. I just call her BiBi. Now be nice and hurry it up. The sooner you get it done, the sooner you can get outta there."
Diamond forcefully wiped her cheek off and gritted her teeth. "Fine!"
She soaked the sponge and reached out to BiBi, who stood sniffing at the ground. She carefully began wiping the hog's sides down, then reached down to lift her front hoof. It was filled with dried mud and bits of hay, and Diamond gagged.
"Ya gotta clean it out. She can't do it herself."
"I know, I know!" Diamond Tiara calmed herself and rubbed the soapy sponge between the animal's split hoof.
The clutter fell away in chunks, then she repeated the process with the other three hooves. As the last leg was was thoroughly wiped down, Diamond Tiara wiped her sweaty brow. "Phew, that wasn't so bad. I guess."
Apple Bloom placed her front hoof to her mouth and produced a loud, echoing whistle, then tapped the empty tin bucket tied to the pen. "You ready to eat, BiBi?"
The large pig quickly turned to face the bucket and pranced through the mud which drenched Diamond Tiara. She wiped the dripping glob of wet earth from her face, and her eye twitched as she glared at Apple Bloom, who was now in hysterics.
"Bah-haha! You should see your face!" Apple Bloom leaned over the wooden fence and smacked the side as she desperately tried to catch her breath.
Diamond quickly trudged through the mud and exited the pen. "Shut up!"
Apple Bloom gasped for breath beneath her laughter, then slipped off the fence and fell onto her back.
The second Diamond saw, she quickly rushed to her side and helped her back up. "Are you okay?"
Apple Bloom coughed, the wind knocked from her lungs. "Yeah... that kinda hurt though."
Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes and returned Apple Bloom's crutch with her teeth, then trotted back towards the barn, where she began to hose herself off.
Apple Bloom chuckled, now covered in mud herself. "Thanks, Diamond. I guess you aren't pure evil after all."
Diamond Tiara scoffed and shook herself off. "The last thing I need is for you to hurt yourself and blame me again."
Apple Bloom smiled knowingly. "Uh huh. Now come help me dump some apples into her bucket."
"Alright. But I'm not going back in there," Diamond grumbled as she trotted into the barn behind Apple Bloom.
The little yellow earth pony chuckled and nodded towards a barrel of old, over-ripe apples. "Use that bucket to scoop a big pile of mush up and carry it over to BiBi's bucket on the fence."
Diamond squirmed at the sight and grabbed the handle with her teeth. She used her front hooves to cover her nose as she scooped up a large helping of squishy, saucy apples. She felt her stomach bubbling as she carefully carried the teetering bucket outside and to the pen.
"Atta girl. You're doin' good, Diamond." Apple Bloom laughed as she dumped the slush into the feeding bucket, and BiBi began to chow down.
"Now what?" Diamond dropped the bucket and grinned at the small compliment which filled her with pride.
"Hose that bucket out and put it back where it goes." Apple Bloom gestured back towards the barn, and Diamond obeyed.
Apple Bloom took a deep breath and smiled. She then carefully lifted herself into a large wooden bathing bushel basket. She let her cast rest over the edge as she relaxed. As soon as Diamond Tiara returned from her task, she pointed back at the hose. "Fill this up with water for me, will ya?"
Diamond nodded and grabbed the hose before turning the faucet on. With a mischievous grin, she turned back to Apple Bloom and sprayed cold water onto her face.
Apple Bloom gasped and shielded her eyes. "Hey! Cut it out!"
"Oops." Diamond giggled and dropped the hose into the basket. "Your big head got in the way."
Apple Bloom glared at the bully and cracked a smile as the cool water engulfed her muddy body. She took a deep breath and let it go while she enjoyed her soak. As the basket filled, she attempted to adjust herself and her leg to prevent her cast from getting wet, and slipped, slightly bumping her forelegs and back against the wood.
Diamond winced at the sight of the struggling filly and bit her lip. "So... how's your leg?" she asked and averted her gaze.
"Broken," Apple Bloom answered with a cocky grin.
"Does it hurt?"
Apple Bloom looked down at her cast and shrugged. "It's been achin' ever since I fell earlier, but it was fine before that. Have you ever broken a bone?"
Diamond Tiara shook her head and stared at the ground, then ground her teeth as she battled her conscience. "Look, you know I didn't mean... I didn't want... argh! This is dumb!"
Diamond turned away and looked over the orchard while Apple Bloom's injury weighed in heavily on her heart. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, then took a deep breath.
Suddenly, her attention was caught by the sensation of cold water rushing across her back. She jumped and glared back at Apple Bloom with a fierce gaze, who sat giggling with the hose in her mouth. "Gotcha!"
Diamond Tiara shook her haunches and furrowed her brow before she trotted up to the faucet and stopped the flow of water. She took a deep breath and shook her head with a smile that Apple Bloom was unable to see.
Apple Bloom stretched her front hooves and arched her back, thoroughly refreshed. She then looked over at her crutches and raised an eyebrow. With a nervous chuckle, she attempted to lift herself upwards with only her front hooves carefully to avoid getting her cast wet.
Diamond Tiara watched Apple Bloom with a smug grin. "Problem?"
"Heh... I could use a little help here..." Apple Bloom admitted with a hot blush covering her cheeks.
Diamond rolled her eyes and trotted around the barrel. "How do we drain it?"
"Well... ya gotta tip it."
Diamond continued rolling her eyes as she reached into the basket and wrapped her front hooves around the back of Apple Bloom, who in turn wrapped her forelegs around Diamond's neck. She then pulled her forward and sat her up on the edge on the basket, using her front hoof to hold it steady.
"Whew." Apple Bloom grabbed her crutches and slid to the ground. "Thanks."
"Are we even yet?" Diamond joked before she pushed the basket over and let the water spill down the side of the hill.
"Ya know, I really didn't expect ya to be so..." Apple Bloom scratched her head and shrugged. "I guess, nice."
"What am I supposed to do? Point and laugh at a cripple?" Diamond scoffed and shook her head. "I just helped you up, so stop being weird. What's next?"
The farm-girl adjusted her big pink bow and pointed towards the orchard. "Now we just go see what AJ needs help with."
"Fine. Let's get on with it then." Diamond led the way towards the orchard where she had seen Applejack working before.
Apple Bloom followed, curious as to what her sister might have planned. As they neared the trail through the trees, Applejack trotted out towards the barn as she dragged a full wheelbarrow of apples.
"Oh, howdy." She tipped her hat and carried on past the two fillies. "Y'all done takin' care of Big Bertha?"
"Mhm." Apple Bloom nodded. "So, what should Diamond do next? Clean my room?"
The farm mare chuckled and shook her head. "How 'bout you two go play for a while?"
Apple Bloom forcefully cleared her throat and looked down at her cast.
Applejack blushed and smiled. "You know what I mean. I'm sure y'all'll figure somethin' out. Just have fun and learn to get along, or you're both gonna be in for a long, unpleasant summer."
Diamond Tiara glanced at the filly next to her and narrowed her eyes. Apple Bloom returned Diamond's doubt with the rolling of her eyes."
"Now, go on. Skedaddle," Applejack ordered before she turned back towards the barn.
Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara stared each other down in mistrust, and yesterday's thick tension grew once more between them.
"Stop staring at me!" Diamond shouted and stomped her hoof.
Apple Bloom gritted her teeth and huffed. "You're the one starin'! Now come on. AJ said we gotta play nice, so can't we just do somethin' to pass the time?"
"Pfft," Diamond scoffed. "And what do you suggest we do? Hang out in your little clubhouse?"
"Sounds good to me, except..." Apple Bloom glanced down at her leg and shrugged. "I don't know how Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle will react with you there."
"Great. Those losers are coming over?" Diamond groaned and kicked the ground. "And I was being sarcastic about that lame clubhouse anyway, smart one."
Apple Bloom narrowed her eyebrows and turned down the trail towards the old tree fort. "Don't make fun of my friends. Now you can either come with to the clubhouse, or go tell my sister that my friends and I are too lame for you."
As a short-tempered Apple Bloom carried on down the orchard trail, Diamond groaned and stomped after her. She caught up to Apple Bloom's side and took a deep breath, then slowed to match her slow pace while she hobble along on her crutches.
Apple Bloom stopped and rested up against a tree, then dropped her crutches and caught her breath. "Phew. These things take a lot outta me. Hurt my legs too."
Diamond felt a familiar jab of guilt pierce her heart, and she huffed in annoyance. "What, are you trying to make me feel worse?!"
Apple Bloom recoiled and furrowed her brow. "Sorry. I was just tellin' ya why I stopped."
Diamond Tiara covered her face and stumbled backwards, her mixed emotions overwhelming her. "This isn't fair! Why did this have to happen?"
Apple Bloom looked up in time to see her wiping a tear. "Only you could play the victim in this scenario, Diamond. You're really somethin'..."
"Shut up, will you?" Diamond Tiara took a deep breath and placed her forehead against a tree. "I'm not playing the victim. I just... I don't know what I'm supposed to say to you. Or how to act. I just feel so bad, and I wish I didn't care, because I don't like you!"
Apple Bloom smirked at Diamond Tiara and wiped a bead of sweat from her brow. "Wow. You done? 'Cause I could use some help walkin' the rest of the way to the clubhouse without these crutches."
Diamond raised an eyebrow and frowned. "I don't think so."
Apple Bloom sighed and lifted her crutches, then stifled her urge to grin. "Okay. I guess I'll just have fight through pain then. Thanks anyway."
Diamond Tiara huffed, rolled her eyes and stepped over to her pouting companion. She leaned down and allowed Apple Bloom to wrap her front leg around her shoulder. Apple Bloom leaned up and walked with her two right legs, then lifted her back left hoof just above the ground.
"This is better. You're more comfortable than those dang crutches. I need a wheelchair or somethin'." Apple Bloom chuckled.
"Of course you realize that I'm not going to carry you everywhere. Right?" Diamond glared at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, uh... hey look, we're here." Apple Bloom smiled and pointed at the little fort.
Relieved, Diamond pulled Apple Bloom towards the ramp, who stumbled along and tried to keep her balance. Upon reaching the ramp, they moved forward more carefully. She carefully stepped in time with her supporter, sure not to fall.
As they reached the top, Apple Bloom stopped holding her breath. "See? That wasn't so bad. I probably woulda broken my other legs if I tried to climb that with those dumb crutches."
"You probably would have blamed me too," Diamond added.
"Who else could I blame?" she coyly asked with a wide grin.
Diamond Tiara smacked her forehead and sat on a beanbag chair against the wall. She looked around and recalled all the damage she had caused to the small building in the past, then noticed how the clubhouse looked nicer than ever now. "How did you three build this place?"
Apple Bloom carefully hobbled on three legs to another seat, then glanced around at her own handy work. "Well, this was actually my sister's clubhouse back when she was my age, but she let it get all rundown and rickety. I rebuilt it and made it look nice, then when you and Babs messed it all up, I rebuilt it again."
"You built it on your own?" Diamond skeptically asked.
"Yup. I mean, between you and me, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo don't even know the difference between primer and paint thinner, but they still try to help, and I love 'em." Apple Bloom inspected the wall behind her and nodded. "Why, just because I haven't found my special talent doesn't mean I ain't good at nothin'."
"How is this not your cutie mark? I mean... seriously? What else could you be this good at?" Diamond laughed and scratched her head.
"I dunno. All I know is that I can't wait to find out." Apple Bloom smiled and tilted her head at Diamond Tiara. "Say, how'd you get your cutie mark? Maybe you could help me get mine."
Diamond looked down at her flank and rubbed her mark. "You think I could help? I doubt it, because there's no way whatever your cutie mark is going to be will have anything to do with mine."
"What else is there to do? What does your cutie mark even mean? Are you, like, good at bein' spoiled or somethin'?" Apple Bloom teased.
"No." Diamond glared across the room and crossed her hooves. "It represents my ability to lead. Like my father, I'm a natural leader. Put me in charge of a group of ponies and I'll take them in the right direction. I earned my cutie mark in Manehattan when a bunch of overpaid, under-educated caterers were messing up an important charity auction by being worthless slackers. My dad went to fetch their boss after they made a mess of everything, but by the time he had gotten back, I had whipped them all into shape and got them working at top productivity."
"You sure did take The Foal Free Press in the right direction." Apple Bloom stuck her tongue out and laughed.
"Didn't I, though... it's not my fault everypony in town is too sensitive for their own good." Diamond Tiara sighed. "I'll have plenty more opportunities to prove myself. I have to admit that you make for a decent subordinate."
"Uh, thanks?" Apple Bloom scratched her head and frowned. "Can I ask you somethin'?"
Diamond Tiara nodded and leaned back.
"Why are you so mean to me and my friends all the time? Especially me." Apple Bloom looked down and sighed. "I never did anything to you."
"I'm sorry. I'll be less mean from now on," Diamond muttered halfheartedly.
Unsatisfied, Apple Bloom pressed on. "I mean, why though? Why aren't we friends? The only reason I don't like you is 'cause you bully me and pick on me all the time. You know I'm sensitive about my cutie mark, and that's what you pick on me the most about! Now that you're stuck with me, ya may as well come clean."
Diamond Tiara shook her head and stared up at the ceiling. "I don't know, Apple Bloom. I only pick on you for being a blank flank because I know you hate it so much. If you hated your yellow coat, I'd make fun of that too. You're just an easy target, and it feels good to make you feel bad... for me, I mean."
"It feels good to make me feel bad?" Apple Bloom gaped in disbelief, then continued, her voice soft and muted. "Ya know... it feels really bad for me when you're makin' me feel bad." Apple Bloom flattened her ears and took a deep breath, Diamond's words kicking at her heart.
"That's not what I meant, I just..." Diamond sighed and looked over at Apple Bloom's lowered head and drooped ears. "Okay, yeah, a little. It used to feel good. But now I just do it because... well, because I want Silver Spoon to look up to me. I'm supposed to be, like, I don't know... I guess I'm supposed to be the one on top. I'm Diamond Tiara, and that means I should be better than you and everypony else. Silver Spoon expects me to be better than other ponies, and I know she thinks I'm better than her. So I... I need to live up to that."
Apple Bloom swallowed the lump in her throat and glanced up at the rich little mare. "I think she already looks up to you, even without the whole 'better n' everypony' thing. I always see her just followin' your lead when she teases us. She never starts it, she's always just glued to your tail."
Diamond Tiara frowned and furrowed her brow, then looked away before she changed the subject. "So when are your irritating little friends getting here? I'm sure they'll be overjoyed when they see me."
"Eh, not for a couple more hours, if they come at all. We didn't have any plans today, and I usually help AJ until after lunchtime," Apple Bloom explained. "And they're not so bad if you don't make fun of 'em all the time."
"It's hard not to." Diamond Tiara scoffed yet again.
"Why? 'Cause they're 'losers' like me? Sorry that we can't all be born into rich families like you, but they're the best friends a pony could ask for. I know I'd give up everything I had to make sure they didn't have to feel alone, or hurt. Could you say the same for you and Silver Spoon?"
Diamond shook her head and crossed her hooves. "It's not the same. I have so much more to give up than you do."
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. "Fine, we'll keep it simple, then. Your tiara. Would you give it to Silver Spoon if she really wanted it?"
"No! Are you dense? This is mine and she doesn't deserve it!" She clutched onto her jewelry and scowled across the room.
Apple Bloom lost her cocky grin and felt a painful pit growing in her stomach. "That's sad, Diamond. And I really feel bad for Silver, 'cause I think she'd do anything for you." She looked up, and a smile returned to her face. "Hey, I'd give my rear left leg for any of my friends."
Diamond held her tiara out in front of her eyes, and its gleaming gems and lustrous precious metal sparkled in the sunlight. "My father gave this to me on my birthday the year my mother left us behind to go live in Prance."
Apple Bloom quivered beneath a sharp chill that creeped up her spine. "So that's why you like it so much?"
Diamond shrugged and twirled her jewelry around the tips of her hooves. "I don't know. My dad... he bought me this to help me feel happier, because my mom always called me Princess, I guess. It's hard to explain, okay?!"
"Okay... I'm sorry." A smile wobbled onto Apple Bloom as she glanced around the clubhouse. "Alright, I have to admit that I kinda know how you feel. See my big bow? My family ain't as rich as yours, but they do what they can."
"How does your little bow even compare?" Diamond skeptically asked.
"First of all, it's a big bow, secondly, I'm gettin' to it," Apple Bloom narrowed her gaze and shook her head. "Anyway. One year on Mother's Day, I was feelin' pretty down, 'cause all the other kids in class were talkin' and goin' on about their plans and whatnot. Now, I never knew my parents, and it makes me sad sometimes. My big sister talked to me and told me everything she remembered about our parents. This bow belonged to my mom when she was my age. You should see our attic, there's everything anypony from that house has ever owned ever in there."
Diamond Tiara laughed as she considered her own attic. "So that bow means a lot to you?"
"It sure does," Apple Bloom stated with a wide grin.
"And you'd give it to Scootaloo if she asked for it?" Diamond pried with a cocky smirk.
Apple Bloom flicked the top of the bow and shrugged. "If she really, honestly wanted it, then yes, I think I would. I definitely wouldn't have a problem lettin' her just borrow it neither."
Diamond Tiara slumped in her seat and frowned. "But, it wouldn't mean anything to her. Not like it does to you."
"You don't think so? I'm her best friend, and I think if I gave her this thing that means the world to me, then she'd love it just as much as I do, but for a different reason," Apple Bloom said with a slow nod.
Diamond shook her head and returned the tiara back to her silky mane. "I don't see why we're even talking about this."
"We're talkin' about bein' good friends, and how just 'cause Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo aren't mansion dwellers, doesn't mean they can't be great friends." Apple Bloom stared at Diamond with expectant eyes. "Ya know?"
Diamond Tiara pouted and looked down. "Would Silver Spoon give me her pearl necklace?"
"Why don't ya ask? I'm guessing she would, but what do I know?" Apple Bloom shrugged and smiled. "Hey, don't look so down. I didn't mean to bring your only friendship into question. I just want ya to get along with me and my friends too. Cheer up and gimme a hug."
Diamond Tiara smirked and shook her head. "Hug? You're joking."
"Nope. Hugging feels good. Give it a try?" Apple Bloom opened her front legs and gestured towards herself.
Diamond laughed and covered her mouth. "Seriously? As if I'd ever hug you."
"Hey! You're supposed to be my slave for the summer since you snapped my leg in half," Apple Bloom stated matter-of-factly.
"Okay, first of all I didn't do anything to your leg, secondly it isn't snapped in half, and most importantly, I'm not your slave, nor am I supposed to be," Diamond countered. "Now, if you want a hug because you're sad and pathetic, I might give you one."
Apple Bloom nodded sagely and kept her hooves open. "Sure. Whatever flips your flapjack."
"I... oh, fine. If it'll finally buy me some peace." Diamond lazily trudged across the room and limply rested her hooves on Apple Bloom's shoulders.
"That's weak, Diamond." Apple Bloom reached forward and yanked her closer as she tightly wrapped her forelegs around her back. "It's okay."
"What's okay?" Diamond Tiara asked and loosened her grip.
"I'll be your friend if you promise to be nicer to me and my friends." Apple Bloom ran her hoof up and down Diamond Tiara's back.
Diamond in turn closed her eyes and gently lifted her hooves around Apple Bloom's back. She breathed against her neck and shuddered, and her heart pounded in her chest. "I... I don't get it."
"Don't get what?"
"Why would you offer to be my friend?" Diamond Tiara asked.
"Easy, 'cause you got a good sense of humor, and you're actually fun to talk to once I get past the constant insults," Apple Bloom explained.
Diamond began to squeeze more tightly, and she laughed. "You know, you aren't so bad yourself."
"I know. I kinda just wish you had broken my leg a couple years ago so we could have been friends sooner," Apple Bloom teased, her eyes twinkling as Diamond backed away.
"We're friends then?" Diamond Tiara thought over the past couple of days, then froze. "Oh, no, we are, aren't we?" She pressed her hooves over her eyes and smiled widely. "How in Equestria did I just become friends with my least favorite pony in Ponyville?"
"You tell me. I just offered because I'm super nice like my big sis. You're the one who accepted it," Apple Bloom noted in a cheeky tone.
Diamond ducked down and adjusted her tiara. "I guess you're right. So? Maybe I like you enough to be friends. A little."
"Ouch!" Apple Bloom cringed and grabbed onto her leg.
"Oh no!" Diamond rushed to her side and gently placed her hooves on the cast. "Are you okay?"
Apple Bloom dropped the act. "Hee hee! You love me. Admit it." She giggled.
Diamond Tiara thumped the cast and backed away. "Don't push your luck."
"Sorry, that was a little mean o' me." Apple Bloom blushed. "So I dunno about you, but I'm gettin' a bit hungry. Wanna head back and grab some lunch?"
"Sure. Still need help?" Diamond held her hoof out to her newest friend.
Apple Bloom nodded and used it to pull herself up. She then wrapped a hoof around her friend's back, then carefully made her way down the ramp and down the trail home. They stopped where Apple Bloom's crutches rested up against a tree, and glanced to each other with a mutual nod and smile before choosing to leave them behind.
***
As the two fillies stepped out of the orchard, they spotted Applejack while she was washing mud off her front hooves with a garden hose.
"Hey you two. Just in time to have a look at my new addition to the garden." She raised an eyebrow as she realized Apple Bloom was supporting her weight on Diamond Tiara. "Where are your crutches, l'il missy?"
"I, uh lost 'em in the orchard somewhere. We tried to find 'em, but they're... just gone," Apple Bloom said with a quick giggle.
Diamond nodded in agreement. "I don't mind helping her out though. Those crutches were hurting her anyway."
"Well you two seem... friendlier towards each other." Applejack nodded in approval. "Have fun together?"
"Mhm," Apple Bloom hummed and brushed her muzzle against Diamond's cheek. "We're friends now."
"I'm proud of you two. Puttin' your differences behind each other and makin' peace is something not a lot o' ponies can do. You're both very mature for your age." Applejack trotted up to her sister and carefully lifted her onto her back. "Now I'll bet y'all are a mite hungry. Let's go grab some lunch."
Diamond Tiara trotted by Applejack's side, and a warm glow of contentment shrouded her. She smiled as she entered the charming country home and made her way to the dining room. "So, what are we having?" she asked as Applejack trotted into the kitchen.
"Apple fritters!" A voice sounded from the kitchen, and a yellow mare with a vivid, two-toned green mane trotted out.
"Cuz!" Apple Bloom jumped up to go hug her cousin, and immediately fell to the floor.
Diamond Tiara rapidly stumbled to her side and placed a hoof on her thigh. "You little idiot! What were you thinking?!"
Apple Bloom squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth as Applejack trotted up next to her. "Y'alright, Sis?"
Diamond Tiara cracked a soft smile as Apple Bloom blushed and bit her lip. "Sorry. My bad... I guess I ain't quite used to this thing yet."
"What happened to your leg?" Apple Fritter asked.
Apple Bloom caught her breath, and held her leg still as she glanced at Diamond Tiara. "It was just a silly accident at the playground yesterday."
Diamond Tiara felt a wave of humility wash over herself as her new friend covered for her. "It was my fault. I pushed her, and that's why I'm here."
"Huh?" Applejack and Apple Fritter glanced to each other.
"Nah, she didn't mean it though. It was all just a big, freak accident," Apple Bloom explained.
"Shut up, you." Diamond carefully helped Apple Bloom to her seat and scooted her own chair up next to her. "I was bullying her and caused her to get hurt. I regret it, and I'm doing my best to make it up to her."
Apple Bloom placed a hoof over Diamond's and smiled. "You know I forgive you for everything, right? No hard feelings. About anything. The bullying, the leg, the past—none of it matters."
Diamond Tiara gently nodded and swallowed the lump in her throat.
Applejack smiled warmly as she looked over the two fillies. "Talk about a change of heart. So, anyway, Apple Fritter is in town for a while, and she stopped by to whip us up some of her world famous apple fritters."
"Sure did!" The friendly Appleoosian trotted into the dining room with a tray of hot baked goods. "Ready to chow down, you two?"
Diamond Tiara and Apple Bloom looked to the other with mutual grins before being served their warm, aromatic lunch.
***
Later that evening, the two new friends headed up to the bedroom to turn in for the night. Apple Bloom eased her front hoof off of Diamond's back and carefully made her way to her bed. She climbed in and fell onto her back, exhausted after a long day of dealing with her cast. Meanwhile Diamond trotted up to her large plush pillow beneath the window.
"So, ready to sleep?" Diamond asked as she glanced down at her spot on the floor.
"I sure am, and you shouldn't sleep on the floor. I know it ain't comfortable." Apple Bloom patted a spot on the bed next to herself. "C'mon up here."
Diamond Tiara hesitantly stepped over before she climbed in and covered herself up, then dragged the pillow onto the bed with her from off the floor. Apple Bloom pressed her hoof into the pillow and sank into its softness.
"Wow, that thing's nice."
"We can share it if you want. You can use that pillow to prop your leg up." Diamond Tiara smiled and fluffed her luxurious cushion.
"Sounds good!" Apple Bloom immediately buried her face into the pillow and squealed. "This thing is amazing!
Diamond reached over her friend and grabbed the lesser of two pillows, then went beneath the blanket where she lifted her friend's cast and placed the pillow beneath it. Apple Bloom blushed and took a deep breath.
"Feel okay?" Diamond Tiara asked.
"Yup, thanks. You?"
Diamond nodded and removed her tiara, then sat it on the nightstand beside her half of the bed. "I'm fine. You know what I was just thinking about?"
"What?" Apple Bloom asked and turned to face her friend.
"I'm... glad I broke your leg," Diamond admitted.
"Me too." Apple Bloom chuckled. "I mean, it did hurt, but I'm glad that it wasn't all bad, since I made a new friend."
"I thought I was going to hate this place, but it isn't too bad." Diamond let out a deep yawn and closed her eyes.
"I think I'm gonna really like havin' you around. I never had so much fun doin' my chores before, and with you here to help, I bet it'll be fun every day." Apple Bloom reached over and hugged her friend.
Diamond returned the friendly hug and smiled. "I bet it will be too," she said as she began to drift off to sleep.
Apple Bloom yawned deeply and rolled onto her back, then slowly blinked her eyes closed and dozed off.
***
The sun sent warm delightful rays over the hills of Sweet Apple Acres as Diamond Tiara and Apple Bloom playfully laughed. The little redheaded earth pony limply trotted around the mud and wore a much smaller cast ending at her knee. She and Diamond carefully scrubbed the mud from BiBi's hooves, then trotted to the barn to fill her food bucket.
"Diamond!" A stallion called out from the front gate.
Diamond's ears perked up and her heart skipped a beat. "Dad?"
She galloped to the front gate, where she saw Applejack standing next to her father with her pink duffle bag. Apple Bloom did her best to keep up and followed close behind.
Silver Spoon beamed as she spotted her friend. "Diamond!"
The two rushed to meet one another, and immediately collided in a warm embrace, twirling around. "Silver Spoon, I missed you so much!"
"Me too! I hated Manehattan because I just missed you the whole time! I wish I'd stayed." The silver-coated mare stifled her tears of joy as she squeezed her friend as tightly as she could.
Diamond Tiara slowly backed away and smiled at her friend. Silver Spoon blushed and started wiping the mud from her sides and legs.
"Oops... sorry about that." Diamond Tiara looked herself over and blushed. She then thought about how she would have reacted if it were the other way around. "Hey, Silver, I hated being away from you too, and I... I thought about you everyday."
"Wow... you did?" Silver Spoon blinked a tear from her eye with a loving smile and adjusted her glasses before Diamond hugged her again and recovered her in mud.
"Well you look happy." Filthy Rich patted his daughter's mane and smiled. "Applejack tells me you were a huge help around the farm. She also said you made friends with Apple Bloom and the others, is that true?"
"Yes Daddy." Diamond nodded with a slick grin.
"That's my little girl. I knew you'd benefit from some time here. Now go say goodbye and let's get home." Filthy nudged his daughter towards Applejack and nodded.
"Thanks for having me, Applejack." She leaned up and hugged the mare.
"Aw, it was a pleasure. You're welcome to come on back anytime ya'd like," Applejack said with a smile.
Diamond Tiara then turned to Apple Bloom, who wore a twisted frown. "Hey, don't look so sad. I'll come back tomorrow and maybe you can get to know my best friend better, and maybe all three of us can sleep over at my house tomorrow!"
"That would be great!" Apple Bloom smiled and hugged her friend. "I'll miss not havin' ya around all the time though."
Diamond smiled and glanced over her shoulder to her father. "Can she come over tomorrow, Daddy?"
The older stallion nodded and smiled down at the little muddy redhead. "Of course she can. The Apple Family is always welcome in our home."
"I'll see you tomorrow, Apple Bloom!" Diamond Tiara brushed a hoof beneath her friend's chin and turned away. Silver Spoon waved and smiled as the three carried on down the trail.
"See y'all later!" Applejack waved them off.
Apple Bloom smiled crookedly and resisted her rising tears while she stared at the ground. She then looked up to see Diamond playfully trotting along side of Silver Spoon, each laughing and talking about what they had done throughout the past couple of months. She sighed and her lip quivered. "I'll miss you."
Diamond giggled and turned around to give one last goodbye wave. She slowed down as her father trotted ahead, then placed a hoof on her friend's shoulder.
"Silver, do you like my tiara?"
Silver Spoon widened her sparkling eyes as she gazed into the dazzling gems gleaming atop the precious piece of jewelry. "It's beautiful, and it really suits you." She giggled and reached up to touch it.
Diamond recoiled at first, then shook her head and stood back up to allow Silver's hoof to brush against it. She took a deep breath. "If you ever feel like wearing it for a little while, just say so."
Silver Spoon's eyes lit up and she nodded. "Really?"
Diamond Tiara nodded.
"Thank you, Diamond. I know how much your tiara means to you." She leaned forward and hugged her friend again. "We should get cleaned up."
"We should." Diamond giggled. "And you know, Silver Spoon, there's only one thing in the world more important to me than this tiara."
Silver Spoon tilted her head with a frown. "What is it?"
Diamond Tiara laughed and ran her tail beneath Silver's chin as she trotted ahead. "Let's go clean this mud off of ourselves."
Silver Spoon nodded with a knowing grin. "Not that I'm complaining, but what got into you back at that farm? I've never seen you this... mushy."
Diamond Tiara shook her head, shrugged, then turned back to face her companion.
"Missing you really opened my eyes, I guess. I'm not going to take you for granted anymore. I can't even begin to tell you how much I missed you the first day you were gone. Knowing I wouldn't get to see you all summer was the worst part..." Diamond looked down with a crooked smirk. "From now on, I'll be a better a friend, and I-"
"Diamond." Silver Spoon nodded and gently placed her hoof on Diamond's cheek. "You can't be a better friend to me. Because you've always been my best friend."
The words hit Diamond Tiara to the core. "Silver..."
"So don't ever worry about that. I've always known how you feel, even when you don't say it. And I wouldn't change a thing about you." She leaned forward and gave a quick kiss to Diamond's cheek. "Come on. I want to catch up on the summer we should have been spending together."
A giddy, light-headed Diamond Tiara just barely managed to silently nod and—in a rare turn of events—follow behind Silver Spoon as she led the way.
