Skin of Diamond, Heart of Glass
Skin of Diamond, Heart of Glass
by Quillery
Suggestions, Editing and Pre-Reading by :
Siyray, Willsons, Izraill Z, BabySkittleMonster, Legion222, Dreamshadow, edensbane, amacita
A small, whirling cloud of dust kicked up from a small dirt path as Apple Bloom paced back and forth in front of a tall wrought iron gate looming over her. Its hinges were set into stone columns topped with a marble statue of a sack of money, with the well-known symbol of Filthy Rich carved into their sides. She looked through the gate and gulped at the size of the estate. A long, winding path climbed up a hill towards a large house at the top. The hedges towered over the iron walls and stood as near perfect rectangles all along the property.
She looked down at the ground in front of her at a single envelope. It rustled in a light breeze, as the edges made a desperate attempt to catch in the wind and fly away, but its contents were far too ponderous to allow for such a dream. A wax seal in the shape of an apple, which shimmered in the afternoon light, held the letter shut.
Apple Bloom swallowed again and glanced back up at the house. Her task was simple. Take the ‘invoice’, as her sister had called it, bring it to the labeled addresses, and be done with the day’s chores. Simple, if only Applejack had bothered to mention the final address belonged to Filthy Rich, and by extension, his daughter; Diamond Tiara.
“No way I’m going to Diamond Tiara’s house all by myself,” Apple Bloom said, shaking her head. She kicked up a fresh cloud of dust as she continued her pacing in front of the gate. “After what she does all the time at school, no siree. I’m just gonna go get Applejack to do the last one.”
She turned to leave down the road, but her hoof froze mid step. The market was only a short distance away where her brother and sister would be selling apples.
Apple Bloom sighed. “Although… it would be faster to just go there now.” She swallowed. “And Applejack is probably really busy. She wouldn’t have dropped everything at home just to help Big Mac unless it was urgent. He never needs help at the market.” Her eyes drifted down High-Saddle Street. “And she did say this had to be done by tonight…”
She groaned. “Oh, appleseeds, fine. I can deal with going to her house. It’s not like she’s gonna answer the door.” She gulped. “I hope.”
She placed a hoof on the gate, which creaked open at her touch. She jumped back from the cold metal. Casting one more glance back over her shoulder, she steeled herself, pushed the gate open and began her ascent to the mansion.
Apple Bloom kept her head low as she shuffled up the path. She twitched her head at the slightest noise emerging from the bushes alongside her and kept a vigilant eye for movement. With each step, she expected Diamond Tiara to jump out of hiding and start teasing her.
No such taunting came as she reached the top of the hill. She climbed the staircase at the base of the giant home and approached the door. Apple Bloom went to knock, but paused a moment to cast a glance down each side of the porch. Nopony was in sight, and not a sound drifted past her ears save for the gentle breeze over the hilltop. Her hoof was shaking as she lifted it to the door and knocked.
She winced and shied away from the door. Her lip started to curl as she bit down on it. She could hear the sound of hoofsteps approaching from the other side. They drew closer, and her heartbeat matched the growing pace. Just as the sound reached the other side of the door, Apple Bloom’s head snapped to a small planter underneath a nearby window, and without a second thought, she leapt towards it.
The door creaked slightly as she pressed herself against the other side of the planter. She tried to swallow her panicked breathing. Please don’t be her, please don’t be her…
A quiet, senior voice cleared its throat and spoke from the door, “Hello? Is somepony there?”
Apple Bloom blinked, and slowly poked her head around her hiding place. A small, elderly stallion was standing on the porch. His knees wobbled as he trotted to the edge of the porch, peering down the road. He slouched his head, sighed, and turned to go back into the house.
Apple Bloom scrambled to her hooves and stepped out of hiding. “U-um, sir?”
The stallion stopped and turned his head. He raised an eyebrow at her, and soon after, started chuckling. “I don’t believe you are supposed to reveal yourself if you mean to play a trick on me, young lady.”
Apple Bloom stepped towards him with her head low. “Um, I’m sorry sir. I didn’t mean to hide, I just… wasn’t sure who was going to answer the door.”
The stallion scoffed. “Well, who else would answer the door but the butler?”
“W-well, this is Filthy Rich’s house, ain’t it?”
“Indeed it is. But he pays me to answer the door. Master Rich is a very busy pony.”
“And what about his daughter?”
The stallion laughed even harder this time. “I assure you that Miss Diamond Tiara has far better things in her mind than to answer her own door.”
Apple Bloom smiled weakly. “I-I guess that makes sense.”
She swallowed and reached for her envelope. “Well, is Mister Rich in today? I have some important paperwork from Sweet Apple Acres my sister wanted him to have.”
The stallion took the sheet and glanced over its contents. “Hmm, I see.” He shook his head. “I’m afraid Master Rich is in Canterlot on business, but I will see that he gets this right away on his return.”
Apple Bloom smiled and nodded. “Oh, that’s fine. I’m just glad I could bring it.”
She bowed her head. “Thank you kindly for your time. I better get going before it gets dark.”
The butler nodded and stepped through the door. “Best that you do. You wouldn’t want to be on the grounds when Miss Tiara’s dogs are out,” and the door shut behind him.
Apple Bloom chuckled and turned back to the path down the hill.
“Yeah, I don’t wanna—wait, what?”
She turned back to the house, and her mouth fell open at the sight of a large, black dog sitting just beside the porch. Its tongue rolled out of its mouth through a set of pointy teeth, which matched its spiked leather collar.
Apple Bloom’s mouth trembled as she stared at the massive hound. She forced a smile and took a step back.
“H-hello there, big fella…”
The dog’s ears twitched slightly, but its stare held.
“W-well, aren’t you j-just a big old puppy? You’ve g-got some pretty sharp t-teeth there. B-but I bet you’re a r-real sweetheart, a-ain’t you?”
The dog narrowed his eyes and began to growl. He rose from his haunches and started moving slowly towards her, teeth bared.
Apple Bloom tensed and started backing away. “Th-there, there, doggy. N-nice doggy. I’m leavin’ you s-see? N-no need to get all r-rough and tumble.”
The dog let out a single, ferocious bark, and dug into the ground as it lunged at her. Apple Bloom dropped to the ground, and the dog sailed over her. She didn’t even bother to look behind her as she took off into a gallop towards the gate. Fierce barking from behind prompted her to keep running.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she ran to the gate, which was fast approaching. The path crunched under her hooves and sent specks of dirt and rocks everywhere as she scrambled to keep ahead of the gnashing jaws following close behind her.
Only a few meters to go, Apple Bloom allowed herself a burst of speed in to close the gap as fast as possible. As she did, a second snarling dog appeared in front of the gate, growling and gnashing its teeth. Apple Bloom’s chest heaved in panic as she dug her hooves into the ground under her and skidded to a stop.
She glanced behind her and saw that the first dog had its own difficulty in stopping on the rough surface, sliding past her and nearly running into the second dog. It shook its head as it finally stopped and stared at the other dog. In a heartbeat, the two dogs synchronized in their movements, and both turned their attention to Apple Bloom.
Apple Bloom gulped and backed up towards the house again. “Oh, this just ain’t my day!” she groaned.
The dogs took off after her again, barking and growling. She spun on her hooves and left the path, running deeper into the grounds over the grassy hills on Filthy Rich’s property. She could feel the breath of both dogs nipping at her back legs as she galloped, and drool splattered over her coat with each bark.
A small gathering of bushes and trees rolled over the next hill, and Apple Bloom steered towards it. As the dogs closed in, their barks became louder behind her. She barely made it into the bushes as a set of teeth grazed her tail. Without stopping to think, she scampered up the largest tree.
She hopped up some of the lower branches, but had to manage a powerful leap to reach the higher limbs. She heard branches snap under her and the scraping of wood as the howling curs below attempted in vain to reach her.
Apple Bloom watched the dogs and their failed attempts to reach her, and finally allowed herself a moment to breathe. She let out a long sigh of relief, when somepony began shouting from just beyond the bushes.
“Will you two mutts shut up!”
Apple Bloom slapped her hooves to her mouth as she watched somepony step out from behind the bushes below. Diamond Tiara, her face full of anger, stomped towards the two dogs that had suddenly lost interest in Apple Bloom or the tree she was hiding in. They flattened themselves against the ground, their ears folded back, and let out a chorus of shrill whines.
Diamond Tiara’s glare narrowed as she stopped in front of the dogs. “You two aren’t supposed to be anywhere near here! Get back to the house!”
The two dogs got the message and bolted away without so much as a tail wag or bark of resistance between them. They vanished over the hill, leaving Diamond Tiara alone by the tree, with Apple Bloom watching from above. She stared at her aggressor in perfect silence, watching her every move just in case Diamond Tiara had any reason to look up and see that she was there.
Diamond Tiara sighed, shook her head, and trotted around the tree back to where she had come from. Apple Bloom carefully navigated the upper branches of the tree, all the while being careful to not make a sound. The tree was full of summer foliage, which gave her plenty of cover.
On the other side of the bushes, Apple Bloom raised her eyebrow at what she saw. Diamond Tiara walked over to a rounded stone sitting in the grass. It was polished and trimmed, lined with small pebbles in a rectangle in front of it. Diamond paused at the edge of the pebbles, staring at the stone.
Diamond Tiara let out a quiet sigh, and carefully sat herself down on the grass. Her ears fell as she reached up and took the tiara she always wore, placing it down on the ground in front of her. She was quiet for a long while, just staring at the stone. A breeze drifted over the hill, and her mane danced softly in its embrace.
She lifted her head, taking a long, deep breath, and released it slowly. Her eyes focused on the stone as she opened her mouth, lips trembling.
“Hi mom…” she said slowly.
Apple Bloom stifled a gasp by slapping her hoof to her mouth.
“How was your day?” Diamond continued. She looked weary as she slumped her head. “I guess mine was ok. We learned some history in class today. It wasn’t very interesting.” She smiled, but it looked strained. “I bet you would have loved it. You always loved history, and telling me old stories. You told them so much better than Miss Cheerilee does, not that there’s anything wrong with her way. You just made those old stories seem so… alive.”
Diamond shuddered. She brought a hoof to her eyes and wiped across with a loud sniffle and returned her attention to the grave. “I finished all my homework, like you always said I should. I just wish you had the time to go over it. I haven’t done well in school since… well, since then.”
She lifted a hoof and dug into the grass just beside her. “Daddy’s in Canterlot again. And Fillydelphia before that. Manehatten before that. And I think he’s off to Prance in a few days. He’ll probably come to dinner at least once before he does, but I wonder if he’ll even notice me. He never does anymore. All he does is work. It’s just his way of dealing with everything since you’ve been gone. I miss him, even though he’s still here.”
Diamond’s voice began to growl. “I hate all this money sometimes. All it does is take Daddy away from me. I have all this space and nothing to do, all these toys, and nopony to share them with. Without you, what’s the point of it? It didn’t save you, mommy, so why does it matter?”
She finally broke down and collapsed to the ground. She started sobbing loudly with nopony around to hear her save for Apple Bloom.
Apple Bloom’s chest felt tightened. She remembered what had happened to Diamond Tiara’s mother so long ago, but only remembered slivers of it.
Apple Bloom heard Diamond’s sobbing subside as she started to mutter under her breath. Apple Bloom leaned forward to try and hear more. There was a quiet groan in the wooden limb supporting her. Her heart began to race as she tried to stifle the sound of her panting.
That was close, she thought. A sudden, stronger breeze wafted through over the hill, rustling the limbs of the tree. The leaves shuffled in the wind. The groaning sound returned, followed by a loud snap.
The branch gave way beneath Apple Bloom, and she plummeted to the ground below with a loud scream. She landed hard on the grass and rolled away from the branch in a heap. Her head spun, her vision went blurry and pain lanced at her sides. She struggled to roll onto her belly and stand, aches nipping at each leg. She slowly lifted her head, coming face to face with Diamond Tiara.
Diamond Tiara stood perfectly still, standing above Apple Bloom. Her face was stained from tears, and her eyes were streaked with red. Her lips trembled as she stared at Apple Bloom, who felt her earlier panic returning in force.
“U-um, hey, Diamond Tiara,” Apple Bloom stammered.
Diamond Tiara dropped her head and stared at the ground. Her legs wobbled as if she was struggling to stand. “H-how much…” she breathed.
Apple Bloom saw tears flowing from the underside of Diamond Tiara’s head. “H-how long have you been listening?”
Apple Bloom backed away. “W-well. I was here to bring something for your dad, but he wasn’t here. S-so I just left it with your b-butler and left. B-but then y-your dogs started chasing me and… and…”
Diamond Tiara didn’t move. Her body shuddered a brief moment as she exhaled, and her voice took on a dark, grim resolve. “Get out…”
“S-sorry? I didn’t he—”
Diamond Tiara’s head snapped up. Tears were freely flowing from her eyes as she shouted in a furious, trembling voice. “Get out! Get out, get out, get out! Get away from me! Get away from here, and never let me catch you here again! And if you tell anypony what you heard, I will make your life a living nightmare that you will never wake up from!”
Even halfway across the property, Apple Bloom could hear every word in perfect clarity as she ran for home.
*****
Apple Bloom tasted a hint of wood as she yawned against her desk. She could barely lift her head as she struggled to keep herself from falling asleep. She heard soft voice calling in her mind, beckoning her to rest.
“Apple Bloom...” it said. “Let... go…”
“Mmm,” Apple Bloom mumbled.
“Apple Bloom…it go…”
Her mind roused away from oblivion. “Hmm?”
“Apple Bloom!” the voice shouted. “I said how did your weekend go?”
Apple Bloom sprang up from her desk. Her head twisted to face Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, who were just taking their own seats beside her in Cheerilee’s classroom. Now firmly awake, she could hear the buzzing of conversation floating around her from the other children in the room, all chatting happily about the events of their weekend.
“Are you okay, Apple Bloom?” Scootaloo asked. “You don’t look so good.”
“Yeah,” Sweetie Belle said. “You look like you got up on the wrong side of the bed every night all weekend.”
Apple Bloom groaned. “I kinda did.”
“What was that?”
Apple Bloom shook her head, and forced a smile. “I said I’m fine. I just worked a lot with Applejack to pass the time.”
She yawned again. “How were your weekends?”
Sweetie Belle’s face lit up. “Well, Rarity took me to see this really fancy clothes store! They had so much fabric, and Rarity pretty much bought a little of everything.”
Sweetie Belle’s face soured. “I ended up having to carry most of it,” she grumbled. “All of it, actually.”
Scootaloo chuckled. “That’s nothing. Rainbow Dash and I had a blast at the derby! I got to see Fleetfoot and Spitfire up close as they raced. It was so awesome.”
Scootaloo’s grin turned into a frown. “Awesome until Spitfire lost control in the last turn. She crashed into the wall just below Rainbow Dash and me. She was fine, but the cloud barrier exploded on impact and doused us both with water.”
Scootaloo sneezed and rubbed her nose. “I’m pretty sure I caught a cold.”
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo glanced at each other and laughed. The door swung open. Miss Cheerilee walked in, and the class went quiet. She approached her desk and faced the class with a smile on her face. “Good morning, class!”
“Good morning, Miss Cheerilee,” the class chanted.
“I hope everypony had a wonderful weekend. Let’s get attendance out of the way so we can get started.” She reached into her desk and pulled out a clip board. “Apple Bloom?”
Apple Bloom didn’t feel the strength to lift her leg, so she just muttered a quiet, “here.”
Cheerilee nodded and scribbled on her sheet. She called out a few more names and ticked down the list, until she called, “Diamond Tiara?”
Apple Bloom swallowed. She withdrew in her chair and crossed her hooves, trying to make herself as small as she could. There was a deep, clawing feeling deep in her stomach that she wished would just go away. Her skin felt clammy as she tried to maintain her composure.
Silence hung in the air. Cheerilee stared at her sheet a moment longer before she looked up and scanned the classroom. “Diamond Tiara?” she repeated.
There was still no answer. Apple Bloom turned her head and her eyes widened at the sight of Diamond Tiara’s empty desk.
“Silver Spoon, do you know where Diamond Tiara is?” Cheerilee asked.
Silver Spoon shook her head. “No ma’am. I haven’t seen her all weekend.”
Silver Spoon shuffled uncomfortably in her chair. She seemed unable to maintain eye contact with Cheerilee, who looked at her curiously.
“Well, if that’s the case, I don’t suppose you would mind bringing her homework to her after class?”
Silver Spoon glanced at the empty desk. “No, of course not ma’am. I’d be happy to.”
Cheerilee nodded and went about completing the attendance. Her calls turned to white noise in Apple Bloom’s mind as she stared at the empty desk.
Scootaloo jokingly nudged her and said quietly, “Heh, I bet she just skipped out again. At least we won’t have to deal with her today.”
Apple Bloom managed a weak agreement, as small coils of guilt started working their way up and tightening around her neck. Is this my fault? she wondered.
Cheerilee dropped her clipboard onto her desk. The sound snapped Apple Bloom from her troubled thoughts. She stared at the chalkboard as Cheerilee began to write the lesson plan for the day upon it.
“Now today, class, we will…”
Cheerilee’s voice faded from Apple Bloom’s mind as she felt as if she were being dragged down into darkness. Her breaths became short and pained, and a crushing warmth pressed against her from all directions. Her stomach roiled, and waves of nausea threatened to burst.
She shot her hoof into the air, which brought silence to the room. Cheerilee paused her lesson and glanced at Apple Bloom. “Yes, Apple Bloom? Do you have a question?”
Apple Bloom shook her head. “No, Miss Cheerilee. I don’t feel very well, may I please be excused?”
Cheerilee blinked. “Oh? Where does it hurt? Should I call for one of the nurses to stop by?”
Apple Bloom shuddered. “N-no, I don’t think it’s that bad. My stomach hurts is all.”
Cheerilee scratched her chin. “Well, how about you go to my office? I have a small cot in there you can rest on while I go get your sister or brother to come check on you. Will that be okay?”
Apple Bloom scooched off her chair and stumbled towards the door.
“Yes, that sounds okay. Thank you, Miss Cheerilee.”
A flurry of whispers reached Apple Bloom’s ears. She ignored them. Once she was outside the classroom, she leaned against the door for a moment and took a deep breath.
“I can’t believe I did that,” she sighed. “But I have to know…”
Instead of going towards the back of the school house, which served as both Cheerilee’s office and sick room, she walked softly towards the front door. Cheerilee would eventually find her gone, and she would most likely inform one of her siblings, but that was hardly the thing she worried about. With her mind made up, she darted down the road, towards Cherry Tree Lane.
*****
Apple Bloom crawled up the steps to Diamond Tiara’s home. Her chest was heaving with fire as she wobbled with each step. She gulped a rough breath as deeply as she could as she made it to the door. Her leg was shaking as she brought it up to the door and knocked. She forced more breaths down into her lungs as she waited for somepony to answer. A small rustle in the bushes beside the porch diverted her attention.
A head popped out of one of the bushes, revealing one of the dogs that had chased her days earlier. It stared at her with a blank expression as its tongue rolled in and out of its mouth. Apple Bloom frowned at the dog. “Oh, now you’re gonna be quiet? It’s your fault this mess happened in the first place.”
The dog tilted its head with a confused whine. Apple Bloom rolled her eyes, just as she heard approaching hoofsteps on the other side of the door. The door swung open and revealed the same old stallion from before, looking down at her. “Oh,” he said. “Hello again, dear. Is there something I can help you with?”
Apple Bloom stared at the butler a moment, before her ears fell flat against her head. She scuffed a hoof on the ground and looked down. “U-um, I’m sorry for bothering you again, sir, but is Diamond Tiara home?”
The butler blinked as a slight frown crossed his face. “She is…” he said in a plain voice, “and she has been since your last visit. I don’t suppose you know why she hasn’t left her room since?”
Apple Bloom rubbed her ankle. “W-well, I may have seen something I shouldn’t have when I was here.” She turned her head out to the grounds. She let out a quiet breath as her eyes fell on the lone tree on the edge of the property.
The stallion had followed her gaze. He let out a sympathetic sigh and stared at Apple Bloom. “Ah, I see.”
He stepped aside and let Apple Bloom in. The foyer was covered in a dull grey carpet that felt unusually soft on her hooves. There was a large staircase looming over the entrance which seemed too large for even ponies of Big Macintosh’s size. Apple Bloom turned her head when the butler cleared his throat. “Not even Master Rich is aware of Miss Tiara’s visits. I try to address his lack of interaction with her, but he has not been the same since the passing of his wife. And neither has she, which I am certain you have noticed.”
Apple Bloom nodded.
The old stallion smiled. “I am glad, in a rather morbid fashion I suppose, that somepony else knows her little secret. She may take excess in ordering me about, but she was once a sweet little filly. She refuses to listen to me, but perhaps she will listen to you.”
“Why would she listen to me?” Apple Bloom said, shaking her head. “It’s probably my fault why she’s like this. And she hated me before that anyways. She’d sooner sic her dogs on me.”
“Because,” the butler said with a wink. “I think you are the right pony for the job.” He bowed his head and gestured to the stairs. “Miss Tiara’s room is the last one on the right. Good luck.”
Apple Bloom turned to look up the stairs. When she turned back, the butler had vanished. She blinked a few times and turned her attention to the landing above. She stared at the first step and steeled herself with a deep breath and started her ascent. At the end of the hall, she came to a door painted pink, which contrasted the rest of the house.
Apple Bloom stared at the door in silence. A thousand thoughts crossed her mind as she stared at the gateway that led her to one of her oldest enemies. Her friends would have tied her up for even thinking of coming this close to Diamond Tiara’s home, let alone her room; even her sister would have some concerns of why she would be so willing to stand here. Even I don’t know why I’m here, she thought. But this is my fault. I know it is. And I have to set it right… Somehow.
She sucked in a breath, and knocked on the door.
“Go away, Worthington!” came a furious reply from the other side. “I’m not going to school no matter what you say!”
Apple Bloom swallowed a lump. “U-um, hey, Diamond Tiara. I-it’s me. Apple Bloom.”
There was a moment of silence, before another heated response. “What do you want?”
“I... I came to apologize.”
“For what? Ruining my life? I bet everypony at school is just laughing it up after you told them what you saw.”
“I didn’t tell anypony.”
There was a sudden, scornful laugh. “Hah! I’ve been making your life miserable for years. Even you wouldn’t pass up a chance like that.”
Apple Bloom stomped her hoof. “I didn’t tell nopony. And that’s an Apple Family Promise. Now I’m coming in.”
She turned the handle and pushed her way into the room. She gasped as she stepped in. The room was immersed in darkness. The only light was from the hallway behind her, which cast a long, square silhouette into the room. Small objects, which Apple Bloom once thought might have been toys, posters, even child jewelry were scattered around the room in pieces. The drapes on the windows were the only thing untouched, which blocked the early morning sunlight from entering.
On the other side was a four poster bed, much like Apple Bloom’s own, but even its drapes were torn and ripped off. The bed itself was a tangle of sheets and ripped fabrics in one giant lump sitting in the middle. It moved slightly as it coiled itself up tighter. “Go away, Apple Bloom…” the lump said. “I have nothing to say to you.”
Apple Bloom scoffed. “Well, that’s a first. I can’t remember the last time you ain’t had something to say to me. It’s always ‘blank flank’ this and ‘farm pony’ that.”
The pile sighed. “What do you want from me?”
Apple Bloom sighed back. She approached the bed slowly, bumping the debris in her way aside. “Well for starters, I’d like an explanation.”
The pile shifted on the bed, twisting away from Apple Bloom as she got closer. She stopped at the edge of the bed and sat down. She placed her hooves on the edge of the bed, and stared at the lump of cloth. “Well? I’m waiting.”
“It’s none of your business.”
Apple Bloom shook her head. “Well, unfortunately for you, I’m making it my business. You said it yourself. Your daddy don’t listen, you don’t listen to your butler, and the only pony you call a friend don’t care. So, I’m here to listen. Take it or leave it.”
“I’d rather leave it then,” Diamond Tiara dismissed.
Apple Bloom frowned and yanked at the sheet on the bed. The cocoon of blankets shifted towards her. It struggled to back away, but with little effort. “Gosh darn it, Diamond Tiara! I know we have all the right in the world to hate each other, but it’s not like I wanted to hate you! I woulda been just fine avoiding you for the rest of my life, but you just kept on pushin’. But here I am, the last pony in the world we’d both expect sittin’ at your bed side, and I want to help you. Now stop actin like a baby and talk to me!”
The bed creaked as the cocoon began to writhe and twist. Scraps of cloth and bedspread scattered all over the floor as Diamond Tiara burst from its confines. She stood still a brief moment as she found her orientation, and spun her head to Apple Bloom with a seething glare.
Apple Bloom held a breath as she stared at her. Her mane was hanging loosely from her head in a tangled mess. Her eyes blazed with jagged streaks of red, bordered by deep, faded wrinkles in her skin. She stomped off the bed, huffing with rage with each breath, and landed with a thump right in front of Apple Bloom.
She lifted a hoof and shoved Apple Bloom. “You want me to talk!?” she screamed. “Okay, let’s talk!” Tears welled from Diamond Tiara’s eyes as she kept shoving a hoof at Apple Bloom. “Let’s talk about my dad who doesn’t have time for his own daughter! It’s always work, work, work! The only time he even pretends to care is when he steps in to discipline me, without even figuring out why he’s doing it.”
Another shove. “Or how about how everypony in town hates me and whispers behind my back!” Another shove, but weaker this time. Her tears came faster now as her legs trembled in anger. “Oh sure, they will probably say I deserve it. She’s just a bully, who cares?!”
Apple Bloom felt her back press up against the wall as Diamond Tiara continued her rant. “Or how about we talk about how the only pony who gives me the time of day just treats me like some status improving...thing, and only cares about the image I give her! And I can’t get rid of her, or else I’ll be completely alone.”
She stopped shoving, only because her forelegs had lost their strength. She collapsed to her haunches and began sobbing freely onto the ground. “Or about how you, your friends, your family, and everypony else is just so… happy!” She collapsed to the ground. “And I'm...not.”
Apple Bloom couldn’t stop blinking. All she could do was keep her breaths steady as she stared at her long-time bully in a heap on the ground bawling her eyes out. Diamond Tiara’s body shuddered with each sob, and again when she struggled to suck in a breath. Eventually, Apple Bloom sighed, and sat down. She reached out and placed a hoof on Diamond Tiara’s head and stroked her mane.
Diamond Tiara didn’t lift her head. “Why are you doing this?” she managed through her sobbing. “I’ve been horrible to you. I have been for years, ever since…since…” She couldn’t finish the sentence, she just shrugged and dug herself deeper into her legs. “You should hate me.”
Apple Bloom shook her head. “I don’t hate you. It ain’t the Apple Family way to hate anypony. I don’t like to fight, even against bullies. I felt it was just easier to stay out of your way as best I could. But it seems like that ain’t an option anymore. I want to help you, as crazy as it sounds. I just want to understand.”
Diamond Tiara sniffed. “Why do you care?”
Apple Bloom didn’t respond, not immediately. She paused, staring into space. A single, faded memory was just out of reach of her mind. She blinked it away and sighed. “Because I know what it’s like.”
Diamond Tiara’s sobbing broke, for a moment. She struggled to lift her head. “How can you possibly know what this feels like?”
Apple Bloom looked away. “Everypony thinks I was too little to remember my parents. They ain’t completely right. I don’t remember their faces all that well, except from pictures. But their voices…” Apple Bloom shivered. “I can hear them in my dreams sometimes. It’s been a while since I’ve had ‘em, except since... well, all this happened.”
She looked back to Diamond Tiara, who was staring back up at her. “So, yeah, I know what it’s like to miss somepony special. Sure, it might be easier since I didn’t know ‘em that well, but it’s still there.” She placed a hoof on her chest. “And it still hurts.”
“But you still have a family that loves you!” Diamond Tiara blurted. She rose from the ground and stared Apple Bloom down. “You have your sister, your brother, even that kooky granny of yours!” Her body started trembling again as the tears returned. “You have real friends you care about, and who care back! You’re friends with their families, and their families’ friends! I can’t think of a single pony who doesn’t care about you.” She bit her lip and brought a hoof to her eyes. Her head slumped down as she sniffled loudly. “And I know I can’t think of a single pony who cares about me…” She lifted her head. Apple Bloom could see the signs of defeat in Diamond Tiara’s eyes. She turned away, towards her bed, and walked away in a slow, lethargic march. “So, just leave me alone.”
“I care,” Apple Bloom said.
Diamond Tiara paused. She turned her head, staring with disbelief. “What did you say?”
Apple Bloom nodded her head. “I said I care, gosh darnit! I ain’t gonna sit here no more and listen to you wailin’ like a timberwolf when you got an honest to goodness pony standin’ right in front of you. I listened good and hard to what you had to say, now it’s my turn to talk.”
Apple Bloom stepped forward and placed a hoof on Diamond Tiara’s shoulder. “I know we’ve been at each other’s throats since as far back as we can remember. I know we probably thought we’d be doing it until we were old and wrinkly. And I know what’s done is done, and there ain’t no point dwellin’ on the past. But I also know that there’s always a chance to move forward. There’s always a chance to make a change.” She smiled. “And there’s always a chance to forgive. So that’s what I’m gonna do.”
Diamond Tiara yelped as Apple Bloom put her other hoof around her and pulled her closer. She blinked rapidly as she tried to move her head and figure out what was happening. She felt two legs wrapping around her and squeezing. Something patted her back slowly, and she felt a soft breath drift past her ears. “I forgive you,” Apple Bloom said. “We’ve had our problems in the past, but I’m willing to put ‘em behind us. You’re hurtin’, Diamond Tiara, I can see it plain as day. So please, let it go… Just let all those bad feelin’s go, and I promise everything will be better.”
Diamond Tiara didn’t answer. Apple Bloom sighed. “I know its hard to let go of somepony you care about. An’ I know it can be just as hard to let somepony in. But it’s worth it, you just gotta—”
Apple Bloom paused as she felt Diamond Tiara squeeze back. She shuddered and buried her head into Apple Bloom’s neck and wept against her. Apple Bloom smiled, and continued patting Diamond Tiara’s back. “It’s gonna be alright,” she whispered, “just let it all out.”
*****
A chill wind swept over the hill on the Rich property. The sun had faded away behind a sheet of dark and murky clouds over Ponyville into the late afternoon. Apple Bloom shuddered as she trudged up the hill. She glanced up through the clouds to the shimmering glow of the sun hiding behind it. She looked down the hill, towards the valley below in which Ponyville sat. Chances were, her disappearance had been noted by now, and ponies must have been out looking for her. She would face those consequences later, for what Diamond Tiara had asked her to do was far more important.
Diamond Tiara was right beside her on the hill. If she had bothered to comb her mane, the wind undid her efforts. It flew free in the breeze, unconfined by her tiara which was lost and forgotten. She walked with her head down and dragged her hooves with each step. She and Apple Bloom walked together, climbing towards the peak. Diamond Tiara’s pace dwindled with each step, and Apple Bloom slowed to match each time. Even when the pace slowed to a crawl, Apple Bloom kept her breaths steady. She was patient. She glanced up the hill, towards the tree and the headstone that lay beneath it. She knew that no matter how long it took to get there, it wasn’t going anywhere.
Another wind seemed to swirl around the top of the hill as they arrived. Apple Bloom looked over to Diamond Tiara. She hadn’t lifted her head. She just kept staring at the ground.
Apple Bloom stepped towards the grave. She had never gotten to see it from the front before, and took a moment to read the epitaph.
Here Lies Glittering Gold
Devoted Wife
Beloved Mother
The Sun Shines Not as Bright in Your Absence
Apple Bloom turned back to Diamond Tiara. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
Diamond Tiara was still a moment longer. She lifted her head and stared straight towards the headstone. She took the last few steps towards it. It felt like an eternity of silence as Apple Bloom watched her approach the stone. When she finally reached it, she froze. She took long, slow breaths. Her body trembled, either from the cold air around her, or from the quivering of her heart, Apple Bloom could not tell.
She bobbed her head, and turned slightly towards Apple Bloom. “Yes…” she said, in almost a whisper. “I need to do this. For her...for me…”
Apple Bloom nodded. She walked over to the grave beside Diamond Tiara. Her shaking had not subsided, so Apple Bloom placed a hoof on her and eased her to the ground. She kept the hoof around Diamond Tiara as they both sat and stared at the headstone.
Diamond Tiara drew in another breath. “Hi...m-mom…” she stuttered, and choked on her words. Tears began welling in her eyes. She tried to blink them away, but her trembling body worked against her. Apple Bloom reached out to put a hoof on Diamond Tiara’s chin. The touch elicited a gasp, and she turned to look at Apple Bloom. She smiled and nodded in encouragement.
Diamond Tiara nodded, and turned back to the gravestone, swallowing. “Th-this is Apple Bloom. Sh-she’s a pony from school.” She paused. She looked at Apple Bloom again, who raised an eyebrow in confusion. “N-no, she’s a f-friend.”
Apple Bloom blinked and smiled as she continued.
“I… I don’t think I’m going to visit as much anymore. It’s not because I don’t want to, b-but I don’t think it’s good for me to hang on s-so much.” She sniffled. “You’re gone, Mommy, and nothing can change that. I miss you, but you will always be here if I need you. But right now, I don’t. I need to m-move on, and Apple Bloom helped me realize that.
“I’m going to talk to Daddy, make him understand how I’ve been feeling. I know you would never want him to lose me too. I’m going to try and be n-nicer to ponies around me, and be the good girl you would have wanted me to be. I’m g-going to be better for you, Mommy.”
She stood and stepped away from Apple Bloom’s grasp. She circled the edge of the grave towards the headstone and placed her hoof on it. She stared at the grass below her and bit her lip. She leaned forward and kissed the stone. Tears streaked down her face as she pulled away. “Goodbye Mommy. I love you so much.”
Diamond Tiara was trembling again as she stood alone at the marker, and Apple Bloom stepped to her side and steady her. She was wobbling on her legs as tears continued to fall. Her weight was pressing back against Apple Bloom. She smiled as she braced herself against Diamond Tiara and lifted a hoof to wipe the tears away.
Diamond Tiara couldn’t hold it anymore. Her legs gave out and she collapsed onto the pony beside her. She wept loudly on top of the hill, with only Apple Bloom and the wind to hear her.
Apple Bloom said nothing. She held onto Diamond Tiara as tightly as she could while she cried and cried. She looked up for a brief moment and blinked. The headstone seemed to be glowing. A sliver of sunlight had breached the clouds and shone down onto the hillside. The chill air faded into a warming glow against Apple Bloom’s skin. She stared at the ray of light, bewildered, before she closed her eyes and smiled. It seemed, under the light of the sun, brighter times were just on the horizon. And that’s all she could ask for.
The End
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