Tainted Black

Diamond Tiara jolted upright, awoken by a horrifying scream. Her eyes darted around, all of her muscles tensing at once. The darkness around her only heightened her fear. She debated locking her door and trying to get back to sleep, but with a shake of her head dismissed the idea. It was just another nightmare. She looked out her window. Princess Luna’s moon rose high above the mountain, bathing Canterlot in the distance with a blue glow.

She reached for her side table only to realize she forgot to grab a glass of water. Randolph would have went off to bed by now, so she slowly made her way out from under her covers.

Diamond winced at the loud creak that echoed around her as she opened her door and looked out. Her parents bedroom was shut with the lights off. Probably asleep. The guest room across the hall was the same. Best not disturb any of the adults. She made her way down the staircase, leaving nothing but silence as she took her time through the dim lighting.

As she reached for the kitchen door, a sudden thump from the dining room caught her attention. Straining her ears for a moment, she could hear riffling sounds. Growing concerned, Diamond turned and pushed open that door and peered inside.

There she saw Filthy Rich, his back to her, frantically flipping through pages of a thick book. Her eyebrows furrowed, curiosity and concern plagued her mind. “Father?”

“Diamond,” he turned to her, his eyes wide with terror and hazy from tears. His voice was hushed and panicked, “Diamond, I-I’m sorry. Just… just go back to bed.” He turned back to the book, desperately searching its pages. His eye’s wildly darted across the pages looking for something.

“Father, what’s happening? What’s going on?”

“Diamond, go up to your room and lock your door and the window, and don’t let anyone in.” After hearing nothing in response, he took a moment to turn his head enough to see his daughter glaring at him. His daughter was too stubborn for his own good. As he continued searching the book, he tried explaining in a broken, terrified voice. “Your uncle is not a nobleman. He’s part of an- ”

The door exploded open behind Diamond, sending the filly flying into the table, colliding with one of the legs and sending the strange open book down on top of her. Pain racked her body as thousands of chips from splintered wood imbedded itself into her. She groaned as she pushed off the heavy book, and turned to the shattered door. Diamond froze at the sight that met her.

Polished Coin stood in the ruined doorway, his horn glowing an unusually dark blue. His expression was one of fury, nearing madness even. “You know, I wouldn’t have had to do this if it wasn’t for you, brother.” He sneered as he loomed over Filthy Rich, who had been knocked on top of the ruined table by the force of the blast, unable to move with all the shrapnel that dug into his skin.

Filthy glared at him, “You...you devil,” he hissed.

“Coming from you, that’s rich. You were too much of a coward, and left me to do the fighting. You took over Dad’s side business, you got the cozy summer home, and you’ve been getting all the praise. Meanwhile I get beaten on day by day, I have to face down creatures you’d never want to see, and I have had to protect Equestria. To protect us ALL! But then, oh-h-oh but then! You decide to give it all, the business, the estate, the money, all of it to that brat!” His voice had started off calm, but with every breath his rage grew, and his horn’s glow became darker and darker.

“I…”

Polished reared, cutting his brother short. “Enough! This is unforgivable...and there’s only one way to solve it.” As he stomped forward his horn shot a beam, which landed directly between Filthy Rich’s eyes. While it might have been a direct hit, since he was still stomping down as he cast, it sliced from the eyes down, cutting the stallion in half.

Diamond barely registered her own anguished scream. Her father went limp. He didn’t move, lying in a pool of crimson. She watched his chest, clinging to hope as she waited for it to rise and fall. It was far too still.

Her vision blurred from the stinging tears that streamed down her face. “FATHER!” She could only stare at his corpse, her legs feeling weak and her stomach tightening to the point where she thought she would vomit. She didn’t even register the sound of hooves coming towards her.

“It seems you’re the last one left…” his horn began to glow again, that same sickly blue light.

Diamond head turned slowly, seeing the lethal spell beginning to charge again. She tried to blink back her tears, and opened her mouth to speak.

But before she could speak, there was a sound like clapping thunder. Then a flash. A spark of unbearable pain. Then...nothing.

Polished went to turn away from the deceased filly, when his eyes caught something. Her blood began...moving. It appeared to be quickly making its way towards the open book nearby, where more had been splattered. He watched, paralyzed with fear, as the blood formed a pentagram on the stained pages.