Filthy Rich. A pony everyone in Ponyville looked at as one of the richest ponies in town. He was also respected and loved by them, despite his only daughter, Diamond Tiara being so mean. He was once seen as a very wealthy, hard-working business pony who earned a good living from many businesses, including his ever-famous Rich's Barnyard Bargains in town.
One day, after hearing a rumoured drug problem, someone in town secretly hired a private-eye investigator from Cloudsdale to investigate. After two whole weeks of secret investigating, it was discovered that there had been a very large, illegal crop of cannabis growing in the deepest parts of the Everfree Forrest. It was also revealed that the one responsible for growing it was Filthy Rich, and was secretly dealing with, and selling them to some of the biggest illegal drug lords of Equestria.
Within a few day, the private-eye investigator from Cloudsdale issued a warrant for his arrest with the help of Cloudsdale and Canterlot police. In an interview, he confessed to doing it so that he could get more money to provide for his only daughter. After being questioned, the police, out of mercy, made Filthy Rich a deal of protection, and a lighter prison sentence with parole, in exchange for information on the drug lords's dealings, and to have him testify against them in court. With Filthy Rich's help, the drug lords were brought to justice, but at the cost of his own freedom. Filthy Rich was still found guilty of the cultivating and selling of illegal drugs, but as promised by the police and courts, he was given a lighter sentence of five years jail with parole in two years time, or less if on good behaviour. Despite the mistake he made, and the whole town's disappointment, they were all willing to forgive him, after hearing his reasons, and knowing about his part of bringing powerful drug lords to justice. Some were willing to handle his affairs, family fortunes, and businesses for him until he was released. They even planned a big welcome home party for him.
His daughter, Diamond Tiara was then put into foster care while he served his time in prison. She was insisting that the servants of their mansion could look after her, but due to her father unable to pay them whilst inside, it was impossible for her to stay at home. The foster carer was a pony named Firm Hoof, and conveniently enough lived in Ponyville. Firm Hoof was very kind, patient, and caring, but was very firm and disciplined. She had taken care of so many troubled children throughout her years, and was willing to take in Diamond Tiara while Filthy Rich was in jail, until he was released, being she was a dear friend of Filthy Rich's since their childhood days. Diamond Tiara on the other hand was finding this difficult from the previous life she had. Living under a different roof, with a different household, under a new set of rules. She was at times difficult, but Firm Hoof had hopes for her, like she did for all children she cared for, and was very confident she would adjust with time and patience. Diamond Tiara was at least glad that her best friend, Silver Spoon was still at her side.
It had been over two weeks since Filthy Rich had been sentenced, and the first week of school after the summer holidays had started. It was a Wednesday, and Diamond Tiara walked down the road towards the schoolhouse with her best friend, Silver Spoon. As they walked together, Silver Spoon looked at Diamond Tiara with wonder. She could see that she was quite unhappy, which was not surprising, considering how her father was arrest, put in prison, and her being forced out of her big house, and into foster care while he served his time.
"So, how have you been, Diamond?" Silver Spoon asked.
Diamond Tiara slowly turned her head, until her eyes meet with Silver Spoon's. She gave her a look of frustration, and unsatisfactory. "I hate it! I'm forced to share a room with two other kids, and do things myself. Make my bed, clean my room, do chores, going to bed at a certain time, and constantly follow rules. It's a nightmare."
"Here's your lunch and book bag, Diamond. Did you finish your breakfast?"
"Yes, Miss Hoof. I finished my oat meal. And washed my bowl, and cleaned my teeth, and made my bed, and brushed my mane."
"Listen, Diamond. I know it's hard, and it's a big change for you, but you'll get use to it sooner or later. I agreed to care for you at your father's request, but you'll have to also care for yourself too. You also have to contribute to this household by doing some chose to help around the house like everypony else. And I think we can visit you father in jail soon. But you'll have to be patient until then. Okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. I know."
"You go off to school now. We'll have a good, long talk about this when you get home. Have a good day at school, Diamond."
"Bye, Miss Hoof."
Diamond Tiara scowled, and groaned as she recalled that very morning. She looked at her lunch bag, opened it up, looked inside it, and winced with disgust. "Ugh! She packed me egg salad sandwiches. I hate her egg salad! It stinks, and she uses cheep, awful mayonnaise that poor ponies use. Not even convincing Soft Ball to give me her lunch to survive from hunger yesterday could satisfy me. I hate it! I hate it all so much!"
Silver Spoon tilted her head worryingly. "But Miss Hoof's so nice, and they say she makes the best egg salad in Ponyville. Don't you think you're being harsh on her, Diamond?"
"No!" Diamond Tiara said. "It's not fair that I have to live with such ponies that are so poor while my daddy's in jail! I want to live in my real house, in my own bed, and with my servants. It's just not fair!"
Silver Spoon frowned. "But what about Soft Ball? Taking her doll, and threatening to rip its head off for her lunch? That was a bit too far, even for chocolate spread sandwiches. It was kind of like... like kicking a puppy."
Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes in frustration. "Whatever. What's that little baby going to do anyway? She's too timid to tell anypony."
Seeing Diamond Tiara so unhappy made Silver Spoon feel sorry for her, for she had lost her father, and being forced to move into the foster care in a matter of weeks. At the same time, she had concern for the little filly named Soft Ball. She knew the line of picking on other kids, and she knew Soft Ball was far too innocent. She turned her head to the sound of the schoolhouse bell ringing in the distance. The sanctuary of school was now close by.
"Well, let's get moving. We don't want to be late on the first week."
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon started to quicken their paces towards the Schoolhouse as the bell rang, and other children ran inside to begin another day school day.
The Schoolhouse bell rang at 12:30 to begin lunch and recess. The teacher, Cheerilee smiled at the children in the classroom, and nodded to them.
"Alright, everypony," Cheerilee said. "It's time for lunch, and recess."
The children in the classroom cheered, grabbed their lunches, and went outside to have lunch, and to play. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon went over to their usual place to eat lunch. A bench under the shade of a tall tree. They both sat down, and got their lunches out. Diamond Tiara groaned at the smell of her egg salad sandwiches that Firm Hoof had made for her.
"Ew!" Diamond Tiara picked up one of the sandwiches in her hoofs. "This smells gross."
Silver Spoon tilted her head, and sniffed. "Gross? It doesn't smell bad to me."
"Maybe it's yourselves that you're smelling!"
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon turned their heads in the direction of where the voice came from. Standing close by was a large, strong looking, white earth filly that was just at the start of her teenaged years. She had a brown mane and tail, and had a baseball cutie mark. She was also with a little, ceriseish gray colored filly that was about Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon's age standing right behind her, holding a doll in her hoof.
The teenaged filly turned to the younger filly. "Little sis, stay here." Her little sister nodded, then she started to approach the two fillies slowly, as Diamond Tiara glanced at the filly, with a look that indicated that this was defiantly not a moment she was looking forward to.
"What do you want, Hard Ball?" Diamond Tiara asked.
The teenaged filly known as Hard Ball stopped, glancing at the two fillies, before turning her attention solely on Diamond Tiara. "I heard you're now living with Miss Firm Hoof."
Diamond Tiara glared at Hard Ball mildly. "Yeah, so what? It's only a temporary thing."
"Just one of the other kids, eh?" Hard Ball asked.
"One of the other kids who has to eat egg salad sandwiches made of gross, cheep mayonnaise that only common ponies would eat."
Hard Ball raised an eyebrow. "Gross, huh?"
Hard Ball looked at the sandwich in Diamond Tiara hooves for a few moments, then she glanced at her lunch bag, then back at her sandwich. There was a pause, then without warning, Hard Ball knocked the sandwich out of her hooves with one swipe of her hoof to the ground, ruining her sandwich, much to Diamond Tiara's shock.
"Hey!"
Hard Ball then grabbed Diamond Tiara's lunch bag. "Hey! What are you doing?!" Diamond Tiara watched with shock, as Hard Ball threw her lunch bag over into a mud puddle a few metres away. She was livid at the sight of her ruined lunch on the ground, and in the mud. "That was my lunch!"
Hard Ball mildly grinned mockingly. "What does it matter? You said yourself that it was gross. So I did you a favor."
Diamond Tiara got up angrily. "How dare you! When I tell Miss Hoof about this, you're going to be sorry! You and your sister, Soft Ball!"
The little filly, Soft Ball, whimpered in fear at Diamond Tiara's words. Hard Ball, hearing her little sister frighten whimpers, glared at Diamond Tiara seriously, and began approaching Diamond Tiara aggressively. "It must be terribly frightening for you?" Diamond Tiara began to back away from Hard Ball in fear. "To be so poor and defenseless, stripped of your father's riches, after all your life of being spoiled and pampered."
Diamond Tiara backed away from Hard Ball in fear, while still trying to remain threatening. "I'm warning you, I still have a friend who's got friends in high places!"
"Using your wealth to get what you both want," Hard Ball said. "Bullying and frightening one child after the other, teasing and threatening them like frightened animals, and YOU enjoying every moment of your victims humiliation and misery!"
"What is going on here?"
Hard Ball turned behind her to see Cheerilee approaching, with Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo of the Cutie Mark Crusaders following right behind her. "Hard Ball. You're not suppose to be here."
"Yeah," Apple Bloom said. "What are ya doin' bein' a bully?"
"Bully?" Hard Ball turned to Apple Bloom with a disgusted look. "You call me a bully after everything these two ponies have done?!"
Cheerilee stepped forward. "Enough! Why are you here causing trouble, Hard Ball?"
Hard Ball turned her attention to Cheerilee. "I'm not here to cause trouble, I'm here to set these two straight." She glanced at Diamond Tiara. "My little sister told me about how she was threatened by this one to give her lunch yesterday."
"Threatened her for her lunch?" Cheerilee turned, and noticed Hard Ball's little sister, Soft Ball standing close by. "Soft Ball, is that true?"
Soft Ball came forward, sniffling, and nodding her head, as a few tears began shedding out of her eyes. "Diamond Tiara came with Silver Spoon, and took my dolly, and threaten to rip her head off if I didn't give her my chocolate spread sandwiches."
"She what?" Cheerilee turned to Diamond Tiara, with a look of shock and disgust. "Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon! I'm surprised at both of you. I will be informing Firm Hoof about this behavior. And Silver Spoon, I will be informing your parents about this too."
Hard Ball came over to Soft Ball, and put a hoof around her little sister's to comfit her. She then glared at Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon while talking to Cheerilee and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "So if you think I'm the bully in this, you better think again. She deserved to have her lunch ruined. And if they ever bully my little sister again, they'll get much worse than that."
The Cutie Mark Crusaders came closer to Hard Ball, each wearing a look pity and understanding.
"Hard Ball," Apple Bloom said. "We understand ya're mad at Diamond Tiara an' Silver Spoon, but ya can't go bullyin' them like that."
Sweetie Belle nodded. "Yeah. Besides, that makes you only a bigger bully."
"And nopony likes bullies." Scootaloo said.
Hard Ball groaned in frustration and eyed at Diamond Tiara. "How can you defend this pony? She's bullied every kid, including you and my sister with no shame, and was responsible for Filthy Rich growing drugs to provide her selfish needs!"
Cheerilee nodded. "That is true, Hard Ball. But there are better ways in dealing with this. Show you're a better pony than that. Filthy Rich wouldn't want us to think like this."
Hard Ball thought for a few moments to think it over, then she nodded. She had great respect for Cheerilee, and admired the Cutie Mark Crusaders for their compassion towards Diamond Tiara, despite the numerous bad things she had done to them, and to everyone. Hard Ball turned around back towards Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon with a serious look.
"You could learn a lot from Cheerilee." Hard Ball then pointed to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "You could even learn a lot from those three."
Diamond Tiara scowled at the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "Learn what from them? How to be a bunch of dumb blank flanks?"
"No," Hard Ball said. "How to be kind, compassionate, and selfless. Things that you have a lack of."
Cheerilee came over to Hard Ball. "Alright. Hard Ball, I think it's time for you to go now."
Hard Ball turned to Cheerilee. "Very well. But I don't want my sister to be bullied again. Because I'll be back if she tells me she is."
"If she is bullied, she'll tell me, and I shall deal with it. And I will be seeing Firm Hoof about Diamond Tiara's behavior this afternoon right after school, so you and Soft Ball can come over to tell her too."
"I look forward to that." Hard Ball turn to Diamond Tiara. "And you Tiara better get use to it.
"Use to what?" Diamond Tiara asked.
"Begging. Doing things yourself, being no lower or higher than anypony else, being the most hated filly in town, and living with the fact that you were responsible for what happened to your dad. It's your fault Filthy Rich is in jail. He was a great guy, and you probably ruined his life because you selfishly wanted everything. You're a pitiful excuse for a pony. You don't deserve to stay with somepony as nice as Miss Firm Hoof. Without your family's fortunes, you have nothing, and you are nothing. The only way you're ever going to survive is on the kindness and charity of others."
Hard Ball turned around, and began to walk away, leaving the schoolhouse grounds. Everyone turned to look at Diamond Tiara, who seemed annoyed, but at the same time, emotionally hit from Hard Ball's words. Noticing Diamond Tiara's ruined lunch, Silver Spoon presented her lunch to her.
"Here, Diamond Tiara. I'll share my lunch with you."
Diamond Tiara shook her head, and held up a hoof in refusal, not even looking at Silver Spoon. "I'm not hungry, Silver Spoon. I've lost my appetite."
Later that afternoon, Diamond Tiara sat under a big oak tree on the top of a hill close by to the house of Firm Hoof. She had been sitting there since she got back from school, and Cheerilee had came over with Soft Ball and Hard Ball like she said she would. Diamond Tiara sat there, sadly watching the afternoon sun setting over the horizon. Her ears perked up to the sudden sound of the voices coming from the house's front door, as Cheerilee, along with Soft Ball and Hard Ball walking out the door, being waved at by Firm Hoof.
"Thank you for informing me of this, Cheerilee," Firm Hoof said. "And I'm very sorry about this too."
Cheerilee waved back. "Have a good evening, Firm Hoof."
Cheerilee began to walk down the road with Soft Ball and Hard Ball by her side. Hard Ball noticed Diamond Tiara looking at them from on the top of the hill, and gave her an I'll-be-watching-you glare that pierced right through her. Diamond Tiara turned away, and continued looking sadly at the sun slowly setting. Moments later, she could hear hoof steps approaching behind her. Diamond Tiara did not turn around, and shut her eyes, for she knew that those hooves belonged to Firm Hoof herself. Firm Hoof stopped behind her, showing a look of great disappointment.
"Diamond Tiara. Miss Cheerilee, and Hard Ball have told me you bullied her little sister yesterday at school. They say you threatened to rip the head off Soft Ball's doll for not giving you her lunch. And the hard work I put into caring for you, and making you a nice lunch. You should be ashamed of yourself. I am truly disappointed. I don't blame Hard Ball for bullying you back for what you have done. I hate to do it, but I'm going to have to really punish you."
Diamond Tiara did not flinch, nor did she turn around. She just sat there listening to Firm Hoof stern lecture behind her.
"It must be terribly frightening for you? To be so poor and defenseless, stripped of your father's riches, after all your life of being spoiled and pampered."
"Using your wealth to get what you both want. Bullying and frightening one child after the other, teasing and threatening them like frightened animals, and YOU enjoying every moment of your victims humiliation and misery!"
"You could learn a lot from Cheerilee. You could even learn a lot from those three. How to be kind, compassionate, and selfless. Things that you have a lack of."
"You Tiara better get use to it. Begging. Doing things yourself, being no lower or higher than anypony else, being the most hated filly in town, and living with the fact that you were responsible for what happened to your dad. It's your fault Filthy Rich is in jail. He was a great guy, and you probably ruined his life because you selfishly wanted everything. You're a pitiful excuse for a pony. You don't deserve to stay with somepony as nice as Miss Firm Hoof. Without your family's fortunes, you have nothing, and you are nothing. The only way you're ever going to survive is on the kindness and charity of others."
Diamond Tiara winced as she recalled Hard Ball's words, with a small tear shedding out of one of her eyes. The words that Hard Ball said to her really hit her hard. She knew that all of what Hard Ball said to her was all true. She had been spoiled and pampered all her life, that she did not learn the basics of taking care of herself, or the feelings of others not as fortunate as herself. She also did not know what it was like to helpless and powerless, for she was now no richer or poorer then anyone else. In a way, it was all her fault her father, Filthy Rich went to jail. That was the most painful of all to bear. If she was not so selfish, and wanted everything, her father would not have started growing illegal cannabis crops to get extra money, and both he and herself would be home together, in their own beds, with their servants, instead of in jail, and in foster care. It was there she began reflecting on her behavior and treatment towards others.
"You're grounded for a month," Firm Hoof said. "And tomorrow, you are going to apologize to Soft Ball in front of the whole class, and you are going to mean every word of it. And Miss Cheerilee will let me know if whether or not you have."
Diamond Tiara did not answer, her neck and head sank down with her face wincing sadly out of sight, as Firm Hoof continued to talk.
"What would your father say if he heard about this? He would be greatly ashamed of you. Which reminds me, I got a letter from Colton jail today saying that your father can now have visitors. I have the right state of mind to tell him about this whole thing. However, I won't, because this is not the type of things your poor father would want to hear while he's in jail."
Diamond Tiara began to shake as a brief sob escaped from her. She then turned around to Firm Hoof to show tears trickling down her little cheeks and her face wincing. Firm Hoof was surprised, for it was the first time she had ever seen Diamond Tiara cry. Then without warning, Diamond ran towards Firm Hoof, and through her hooves around her, braking down into tears loudly.
"I'm so sorry, Miss Firm Hoof! I'm sorry for everything! I'm a pitiful pony who doesn't deserve to live with somepony like you! I don't want to be the most hated pony in Ponyville!"
The sight of Diamond Tiara in tears made Firm Hoof's attitude shift from great disappointment, to great pity. For the first time, Diamond Tiara had cried, but these tears where not out of spoiled behavior, these were tears of genuine remorse, sadness, and regret. Diamond Tiara had shattered for the first time. Firm Hoof warmly wrapped her hooves around her, a diamond that had finally shattered.
"I want to see my dad." Diamond Tiara said between sobs.
Firm Hoof stroked Diamond Tiara's mane. "Don't worry, Diamond. We can now go visiting your father every Saturday. Just be patient."
The two ponies continued to embrace, with Diamond Tiara continuing to sob, as the sun continued to set over the hills. Firm Hoof had a feeling that this could possibly be a new day for Diamond Tiara, a possible sign of change.
"I want my daddy."
"I know you do, sweetie. I know you do."
