Shine Bright Like A Diamond

by Joker the Hedgehog

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure
Length: 3361

We all know Diamond Tiara as the stuck-up little rich filly who pals around with Silver Spoon, but what secrets lurk in her past? And what does her future hold?

When Filthy Rich met his late wife Pearl Tiara, they both found true love. And, of course, true love became marriage, and marriage became a VERY expensive baby carriage. This is the life story of Diamond Tiara Rich, her infant and filly years, during which some of Equestria's greatest historical events took place, and her rise to becoming one of the richest, most powerful ponies in Equestria.
Now avalible on: Fanfiction.net

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2014-05-30 16:21:30 UTC

Birth of an Heiress

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...

Bump! Bump! Sugar Lump! Rump!

We see Diamond Tiara, who’s no older than four, entering the Ponyville Preschool.

Today, I’ll make a new friend, thought Diamond. As she looked around, she saw many colts and fillies her age, most of whom her playing together.

Except one, who was an Earth Pony with a silvery gray coat, a silvery gray mane and tail, and wore blue-rimmed glasses and a matching necklace.

Ah-ha! That’s the perfect pony to start up a friendship with, thought Diamond, who approached the filly. “Hi,” she said.

“Move along, I’ve no time to talk or play or do anything with lesser ponies who can’t even rub two bits together,” sneered the filly.

Diamond’s jaw dropped. Me? Poor? Hardly! she thought. “Newsflash: I’m far from poor! In fact, ‘Rich’ is my last name!” said Diamond.

The filly suddenly seemed much more interested now. “Rich? As in, Filthy Rich? The wealthy shop owner?” she asked.

“Yeah, so?” said Diamond.

The filly squealed. “Finally! Another heiress! My name’s Silver Spoon, daughter of the world-famous billionaire restaurateur Silver Platter,” said Silver Spoon.

“Diamond Tiara, pleased to meet another… um, what’s an heiress?” asked Diamond.

Silver chuckled. “It means that when our parents take a one-way trip to Elysium, we’ll be rich,” she explained.

“Oh. Well, then, pleasure to meet another heiress,” said Diamond, shaking hooves with Silver.

Just then, a ball, thrown by a colt,  hit Silver Spoon in the head.

“Ow! Watch where you’re throwing!” said Silver.

“Sorry. Um, can I have my ball back, please?” asked the colt.

Silver Spoon sneered. “I don’t think so. Finders keepers!” she said.

The colt’s eyes started to tear up. “You’re so mean!” he said, stomping his hoof.

Diamond Tiara, despite maybe wanting to comfort the colt just a smidge, didn’t want to lose her budding friendship, so she leered and said, “We’re rich, we can afford to be mean.”

The colt then started to openly cry as he ran off. Silver Spoon smiled smugly as he did.

“Ugh, I just can’t stand some of these lesser ponies sometimes. They try to act all nice and friendly, but then they’ll be snarling after your money like a pack of hungry timber wolves,” said Silver.

Diamond Tiara looked thoughtful for a moment, before she muttered, “You’re right.”

“Huh?” said Silver.

“You’re right. Why, I can’t remember a day when we haven’t had to set the dogs on somepony who was looking for money for some stupid ‘Feed-the-starving-zebras-in-Zebafrica’ charity. I mean, can’t they just get a job and give the money to the charity themselves? That, and you know a lot of big words,” said Diamond.

“Agreed… and thanks,” said Silver.

~

“Diamond, sweetie, could you come here?” called Rich.

Diamond came downstairs. “Yes, Daddy?” she asked.

“We’re having a dinner party tonight with a wealthy restaurateur by the name of Silver Platter and some other important ponies. I believe you know Silver Platter’s daughter, Silver Spoon? She goes to the same preschool as you… although, all little fillies and colts go to the same preschool as you,” said Rich.

“Know her? She’s my best friend! This is gonna be awesome!” said Diamond Tiara.

~

Later that evening, Diamond Tiara mingled with several very important and wealthy ponies, such as the rising pop sensation Sapphire Shores, the up-and-coming photographer Photo Finish, and the fashion master Hoity Toity. Finally, she saw Silver Spoon.

“Hey, DT… some party, huh?” said Silver.

“Yeah, some party,” said Diamond.

“Say, you wanna go hang out in the garden? We can talk more there,” said Silver.

~

As the two friends sat out in the garden, they talked about their families. Silver’s mom owned several of the finest restaurants and diners in Equestria. As for her dad, he’d left before Silver was born.

As the two fillies laughed and played, Diamond Tiara had an idea. “Say, why don’t we come up with our own best friends hoofshake?” she said.

“What?” asked Silver.

“Yeah, it’ll be fun, and it’ll let those lesser ponies that we’re the best of friends, and that  friends with power and benefits outshine pen pals and any other pals,” said Diamond.

Silver smiled. “I’m game if you are,” she said.

After a few failed attempts, Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara came up with their best friends hoofshake. First, they knocked their front hooves together twice, then they knocked their back legs together, followed by their hindquarters. They even had a chant:

“Bump! Bump! Sugar Lump! Rump!”

Yeah, so I had made a truly great friend. And that friendship would help me become one of the most popular ponies in school during my coming-of-age.

Even when I met… THEM...

Kindergarten

“Three… two… one!” chanted the students outside Ponyville Elementary. Right on cue, the doors opened and the new students came pouring in like water. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon found seats on either side of a yellow Earth Pony filly with a red mane and tail and a big pink bow in her hair.

Moments later, an Earth Pony with a deep purple coat and a light pink mane and tail entered.

“Hello, class. My name is Miss Cheerilee, and I will be your teacher. I hope you can make this year of teaching one of my best. Now, let’s do roll call. Golden Archer,” said Cheerilee.

After roll call was finished Cheerilee began to teach the class about the alphabet, addition, and some minor things about Pony History.

~

During recess, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon played “Rulers,” as the yellow Earth Pony who sat between them walked up to them. “Hi,” she said.

Diamond and Silver completely ignored her, and continued into the swearing-in part of their game.

“My name’s Apple Bloom,” said Apple Bloom.

“Diamond Tiara,” said Diamond in a uninterested kind of voice.

“Silver Spoon,” said Silver, also sounding uninterested.

Apple Bloom was puzzled by this less-than-warm greeting, but still pressed on. “You want to hang out?”  she asked.

Diamond Tiara let out a cold, sharp laugh. “And why would we want to hang out with the likes of you?” she asked as she and Silver Spoon walked up to to Apple Bloom and got in her face.

“Uh, well, I don’t know, why wouldn’t you?” she said as she backed away from Diamond and Silver.

“Here’s a reason: we have class and you…” said Silver as Apple Bloom tripped on a rock and landed in a mud puddle. “Clearly do not.”

Silver and Diamond laughed before doing their best friend hoofshake.

“Bump! Bump! Sugar Lump! Rump!” they said as they finished their shake with a hindquarters bump.

Apple Bloom’s eyes started to tear up. “ I do too have class! My family runs Sweet Apple Acres!” she said.

“Big whoop,” said Diamond Tiara, satisfied that she had put the lesser pony in her place.

~

The next day, a white unicorn with a lavender and pink mane and tail walked up to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon at lunchtime. “Hi, my name’s Sweetie Belle,” said Sweetie Belle.

“Belle? As in, Rarity Belle? The fashionista who runs the Carousel Boutique?” asked Silver Spoon, seemingly interested in Sweetie.

“Yes, I’m her little sister!” said Sweetie. Please, Faust, let me get in with the rich fillies, she thought.

Unfortunately, Diamond Tiara had something to say about that.

She scoffed and said, “Puh-lease. All of Rarity’s designs are so last decade. To think that she calls herself a fashionista is a simply laughable concept. That, and she’s way too much a diva.”

“True to that,” said Silver Spoon.

“Bump! Bump! Sugar Lump! Rump!” said Diamond and Silver as they did their hoofshake.

Sweetie Belle, meanwhile, hurt by Diamond’s insult about her sister, turned and ran off.

~

“Okay, I’m really getting sick of these poor ponies trying to make friends with us,” said Silver as an orange pegasus filly with a pink mane and tail named Scootaloo ran off crying.

“As am I. These ponies need to learn that they’re not worth our time. That we’re better than them and we always will be,” said Diamond.

“Indeed, we will always be better than everypony,” said Silver.

“Bump! Bump! Sugar Lump! Rump!” they said, doing their hoofshake once again.

Yeah, it seemed like nothing could go wrong for me and Silver Spoon, so long as all those poor ponies stayed out of our way. We were rich, beautiful, and better than everypony else. But, during the summer vacation before we started middle school, I got a taste of something I hope to never taste again: Fear.

And, as they say, fear makes ponies to some pretty crazy things.

Worst Summer Sun Celebration Ever

So, as I was saying, me and Silver Spoon were entering our preteen years, and as we did, cutie marks began to pop up like gophers, but I wasn’t worried. Me and Silver Spoon were still blank flanks. To be honest, I didn’t know what fear was.

Well, at least not until the Summer Sun Celebration that year…

~

“So, what are you going to wear for the Summer Sun Celebration?” asked Silver Spoon.

Before Diamond Tiara could respond, something caught her eye. It was a royal carriage from Canterlot. But, that wasn’t the princess. It was a unicorn mare with a lavender coat and a dark blue mane and tail, both of which had a pink highlight. And… was that a dragon?

“Hey, Silver, who do you suppose that is? A lady from Celestia’s court?” asked Diamond.

Silver Spoon shrugged. “Well, judging from the fact that she just arrived in a Canterlot royal carriage, I’m willing to bet she’s from Canterlot, but how important she is, I don’t know. Let’s get closer,” she said.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon hid in some nearby bushes. A pink Earth Pony that the fillies recognized as Pinkie Pie walked up to the dragon and unicorn.

“Come on, Twilight, just try,” coaxed the dragon.

The unicorn, Twilight, smiled nervously and said, “Um… hi?”

Pinkie Pie, much to everypony present’s surprise, let out a loud gasp and ran off like lightning.

“Well, that was interesting all right,” said Twilight.

I’ll say, thought Diamond.

“Hey, it’s Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, right?” said a voice behind the fillies, making them both jump.

It was Pinkie Pie, who had somehow found her way into their bushes. “Did you guys see that new unicorn? I’ve never seen her before, so that means she’s new, and if she’s new, that means she doesn’t have any friends, which made me so sad, so I decided to throw a party for her! You wanna come?” said Pinkie.

Diamond and Silver looked at each other. “Uh, sure, I guess,” said Diamond.

~

That night, after the party, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were among those in the crowd at the Summer Sun Celebration. They’d just pulled back the curtain, only to find that the Princess Celestia had vanished.

“Remain calm, everypony,” urged Mayor Mare. “I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation.”

“Ooh, ooh, I love guessing games! Is she hiding?” said Pinkie Pie.

“She’s GONE!” said a white unicorn mare with a curly purple mane and tail.

“Ooh, she’s good,” said Pinkie Pie, before she let out a yelp of  fright.

It quickly became obvious what had frightened Pinkie. A cloud of purple smoke had appeared and was solidifying into an alicorn mare that looked like she was wearing black and midnight blue armor.

“Oh, no,” whimpered Twilight. “Nightmare Moon.”

Spike, the dragon that was on her back fainted dead away.

“Oh, my beloved subjects! It’s been so long since I’ve seen your precious little sun-loving faces,” said Nightmare Moon.

“What did you do with our princess!?” demanded a pegasus named Rainbow Dash, who tried to fly up to Nightmare, but was held back by an Earth Pony wearing a cowboy hat named Applejack.

“Why? Am I not royal enough for you? Don’t you know who I am?” asked Nightmare Moon.

“Oooh, more guessing games! How about Hokey Smokes? How about Queen Meanie? No, Black Snooty, Black Snooty!” yelled Pinkie Pie before Applejack shoved a cupcake into her mouth.

“ Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs?” asked Nightmare Moon.

“I did! And I know who you are. You’re the Mare in the Moon: Nightmare Moon!” said Twilight.

Everypony in the room gasped.

“Well, well… somepony who remembers me. Then, you also know why I’m here!” said Nightmare.

“You’re here to… to…” said Twilight.

Nightmare chuckled. “Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last. From this moment forth, the night… will last… forever! Ah ha ha ha ha ha!”

Above the wicked mare, a cloud of shadow formed a whirlpool above her head.

“Seize her! Only she knows where the princess is!” yelled Mayor Mare.

Several Royal Guard ponies flew at Nightmare.

“Stand back, you fools!” yelled Nightmare.

Several bolts of lightning struck the guards. With that, Nightmare became smoke again and flew out the window, with Rainbow Dash in hot pursuit, quickly followed by Twilight.

Meanwhile, everypony else was in full-blown panic mode.

“Diamond Tiara! What are we gonna do?! WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO?!” wailed Silver Spoon.

Diamond sighed. “There’s only one thing I can think of doing… we’re gonna have to be-” whatever Diamond Tiara said next came out with great difficulty.

“Huh?” said Silver.

“We’re going to have to be… the G-word,” whimpered Diamond.

Silver gasped. “If you say so,” she said.

Diamond Tiara took a deep breath, gathered what courage she could, and took the stage. “Everypony, listen up! Until the sun returns, you’re more than… welcome… to stay… at… my place. We have plenty of food,” Diamond said with great difficulty.

~

Luckily for Diamond, her unwilling houseguest were only chewing through her food for about an hour, when somepony mentioned the sun was back.

Diamond looked out the window. Sure enough, the sun was back, and coming from what looked like the Everfree Forest was Princess Celestia, six other ponies, and a smaller version of Nightmare Moon.

“Thank Faust. Now, then… GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!!!!” screeched Diamond Tiara.

I’ll never really forget that party. Who knew Celestia had a sister? But, my greatest challenge was yet to come: getting my cutie mark.