Shine Bright Like A Diamond

My name is Diamond Tiara Rich, CEO of Diamond-Mart, an aggressive expansion of Rich’s Barnyard Bargains. My corporate offices are located in Manehattan, but you can still find the original Barnyard Bargains store in Ponyville. To be honest, it wasn’t easy getting on top of the world. I’ve made friends, one of which, Silver Spoon, remains one of my closest friends to this day. I’ve made enemies, like the Cutie Mark Crusaders, with which me and Silver have made our peace. I’ve experienced true love and even some loss here and there. Well, since this is my story, I think we might as well start with the beginning.

My Mom and Dad, Pearl Tiara and Filthy Rich, met in the usual way, you know, very wealthy colt meets very wealthy filly. And of course, you can pretty much guess what happened next...

~

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join together Filthy Stinkin Rich and Pearl Hope Tara in holy matrimony,” said the priest. “Do you, Filthy Stinkin’, take Pearl Hope, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?”

Filthy Rich, who was an Earth Pony with a sleek black mane and tail and a tan coat, his cutie mark being three money bags, and who was wearing a white tux, smiled at Pearl and said, “I do.”

“Do you, Pearl Hope, take Filthy Stinkin’, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?” asked the priest.

Pearl Hope, who was a beautiful Earth Pony mare with a light pink coat and a lavender and white mane and tail wearing an elegant white wedding dress made by a leading fashion designer, smiled at Rich and said, “I do.”

“Then, by the power vested in me, and in the name of Celestia and Faust, I now pronounce you, mare and colt. You may kiss the bride,” said the priest.

And with that, Filthy Stinkin’ Rich and Pearl Hope Rich shared their first kiss as husband and wife…

~

It was about a year after Rich and Pearl tied the knot. Rich was sitting at his desk in his office at Rich’s Barnyard Bargains, the company that had been in his family for three generations, counting him, that is. While he was speaking on the intercom,  his office phone rang.

“Hello, Rich’s Barnyard Bargains, Filthy Rich, third-generation owner speaking,” said Rich.

“Rich, it’s me,” said Pearl from the other end.

“Ah, my precious Pearl, what’s going on, sweetheart?” said Rich.

“There’s something I need to tell you… something wonderful has happened… Richie, I’m pregnant,” said Pearl.

Rich’s jaw dropped… before his face broke into a huge grin. “You serious? I’m going to be a father?!” squealed Rich like a little filly.

“Yes! I’m so excited too!” squealed Pearl.

“All right, hon, I gotta go and tell everypony the good news!” said Rich. “Uh-huh, love you too.”

“Uh, boss, I couldn’t help overhearing… in fact, I’m pretty sure the whole store couldn’t help overhearing,” said Rich’s secretary.

“What do you-?” said Rich, before realizing the intercom was still on. “Oh. Uh, so yeah, I’m going to be a father. That’ll be all for now,” said Rich, his tan cheeks flushed with red as he clicked the intercom off.

~

About nine months later, it was a hectic day a Ponyville General Hospital, as the day everypony had been waiting for, the birth of Filthy and Pearl Rich’s foal, had arrived. Of course, the Rich family being a very wealthy family, other wealthy families and a reporter for the Ponyville Times, showed up. Soon enough, Filthy Rich, looking a little saddened  came out holding a sleeping newborn filly that was the spitting image of Pearl.

The crowd of wealthy ponies and the reporter surged forward. “Mr. Filthy! Mr. Filthy!” they yelled.

“Please… call me Rich,” said Rich, his voice cracking.

Noticing the voice crack, some of the ponies frowned. “Rich… where’s Pearl?” asked an Earth Pony mare who had a silvery gray coat, a silvery gray mane and tail, and wore pink-rimmed glasses and a pink pearl necklace. Her name was Silver Platter, and in a baby carrier was her week-old daughter, Silver Spoon.

Rich’s eyes began to tear up. “She’s… gone. She died giving birth to my daughter, my little diamond in the rough-” said Rich, stopping as the word Diamond bounced around in his head.

“So… what are you going to name her?” asked the reporter.

The answer came to Rich’s lips as if it had always been there. “Diamond. Diamond Tiara Rich. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get home and make funeral arrangements for my wife,” said Rich, as he handed Diamond Tiara over to a new nurse by the name of Redheart before he made his way out of the crowd.

~

I’ve been told my mother’s funeral was a very, very, somber affair. Of course, I wouldn’t know anything about it, since I was only three days old at the time. My mother left me something that, according to the will, would help me find my cutie mark when I was old enough.  It was a box with an enchanted lock, which would only open when I was ready. Either way, it quickly became my most cherished possession.

My father took a leave of absence from his work to take care of me while I was an infant, until I was old enough to go to daycare. He told me that I was the only thing that kept him going, and that anything I wanted, it would be mine in a heartbeat. Truth is, I loved my father very dearly. Not only was he able to put food on the table, but he was always there for me.

And so we enter my daycare years...