Diamond Tiara looked out the window of her family's house, the lights covering it making it even more visible and impressive to the surrounding town than it already was (something the rich filly enjoyed). However, the little filly wasn't focused on the ponies who may or may not have been staring enviously up at her fabious home as she often was, but instead looking out at the sky.
This was not an entirely unusual occurrence for foals on Hearth's Warming Eve (or ponies in general), in fact the majority of young ones in the town were probably doing the exact same thing at that time, hoping to maybe catch a glance of Santa Hooves as he flew across the sky in his sleigh with their presents in tow.
However, most of those ponies had a smile.on their faces rather than a rather uncertain expression.
"Ugh! Why do I even bother sending a list to Santa?" the little filly asked in frustration, turning away from the window and throwing herself on the bed. "...It's just going to turn out like it does every year…"
Years ago, a young, still blank flanked Diamond Tiara rushed downstairs, going past the presents marked from her parents to the holy grail of any foal's Hearth's Warming haul: the presents from Santa Hooves himself. The one who could get them the things their parents couldn't or wouldn't. Ripping into it like a dragon into a jewel mine, she sent wrapping paper flying all over and tore open the box...to find a big old lump of coal sitting at the bottom of the box.
"...DADDY! SUE SANTA!"
Fortunately, her father was too smart for that. Every business stallion knew Santa had elf lawyers thousands of years more experienced than any mortal lawyer after all.
The worst part was, the little filly now knew exactly why she'd gotten coal so many years in a row. Even before she'd acted like a high and mighty bully to CMC, she'd treated her hired help like slaves, even when Randolph was nothing but devoted and kind to her. "...I should have just saved him the trouble of digging up some coal by asking daddy, it's not like he couldn't get me anything I want…"
That was not entirely true, and the little filly knew it. Her mother was...well, her mother, and her father, while he did spoil her rotten, did have his limits...that and a gift being sold out at every store in range was a frequent occurrence even for the wealthy. Some gifts could only be acquired by Santa, and every foal knew that…
Sure, she could just buy it later, but then it wouldn't be a Hearth's Warming gift and everypony else would already have it!
But the worst part, the absolute worst, was…
"And of course momma is going to chew me out for 'disgracing' her even though I'm being punished for acting like she taught me to!" Diamond Tiara grumbled. "I bet she gets coal too and just throws it away when daddy's not looking!"
She recalled the feeling of rage and jealousy she'd had seeing the CMC ride a sled from Santa down a hill while all she had was a lump of coal (well that and a super expensive video game console from her parents)...She wondered if everypony had that feeling of 'past me' being an idiot. The Crusaders got gifts from Santa because they'd been nice fillies and she'd been naughty, simply as that…
"...Maybe I can just 'pretend' to drop my present from Santa out of a fifth story window…" Diamond muttered. "No, that won't work, we put the tree in the first story living room...note to self, ask daddy to put it in the fifth story living room…"
The little filly was risen from her thoughts by the sound of scraping from outside. Rising from her bed, she trotted over to the window and looked out, finding Randolph down in the yard shoveling snow...with his jacket in tatters…
"Randolph?" Diamond Tiara asked, genuine concern in her tone. She'd checked on him when they'd had that cart wreck at the derby, why wouldn't she be concerned now? He'd come to help her with it of his own free will when he didn't need to and her parents were unable (or unwilling in Spoiled's case) to attend.
Randolph looked confused for a moment, then noticed her. "Oh! Young mistress! My apologies, I am still getting used to hearing that tone from you…"
The little filly sighed. "...So am I to be honest...What happened to your jacket?"
"Oh, this?" asked the old butler. "Your mother was visiting Miss Rarity for a Hearth's Warming dress and I'm afraid I accidently stepped on her cat's tail."
Diamond Tiara cringed, recalling hearing from Sweetie Belle how that little cat could be when provoked. "Then why didn't you get another one?"
"I wanted to, but I spent most of my spare funds on Hearth's Warming gifts and poor Miss Rarity was buried under so much work that she was already stressed to her limit. I asked your mother for an early paycheck, but she...quite bluntly refused," Randolph replied, professionally hiding any dislike his tone may have had.
"Typical…" Diamond Tiara replied...then cringed at a certain memory that brought to the surface.
The young Diamond Tiara stood out in a heavy rain storm, under the protection of an umbrella...while Randolph held it securely above her, getting soaked by the storm without complaint.
Diamond Tiara looked back to Randolph as the stallion got back to work…
"Hello, Randolph."
Randolph turned to see Filthy Rich standing behind him. "Oh, hello, sir."
"Diamond Tiara has informed me your jacket was damaged helping my wife with her errands and you lack the funds to buy a new one at this time due to the holiday," explained the stallion.
"Yes, sir."
"Go down to the tailor's and buy a new one as soon as possible on my tab," Filthy Rich said, giving a small smile. "You are my oldest and most reliable servent, it would be a shame if you caught a cold out here in the cold. Consider it an early Hearth's Warming gift, from me to you."
Randolph looked up at Diamond's room, shellshocked...and finding the little filly giving him a smile. He returned it. "Yes, sir."
The young heiress smirked. "Momma isn't the only pony with a pocket book in this house…" she said to herself. Admittedly, her allowance would be more than enough to pay for the jacket, but unfortunately she didn't have the authority to usurp her mother's orders for Randolph to shovel the snow. Fortunately, her father did, and Diamond was no longer afraid of going over her mother's head, especially if it was for a good cause.
Diamond Tiara yawned, waking up the next morning and slowly trotting towards the first floor living room (specifically first floor living room number twelve, which was Filthy's favorite). "So...should I open the presents from my parents and Silver first and save the humiliation for last? Or should I open Santa's first and get it over with?" asked the filly to herself. "...I'm so used to being brought down from a high by humiliation thanks to being a bully to the Crusaders, I'd rather have the opposite for a change…"
"Hello, my little Princess," replied her father, giving a smile as he waved her in. "Somepony came over early this morning just for you."
"Hey Diamond!" called Silver Spoon, sitting on the couch.
Diamond Tiara blinked, then smiled at an understanding face. Silver got her share of coal too, so at least she'd be on her side here. "Hey Silver, nice to see you."
The two hugged. "Oh! And thanks for the present! How'd you know that I wanted the new Neightendo console?"
The pink Earth Pony gave a smirk. "I know the look in your eye when you saw I had it, it wasn't hard to figure out…"
Diamond couldn't help chuckling at the odd sensation of feeling good to have removed the reason somepony was envious of her for a change.
"Bump, bump, sugar lump rump!" the two chanted, doing their signature secret hoofshake.
That moment of happiness was soon over as Diamond Tiara's eyes fell on the gifts labeled 'From Diamond to Santa.' "...Well might as well get it over with…" she muttered under her breath.
Trotting over to one of the presents, she hesitantly grabbed it in her hooves and reached for the paper, closing her eyes as it ripped and tore in off the box. She slowly opened her eyes…
To find a new video game she'd been wanting. "W-What?" she asked, blinking.
She grabbed another gift from Santa and found an expensive toy from Neighpon of a Magical Filly. Another one was a new tiara. "But...but…" she muttered in confusion. Years and years of getting coal flashed before her eyes…
"Hey, look Diamond! You got a letter!" Silver Spoon said, picking up a letter that'd fallen from her presents.
Diamond blinked, slowly opening it to find a letter with holiday styling to it and professional font. "Dear Diamond Tiara:
Hello Diamond Tiara, I'm sure you're surprised to find I gave you everything on your list this year! Well don't be: you earned it!
While you've been a very naughty filly for several years now, things have changed. You admitted your wrongdoing, stood up for Apple Bloom and her friends, paid for the repairs of your school's playground and helped repair it yourself. You've gone from treating Randolph like a slave to treating him as a friend. You bought Silver Spoon something she envied you for purely to be kind. You're on the nice list now, Diamond! You've earned it!
Santa Hooves"
Diamond actually got a little misty eyed at that. "...Thank you Santa…"
"Sweet, isn't it, dear?" asked Filthy with a proud smile. "Our little princess finally got on the nice list."
"...Yes...wonderful…" Spoiled Rich replied, taking advantage of her husband's pride to dump a lump of coal into a trash can unnoticed.
"Hey! Diamond!" called a voice from outside a little while later after the gifts had been opened.
Diamond Tiara ran over, looking out to see Apple Bloom and company holding up a five pony sled.
"Look what we asked Santa for!" called Scootaloo.
Diamond Tiara gave a smile. "...Daddy! I'm going out to play with my friends, okay?"
For once, Diamond's Hearth's Warming was very merry indeed.
The End.
