The Tiara’s Mask
Prelude
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A brown Earth Pony with a short black mane and tail, wearing a business suit paced back and forth in the hospital waiting room, his ears twitching every few moments.
He name was Filthy Rich, the richest pony in all of Ponyville thanks to his family having joined forces with the Apple family before Filthy’s time.
His wife, Allure, had gone into labor late that morning and they had rushed to the hospital so that she could give birth to their first child.
However, it had been nine hours since she had been admitted and taken to the delivery room. Why was this taking so long? His nerves couldn’t handle much more of this. If something didn’t happen soon, he was going to go insa—
“Mr. Rich?”
The stallion nearly jumped out of his fur, before turning to see Nurse Redheart, a white Earth Pony mare with a pink mane and tail, the former tied back in a bun, standing a little away from him.
He smiled with relief... before the expression she was wearing caused it to slide off his face. Her expression was of both happiness and sadness. Had the foal been a stillbirth? Allure must be heartbroken.
He stepped forward. “I-is there something wrong with Allure, the baby?”
She looked away, her eyes glistening a little. “This way.”
She headed back down the hallway she’d come, Rich following right after her. After a few minutes, they stopped in front of a glass panel, through which Rich could see a room filled with cots, each holding a small foal wrapped in a coloured blanket.
Rich looked to Redheart, hoping she was going to tell him his child was one of these foals.
She lifted a hoof and pointed to the cot three rows down, closest to the glass. When Rich looked, his gaze fell upon a foal with pink fur and a mane of purple and white, so much like her mother.
His eyes warmed and a smile came to his muzzle as he looked at the little creature sleeping soundly, a cute little smile on her own face.
“Diamond Dazzle Tiara.” Rich turned to look at Redheart when she spoke. “That was what your wife told us her name was.”
Rich was certain his smile couldn’t be any wider as he looked to the little foal, lifted a hoof and placed it on the glass. “Hello, Diamond Tiara,” he cooed. “I’m your daddy.”
The little filly shifted in her sleep as if she’d heard him, before settling down and returning to blissful stillness.
Rich turned to Redheart, his grin as wide as it could go. “So, where’s Allure?” He frowned. “Wait. Shouldn’t Diamond be in the same room as her?”
Redheart looked away, not meeting his eyes.
“Well?” Rich’s frown became one of impatience. “You had me waiting all that time, can’t I speak with my wife now?”
Redheart still did not meet his gaze. “I’m sorry, Mr. Rich.”
The tone of her voice made his pause, his own expression sagging. “Wh... what do you mean? Why are you sorry?”
Tears slid down Redheart’s muzzle. “There were... complications with the birth,” she said, a quiver in her voice. “I-it... it was either her or the baby a-and... well... sh-she chose the baby.”
There was a still silence that followed Redheart’s words, a silence in which Rich just stared at her.
After a few moments, he took a step back. “No,” he whispered hoarsely, shaking his head. “P-please, Redheart, don’t tell me you mean...?”
She didn’t respond, just kept her head down, tears still sliding down her muzzle.
Rich’s eyes watered, before tears slid down his own. His... his lovely Allure... gone?
He slowly turned to the glass, in which he could see Diamond stirring, her face scrunched up. Within moments she was crying, wailing like foals were known to do... and Rich cried silently along with her, his hoof against the glass as his tears fell to the floor.
“I-I’m sorry, Diamond,” he sobbed, his eyes clenched shut in a vain attempt to stop the tears, though it failed. “I’m so, so sorry you’ll never get to meet your mother. I’m sorry. I’m sorry!”
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“Shh,” Rich hushed his daughter, rocking her in his forelegs as they road the train through Manehatten, trying to get her back to sleep.
It had been barely a month since Diamond had been born, a month since the love of his life had left the world of the living in order to give their child the gift of life. A few days since the funeral of his beloved Allure.
A single parent he now was, Rich was thinking of only Diamond’s future. He wanted her to be happy, to feel loved, to want for nothing.
Rich sighed as Diamond stopped crying, before she snuggled against his chest and slowly drifted off to sleep.
“Bit of a hooffull ya got there, huh, pal?” one of the passengers sitting across from him, a burly Earth Pony with an orangey-brown coat and blonde mane and tail with a tool box for a Cutie Mark said, giving a knowing grin.
“You’re a father, too, I take it?” Rich asked, chuckling lightly.
The other stallion nodded. “Got a little colt; just turned three. The name’s Toolkit. You?”
“Rich,” he replied, nodding back. “Filthy Rich.”
Toolkit snorted. “What were your parents thinking when they named you that? Didtcha get looked down coz o’ it?”
Rich sighed. “Yeah. A lot of ponies have treated me poorly for it, and some still do. A name like Filthy doesn’t exactly say a nice, trustworthy pony now, does it?”
Toolkit just chuckled. “Hey. If’n they judge ya on namesake alone, they ain’t worth worryin’ about, are they?”
Rich nodded. “True. The Apple family have certainly helped keep my name from being besmirched, which I am thankful for.”
Toolkit whistled. “The Apple family? Man, you got all the luck. Those ponies have, like, a practical monopoly on the fruits and veggies market.”
Rich grinned. “Don’t I know it. My grandfather making a deal with them when Ponyville first started out was a blessing for my family.”
Their conversation was suddenly interrupted when the train jerked to a halt, causing them to sway around. The sound of screeching tires woke little Tiara and she began to wail at being woken up.
Rich, after managing to fully right himself on his seat, gently rocked the screaming filly, singing softly to her and nuzzling her.
Just as it seemed to be working, the carriage door flew open, the bang causing Diamond to start wailing all over again.
Standing in the doorway were three ponies, two unicorns and a Pegasus. They were each wearing sweaters and balaclavas, hiding their faces.
“Alright,” the unicorn in the middle said, stepping forward, “everypony hoof over all your valuables now.”
“It would be best to comply with your orders,” the second one said, stepping forward, a grin clear through the fabric of his facial wear. “If you don’t, well...” he aimed his horn at a window and fired a spell at it. The glass shattered, causing everypony to cry out, whilst those nearest the window tried to shield themselves from the falling shards.
The Pegasus groaned in annoyance. “Really, Snarks? Can’t you go one operation without smashing something? Just once?”
Reluctantly, everypony stepped forward, emptying their purses, bit pouches, pockets, everything, giving whatever was worth of any value, willing to part with it so long as it saved their lives.
Rich stepped forward, taking out his wallet, where his bit pouch and tipping all its contents into the outstretched bag before him, which was being held by a levitation spell.
“Thank you all for your cooperation,” the first unicorn spoke once everypony had given everything they could. “However, I failed to mention that we have one extra request of you all.” He smirked. “We need a hostage.”
Everypony began looking around and whispering anxiously.
“This is taking too long,” the Pegasus said angrily. “What are you waiting for, a volunteer? Just grab somepony and let’s go already.”
“Hey, guys!” the two turned to Snarks, who was standing near Rich as he continued trying to hush Tiara. “Lookie at this fella. Seems pretty well off, don’ ’e, with threads like these?”
“Your point?” the Pegasus asked, his patience clearly wearing thin.
Snarks grinned, before levitating the wailing foal out of Rich’s grasp.
“Hey, wait—” Rich cried, reaching for his daughter, back was knocked back by a punch from the Pegasus, who’d shot forward at the sight of movement, winding Rich as he dropped to the floor, clutching his chest.
“Not bad, Snarks,” he said, looking to the wailing foal being levitated in the air, before looking back to Rich. “We’ll send you the ransom soon. If you wanna see this little crier again, you’ll do as told.”
There was a flash from the other unicorn’s horn, blinding all present. When it faded, the three ponies and Diamond Tiara were gone.
“D-Diamond...” Rich wheezed, before he blacked out, his hoof outstretched to where he’d last seen his daughter.
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“Would you shut the little brat up, already?” Wing Sheath growled as he glared at Snarks, who was still holding the wailing foal.
Snarks growled back. “Don’t look at me. Quick Snap was the idiot that didn’t check where that stallion was staying before he teleported us out of there.”
Wing Sheath growled again as he looked around the dark alley. “He said he’d be back by now. I’m getting tired off this brat’s constant crying!”
“Hey, what in Equestria are you?” Quick Snap’s voice called from not too far off.
“Quick?” Wing Sheath glowered in the direction the voice had come from. “What in tartarus took you so long? Did you find out where that stallion’s staying so we can send the ransom and finally get rid of this pest?” he finished by pointing at the filly flailing around in Snarks’ aura.
“Guys?” Quick’s voice called, sounding scared. “Guys, ya gotta come, quick! There’s some kinda—Gff!”
The sound of something heavy hitting a wall caused the other two to look at each other uncertainly.
They both hurried forward, rounding the corner, before freezing in their place. Quick was lying against the alley wall, unconscious, blood dripping from his snout.
Standing before him was something that looked like a pony... except it wasn’t. It was black and covered in what could best be described as chitin. It had no mane, but some frill thing instead, its tail being made of something similar. Its legs were filled with holes, making the two feel uneasy. The creature also had wings, but, unlike Wing Sheath’s these looked more like insect wings, filled with holes like the creature’s legs. On its head was a horn, but, unlike a unicorn’s, such as Snarks, it was jagged and dangerous looking. Finally, its eyes were completely green; it had no irises or pupils.
They both stepped back in shock, Snarks so stunned by what they were seeing that he lost his grip on his magic. Their heads darted back when the constant wailing of the foal suddenly stopped. She was lying on the ground on her head, before she flopped forward, remaining still.
The creature seemed to respond to this, for it suddenly lunged forward, its horn glowing with a green light. Both ponies screamed before everything went black.
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“I need to go!” Rich shouted, trying to break free of the stallion holding him. “I need to find her!”
“Rich, calm down, please!” Toolkit grunted, surprised by how strong Rich was for a pony of his class. A perfect don’t judge the book by its cover case, he was. “Ah realise yer worried ’bout your daughter, but running out randomly into a city like Manehatten and gettin’ yerself lost ain’t going to help her any.”
They were in the Manehatten Police Station’s waiting area. Rich had awoken there after Toolkit had brought him from the train station, unconscious on his back. While Rich had still been out, Toolkit had told the officers about the robbery and how the ponies had foalnapped Rich’s baby daughter.
That had been hours ago, though, and once Rich woke up, he’d been frantically trying to go out and search for Diamond himself.
“You don’t understand!” Rich shouted, his voice barely holding back a sob. “She’s all of I’ve got left now. I— I can’t lose her!”
“And you won’t,” Toolkit replied sternly, keeping his grip tight on the other stallion. “The Manehatten police are doing everything they can. You’ll get your daughter back, Rich, I promise. We just have to wait a bit before—”
“U-um, excuse me,” a hushed voice said to their right as they contitued to struggle. “I-I found this foal unconscious in an alley. Would you know where I can find her family?”
Both stallions halted at once, their head swivelling to the pony who’d spoken. Standing at one of the police desks just a little away from them was a Pegasus mare with a light-pink coat and blonde mane and a saddle for her Cutie Mark. Sitting on her back, held in place by her wings was an unconscious—
“Diamond!” the mare turned at the shout, eeping when Rich grabbed the pink foal with a purple and white mane off of the mare’s back and held her tightly, tears streaming down his face. “Diamond! Oh, my little Diamond. You’re safe! You’re safe!” He looked to the mare, his expression pure joy and gratitude. “Thank you, miss. Thank you, so much for finding my Diamond. Thank you!”
The mare blushed, looking away. “I-it was, um, nothing, sir,” she stuttered. “I’m just... glad I could help.”
“Well, that solved itself pretty well,” the officer behind the desk grinned. “Ma’am, you just need to sign a few papers detailing where and how you found the filly and you, Mr. Rich, just need to fill out a few papers saying the case is solved and all that and you and your daughter can go home.”
Rich nodded, not caring what he had to do as he nuzzled his little angel, his smile wider and warmer than it ever had been, while Toolkit came over and congratulated him on getting his daughter back.
So engrossed in their talk were they, that neither stallion noticed the green sheen that flashed across the mare’s eyes as she looked to the foal in Rich’s grip. Nor did they notice the small sly smile that played across her lips.
Author's Note
Had this idea ever since reading a fic where Diamond forced a little changleing to go to school in her place to play hooky and the though occurred to me, as it had until the changeling revealed it's true identity and squealed on tiara, "What if tiara were really a changeling and had grown up not knowing it?" that's where this came from.
Hope you liked the beginning and I wonder if anypony got the hint as to what really happened when that *does quote, unquotes with fingers* Pegasus mare brought Diamond to the station.
Hope you liked this and, til next time, goodnight everypony.
