Diamond In The Rough

A few months later...

Today was the day. What day is that? It is Silver Spoon's nineteenth birthday, and the party was in full swing. Everyone close to the gray-toned girl had assembled at the house of Diamond Tiara to celebrate the day she was born. No one was more excited than Diamond. She looked around at all the happy faces mingling with one another in the cramped house. The pink girl saw her newest friends from school, the Cutie Mark Crusaders. She saw Ms. Cheerilee too as well as Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna, Coach Spitfire, her father, Silver's parents (who were congratulating the birthday girl), and various other students from their school that had been invited at Silver's suggestion.

Diamond scanned the house, looking from one group to the next, feeling genuinely happy and carefree of her own accord without needing the help of her girlfriend to do so. All the warm smiles and exchange of affection at the party filled the ex-bully's chest with warm, tingly, fuzzy feelings of passion and delight. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the extensive decoration for the celebration as well. Diamond had spared no expense when it came to Silver's party; she had wanted nothing but the best for her true-love's special day.

Diamond glanced down at the cup of punch she held in her hands and took a deep gulp of the cherry-flavored liquid. She brought the red solo cup away from her lips and sighed in contentment at the delicious contents that had just entered her body. Diamond wiped away the excess punch from her mouth with the back of her hand then focused her attention back on the get-together that was currently in progress. She looked around at all the people appreciating the hard work she put in towards decorating Silver's party, the biggest smile that wasn't caused by her girlfriend embellished on her lips, and froze on three persons in particular.

Diamond's smile slowly faded away as she looked at them. It was Silver and her parents catching up on lost times since the gray girl had officially moved in with Diamond Tiara and Filthy Rich. Silver was holding her mother in a tight embrace while her father watched, grinning like he was the proudest parent in the world as Silver held her mother close and whispered how much she loved her and missed her.

Diamond watched as the mother-daughter duo broke away and dragged their husband-father into a conversation on who knows what. Diamond didn't know why, but she wasn't quite sure what she was feeling at this point now. Was it Guilt? Regret? .........Envy?

Diamond shook those thoughts away from her head and scolded herself for being so silly. This was a special day and she wasn't going to throw her own pity party inside her head while there was an actual party going on in reality to celebrate the birth of her best friend-turned-lover. She plastered on another smile and continued to enjoy herself.... until her gaze eventually wandered back over to Silver and her parents. Diamond lowered her gaze down to the red liquid in her cup to avoid staring. She couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy in her chest when the trio indulged in each other's company while she stood where she was.

Alone.

With no mother to hug her. Be there for her. Talk to her. Love her...

Not even her dreams offered her any solace anymore. The connection between Diamond's mother and herself had been broken exactly one month prior to Silver's birthday. She didn't know HOW it happened. She didn't know WHY it happened. She also wasn't sure if it was a sign, or just a simple coincidence. One thing was for sure though.

A piece of her heart had been lost. A hole now stood in the place where her mother once occupied. An empty, hollow, unforgiving void. Thankfully, Silver had been there for her. She didn't necessarily fill the hole, but more so maintained the structure of her heart to avoid a collapse.

It was something, and Diamond was eternally thankful to Silver for that. She dwindled on all the nice, sweet, and heroic things Silver had done for her in the past. In fact, she got so caught up in the past that she didn't even notice when Silver Spoon and her parents walked up to her and attempted to say hi. When they got no response, Silver tapped on Diamond's shoulder and jolted her out of her trance-like state.

Diamond gasped in surprise at the unexpected tap and panicked. So much so that she lost her grip on the cup, causing it to crash to the ground with a plasticy clang and spill what punch remained in the container on the ground at the two girls' feet. The entire party went dead silent as everyone turned their attention towards the cause of the disturbance.

Silver didn't notice them. Right now she was still in shocked astonishment and trying to process Diamond's strange behavior. Taking a careful step towards the pink girl, Silver cleared her throat nervously and placed a timid hand on Diamond's shoulder.

"Diamond? Gem? Are you alright, love?" Silver asked concernedly.

After a few moments Diamond finally cocked her head and looked her lover in the eyes.

"Y-Yeah. I-I just... I... umm..." Diamond looked down to where the punch had been spilled, "Let me get something to clean that up!"

And with that, Diamond shoved past everyone as politely as she could to the cleaning supplies closet and hoped no one saw the frightened and embarrassed look on her face.

Silver tilted her head in confusion as she saw Diamond power-walk to the supply closet down the hall. She was scared and very concerned. Diamond had acted unusual before in the past, but this was unlike anything she has ever seen from her pink friend-turned-lover, and it has only gotten worse over the past few weeks. Silver knew she had to get to the bottom of this before it was too late.

Silver steeled her resolve as she saw Diamond return with a roll of paper towels, kneel down on the ground, and began to clean up the spilled drink. Silver knelt down beside her and laid a hand on her shoulder. Diamond froze for a split second from the contact, but then continued scrubbing away at the liquid and trying to ignore Silver's concerned and frustrated gaze.

"Diamond? Love?" Silver whispered, "Is everything alright? You have been acting a bit strange for the past couple of weeks and it scared me senseless. If there is anything I can do, PLEASE, let me know." Silver accentuated her words with a kiss on Diamond's cheek, "I love you Diamond..."

Diamond breathed a deep sigh and slumped her shoulders. "You noticed, huh?" She asked, looking to her right at Silver's terrified face. It pained her deeply to see her love like that, but it couldn't be helped now.

She saw Silver nod her head, making Diamond sigh once more. She left the paper towels in the puddle as she slowly stood up, keeping her head tilted so Silver couldn't see her face. See her shame. It was a cruel few moments of silence as everyone watched the scene unfold with bated breath. The thing to break the silence was the least desired sound that sent a cold spike of pain directly through Silver's heart.

Whimpering. Diamond's whimpering. Tiny little hiccups that left scars on the hearts of all that heard it, but none more than Silver. The whimpers soon evolved into full on sobbing that brought tears to Silver's eyes as well. She quickly swept Diamond in a crushing embrace and started to stoke Diamond's hair in long, smooth, comforting motions. Silver cooed into her ear and tried her best to make Diamond's pain go away.

"Gem? Please, tell me what's wrong..." Silver said, on the verge of crying herself. She never ceased stroking Diamond's hair.

Diamond's whimpering faded away as she absorbed what Silver said. Diamond stopped her slouching and, feeling her straighten up, Silver backed away and waited for what her love had to say. Diamond turned her head to Silver, the evidence of her pain still relevant in her eyes.

"Tell you what's wrong? Okay, I'll tell you what's wrong!" Diamond said, raising her voice a bit, startling Silver. "My mother has stopped talking to me, alright?" Diamond looked to the ground and lowered the tone in her voice. "She doesn't speak to me in my dreams anymore and I don't know why. Was it something I did? Has our connection been severed? Does... Does she hate me now?"

Everyone gasped. "Diamond... Don't.... Don't say tha-" Silver attempted before being cut off.

"Well why else would she abandon me? I know it is a horrible, awful thought, but I can't help thinking it." Diamond motioned from Silver to Silver's mother. "I saw you and your mom hugging and it just, I don't know, awakened some... emotion I thought was gone for good." Diamond took a deep, shuddering breath and slowly let it out, then shot her gaze at Silver. "I'll never have that luxury of hugging your mom, kissing her, or telling her how much you love and means to you EVER again. And I can't help but think, 'I deserve this. I don't deserve to have my mother's love'." Diamond hitched once more and clenched her fists. "I just wish it was me instead of her."

Silver covered her mouth with her hand and felt a new onset of tears coming. "Oh my goodness... Diamond. I'm so sorry. I didn't even think...," Silver said, her voice full of empathy. "But please don't say such terrible things. You do deserv-"

"NO!!" Diamond shouted, cutting Silver off as she tried to reach out to comfort her. Diamond panted slightly and looked around at all the faces still watching the two girls converse. She felt guilt and shame wash over her from all the disapproving looks shot her way. Diamond had to remedy the situation somehow.

"I-I mean..." Diamond didn't know what to say. She had just lost the trust of all her friends, she knew. There was no fixing this. She had to get out of there. NOW!

"I-I'm sorry," She finally managed. "I-I need to go. I need to b-be alone." Diamond looked around at all the faces of the party-goers and kicked herself internally. "I need to be with her..." She choked out.

And with that, she turned on her heels and sprinted out the door into the darkness of night. No one made an attempt to stop her as she shoved past everyone.

"Diamond, wait!!" Silver exclaimed, but it was too late. Diamond was long gone and out of ear shot. Silver cursed Diamond for being so fast. Mister Rich, the CMC's, Principal Celestia, Vice Principal Luna, and Coach Spitfire all gathered around Silver. She looked to each of them with a pained sadness then back at the open door that Diamond had just ran out. Silver felt some odd instinct take over her body just then. An overwhelmingly powerful urge to love and protect. She had to find Diamond and make things right.

"What do we do now?" Apple Bloom asked. Silver glanced over her shoulder and stared at Apple Bloom with fierce determination.

"Now?.." She began, looking back to the door, "We find her." With that said, she sprinted out the front door and into the night to find her love, calling her name as she ran. The small search party looked to one another for a moment, nodded, then ran after Silver; all of them looking for the girl they loved dearly.

The rest of the people left behind at the house stood where they were in stunned silence, none of them knowing what to do now. A few of them shuffled uncomfortably, unsure of the next move to make. Thankfully, the quiet was broken with the question everyone had on their mind.

"Sooo... Is the party over?"