Author's Note
Can you Stay?
“What’s his name, Spoiled?! Can’t you at least give me the damn decency to know that?”
“Why does it matter so much to you?! Huh? Can’t you let this go and move on? It was only one night!”
“I doubt it was only ‘one night.’ You’ve been acting strange for a while now. I let it go then, but I’m putting my hoof down! You betrayed my trust and broke our vows!”
The argument in the background kept her awake. He had just found out that night when she came home. Diamond was almost about to sleep when she heard it. Her whole body started shaking when she heard the news shouted from the living room. She was old enough to know what was going on and what her mother had done. It broke her heart.
She had never heard her father so upset and angry before. He always had a patient and calm attitude even when he was being stern towards Diamond and her mother. Upon hearing his new shift in tone, it worried her.
“How am I even going to explain this to Diamond Tiara?” Her ears strained to hear it, but there was something different in his voice, something new.
“Tell her what? She doesn’t have to know!”
“She’s our daughter. She has every right to know!”
“She’s a kid! She’ll forget about this, and you should, too!”
There was a heavy silence after that. It was unsettling, a monster creeping up from the darkened corners of the house. It built up until she heard it, but she had to strain her ears. “Get. Out.” His words were harsh and demanding, but had every right to be. The quiver in his voice was barely noticeable. Spoiled tried to retaliate, but he fired back harder. “Get out of my home! You don’t belong here anymore!” His voice choked and almost stuttered over the words.
Her mother was never one for face-to-face conflict which explained her next threat. “Hmph! Fine. I’ll be back with my lawyers in the morning to retrieve my daughter.” The door opened and slammed shut behind her.
The air was quite for mere moments that felt far too long. The tension was thick that even Diamond’s tears had stopped in anticipation for what was next. The noise that came next made her jump with a start; not because it scared her, but with how foreign it was. Rich took a sharp inhale and his exhale quivered, accompanied by the sounds of a broken heart. Diamond finally made the connection.
His slow and heavy hoofsteps made their way to her parents’ room, now his room. Diamond wiped her eyes and lifted her head to wait for his shadow to pass under her door. When it did, he stopped in front of her door, hesitating, before making his way to his bed. His labored and choking breaths followed him.
As much as Diamond Tiara felt that she should stay away, she pushed herself out of bed. She made her way to him, worried but needing his comfort as well. Her father lay in bed, head in his hooves. His shoulders heaved, but he forced his cries silent.
Her voice was hard to find, seeing her heartbroken father tearing down. “Daddy?”
Rich jumped with a start. “Diamond Tiara?” He quickly tried to wipe his eyes. “I thought you were asleep.” She rubbed her front leg and he sighed, knowing it wasn’t worth hiding it from her. “Come here, sweetie.”
Diamond Tiara sniffled again and hopped up onto the bed and into his arms. “Why did she do that, dad?”
His voice choked when he tried to answer. “I…. I don’t know, sweetie. I wish you hadn’t heard that.” He stroked her hair gently. “Try to get some sleep, Diamond. Don’t you worry about this. I’ll take care of it in the morning.” She nodded, sniffling. The presence and comfort of her father helps her fall asleep rather quick. Though she doesn’t know, he’s glad that she’s there to bring him some comfort as well.
“Diamond Tiara, you are coming with me! I have the papers stating I have full custody of you.”
“But, but, mom, I want to stay with dad!” She stamped her hoof on the ground. “This isn’t fair. Don’t I get a say in this?”
Her mother sneered down at her, holding her nose high as always. “Don’t be ridiculous, Diamond Tiara. You’re just a kid, you don’t know what’s good for you.”
Her dad cleared his throat in anger. “Spoiled, you’ve done a lot of awful things, especially as of late, but this is going too far!”
She pushed the papers in his nose. “The papers overrule your words, Filthy. Just because you can’t face the facts doesn’t mean you have to keep fighting. Face it, you lost.” She gave a sly smile, knowing she was taking everything from him. In that moment, Diamond realized she was only a prize to be won. Did her mother even care about her at that point?
Her legs moved on their own. She turned and ran out the door and didn’t intend to stop. She heard her father call after her, but she was too fast for him even if he tried to catch up. Diamond ran as far as she could without her lungs or legs giving out. She panted for breath, but soon came to rest within some brush. She didn’t want to be found right now, especially by her mother.
She hunkered down and curled into herself, hot tears stinging her eyes once more. Many emotions flooded through her, too many for her to handle. It was a hard subject to swallow, knowing what her mother did.
“It is never easy, knowing you were betrayed by someone you love.” Diamond Tiara looked up and observed all around her. A blue figure appeared from the brush. The soft voice spoke again, “Especially when it comes from a parent.” The figure revealed herself more to be the princess of the night.
“Princess… Luna?” Diamond inquired. It was hard to believe Luna would come to her and of all places. “Why are you here?”
“It’s very common for others to dream about current problems in their lives.”
“Dream? This is a dream? But it feels so real.”
“Many usually are, especially those that turn into nightmares.” The princess sweetly laid down next to the girl. Her horn glowed a brilliant white that surrounded them both. When it dissipated, they were out of the brush and into a blueish realm. “Is there anything that you would like to talk about? I feel it is easier to talk about something than to let it sit in my mind and fester.”
“Why would my mom do something like that? I thought she cared about my dad.”
When Diamond looked up to her, she knew the little filly would be expecting an answer. She opened up her wing to her, which she accepted, snuggling up into her. “Most times when one person in a relationship falls out of love or stops caring, they do the right thing and leave. And the times that they don't, they end up betraying the other person. They think they can get away with it.”
The tears started to fill her eyes once more. “Did that mean she doesn't care about us anymore?”
“Diamond Tiara, I do not think I should be the one to answer that.”
“Please, Princess. My dad won't want me to know if she did or didn't. I need to know. I don't want to question this for so long. Please.”
Luna looked into her blurry eyes. They begged for an answer, one Luna had felt many times in her past. Her wing pulled the filly closer. “Your mother hasn't cared for some time. Your father's wealth is what she wanted.”
Diamond's hooves squeezed her own and she buried her face into her. Luna gave her a sorrowful look. Her cries only grew louder, not wanting to accept these words but knowing she needed to.
The noise died down after some time. “I don't want to be taken away from my dad. I want to stay with him.”
“There is no need to worry. You won't be separated from him. He doesn't see you as a prize, you are his world and he will fight to keep you by his side.”
She sniffled and dried her eyes. “Thank you, Princess. I didn't want to be alone.”
“I do what I can to take care of my subjects. I care about you.”
She gave a small nod. “Princess Luna, can you stay for a while?”
The princess expected the question, yet it hit her harder than expected. Her lips pulled into a sweet smile. “Of course.”
Breakfast woke the little filly; the smell reached all throughout the house. Her weary eyes opened, her heart stung as the events of last night rushed back to her. Diamond wiped away the dry tears from her face before slowly making her way to the kitchen.
Seeing her father cooking gave her a small warmth in her heart. He didn't often cook as they would usually go out to eat, so it was always a treat for her when he did. “Morning, dad.”
Rich took his attention from the stove to his daughter, giving her a weak smile. “Morning, sweetheart. I hope pancakes and eggs are all right.”
Diamond got herself a glass of orange juice. “I missed your cooking. I didn’t like going out to eat all the time.”
“Neither did I.” He shut the stove off and plated the food for the two of them. Rich set their plates on the table before taking a seat himself.
They both ate in moderate silence, but a question still nagged at the back of Diamond’s mind. So much so that she had to make it stop. “Is mom going to take me away?”
Rich took a moment to process what he had been asked. His somber expression shifted to one of determination. “I’m not going to let her.” Hearing this gave Diamond a swell of happiness. Given confirmation to what Princess Luna said filled her with a new sense of hope. Rich quickly switched the subject. “Would there be anything you’d like to do today? Maybe we could visit the park or you could hang out with your friends? I can always catch up with Granny Smith for a while.”
Diamond Tiara looked from her plate to him. A small smile formed in her face and she nodded. “I'd like that.”
Soon enough, the two were on their way out the door to Sweet Apple Acres. The silence between the two was dense as fog. It made the trip to the farm more endearing.
“Well hoody doo there, Filthy Rich!” Granny Smith waved to him as they approached the old apple farm.
Rich gave a smile to the old mare. “Howdy, Granny. Is Apple Bloom around as well?”
“She sure is!” She turned to the home behind her. “APPLE BLOOOOM!” Her voice cracked, neck stretching as she cupped a hoof over her mouth. “FRIEND’S HERE TO SEE YA!”
The little filly poked her head out of her window. Her eyes lit up spotting the other. “Diamond Tiara! I’ll be down in a jiffy!”
“Would you mind if I stayed to chat for a while?” Rich didn’t have many friends, but Granny was always close to him seeing as they were business partners for so many years.
“Why of course, always a mighty fine pleasure. How’s about you come inside, have some cider?”
“That sounds wonderful.” He followed her inside as Apple Bloom met Diamond Tiara.
“Would you like to go to the treehouse?”
Diamond suddenly had a hard time holding in her tears. Apple Bloom was shocked when her friend suddenly embraced her. “My mom’s leaving and said she was going to take me away from my dad.”
“What?! When did this happen?”
Diamond got a hold of her sobs enough to speak. “Dad found out she had been cheating on him last night. They had a huge fight and she left. I’ve never seen my dad so upset.”
“That’s awful! Why would she do such a thing?” Apple Bloom held her friend tighter. Diamond wanted to answer, but her sobs drowned out anything she could say.
Rich swirled the warm cider in his mug, staring into it. “I don’t understand why she would do such a thing, Granny. I’ve done nothing but treat her like a queen, given her all my love and support.”
Granny slammed her mug on the table. “I always knew she was nothin’ but a cold hearted witch! Dang nabbed, two timing, hussie!” She gritted her dentures, leering harshly. “If ya ask me, it was a blessin’ she up and left!”
“What am I to do now? She threatened to bring in lawyers and take my daughter from me. Diamond is my world.”
“What can ya do?! I’ll tell ya what you can do! Take their fancy lawyer schlock and shove it back where it belongs! No apple suckin’ harlot es going to take that sweet child from ye, ya here?! It’d be over my dead body!” She slammed her mug again, specks of cider flew out and onto the table.
Waves rippled on the top of Rich’s cider as he gently blew on it before taking a couple sips. Hearing the old mare be so aggressive about Diamond being taken away was heartwarming, but it couldn’t douse the wildfire of fear inside of him. “I’m half tempted to give her a sum of money, hell the whole business. I could care less at this point. Just to keep Diamond with me.” The realization of the situation hit him. He found it hard to hold in these emotions.
“There’s no need to give that floozy a dime. Ya give her an inch, she’d go the whole mile!” Granny shakily and determinedly pushed herself up and moseyed over to the kitchen cabinets. “Now, I knows a good arguer in our here family. If anyone can put them lawyers in their place, it’d be him.” She opened the cupboard and pulled out a dusty, leather book, slamming it on the counter.
“Granny, there’s no need to do that. I’d hate to take up any of your family’s time.”
“Oh, you hush up! It’s the least I could do for ya after all our families have been through. Why I remember the time we had an awful infestation and yer father took on them loss so we woundn’ have ta.” The old pages crinkled as she flipped through them. “You’re practically family as is and Apples stick together! Ah, here he is, livin’ up in New Hay City. Now, he ain’t nothin’ too fancy, but he’ll take good care of ya.” She heaved the book into her hooves and slowly brought it to the table, slapping it right in front of him. Rich pulled his mug out of the way to not be hit by the book. “Tell him old Granny sent ya and he’ll be here lickty split.”
By this point, he knew it was no use arguing with her. “I appreciate this. I really do.”
Granny’s ancient lips curled into a warm smile. Gently, she wrapped a hoof around him, pulling him in for a comforting hug. “We’re goin’ to make sure little Diamond Tiara sticks here in Ponyville, you got notin’ to worry about.”
A quick couple of knocks sounded from the front door. “Granny, are you in here?” The voice was unmistakable. What was Spike doing here? Perhaps coming to visit the kids?
“Yes indeedy! Come on in.”
The little dragon happily made his way to her. “Oh, good. I was worried I’d have to go all over Ponyville to find you.” Spike pulled out a rolled up letter tied with a shimmering blue ribbon. To Rich’s surprise, Spike handed it to him. “This came for you not too long ago. It’s from Princess Luna.”
The princess of the night? What importance was he that she was sending a letter? Nevertheless, he took the scroll in his hooves and read it over.
Dear Filthy Rich,
You must be wondering why I have sent you this letter. Currently, my sister has been busy with hosting the Grand Galloping Gala this year. This time, she is need of extra assistance. I have heard many good points of your business expertise from Twilight Sparkle, so took it upon myself to ask for your help as I am unfamiliar with hosting such social events. Your expenses in travel and stay will be covered by myself and we intend to pay you handsomely for your work if you do accept. Please send your answer through Spike and we shall respond as soon as we can.
Sincerely,
Princess Luna
Rich stared at the letter in awe. He wasn’t aware the Gala was around the corner, though he also never attended one either. It could be good for him and Diamond to be able to get away for some time.
“Well, what’s it say, sonny? I ain’t got the eyes I used to.”
“Oh, Princess Luna had invited me to help with the Gala this year.”
“Da Grand Gallopin’ Gala?! Hoooie!” She practically jumped for joy, face brightening like a young filly. “Why I’d give up my left hoof to get one of them tickets and yer gonna run the show!” A dry cackle escaped her.
“I suppose I am. It could be a nice opportunity to get away from the current situation.” He looked back to Spike who was enjoying a glass of cider. “Tell the princess I’ll be there to assist.”
Spike gave Rich a smile. “She’ll be glad to hear! Thanks for the cider, Granny. Have a nice day!” Spike took his leave, spreading his wings and taking off.
“I should go tell Diamond about this, see if she wants to come or stay with someone here.”
“You take care now!”
Making his way outside, he expected to have to go find her. Instead, she was sitting on the grassy field next to the house with Apple Bloom. “Diamond, would you come here a moment?”
“Sure.” She wiped her eyes once more and hurried to her dad. “Are we leaving?”
“Not yet. Your dragon friend was here not too long ago.”
Apple Bloom trotted after Diamond. “Yeah, we saw him. What did he want?”
“I received a letter from Princess Luna. The Gala is coming soon and she wants my assistance. You won't have to come with if you don't want. You can stay here with your friends.”
“Helpin’ out with the Gala? That sounds awesome!” Apple Bloom smiled to her friend. “You should totally go!”
Princess Luna? She thought it was odd seeing as she had visited her in her dreams last night. She didn't take long to think of an answer. “I'll go with you, dad.”
Hearing this warmed his heart. “We should get packing. I'm not sure how long we'll be there.”
“What about….” The word has suddenly become too painful to speak.
“Let me worry about that, Sweetheart.”
“Yeah, don't worry about that,” her friend agreed, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “You're gonna have so much fun in Canterlot. As long as the rich snobs don't bother you too much.”
While Rich strolled home with his daughter, he worried the same. With the offer from the princess, he couldn't refuse; he didn't want to either. His only hope was that Spoiled didn't come around to… well, spoil their day. A sense of urgency poked and prodded his mind. Rich wanted to pack as fast as they could, but he didn't want to show his daughter how desperate he was to leave the stress behind for some time. Most likely, she was going to hurry, too. He knew she didn't want to be around this either. Princess Luna's message was a blessing in disguise. An odd coincidence, but he'd prefer not think too far into it.
On the other hand, Diamond felt the letter was too much of a coincidence. Not that she was complaining. It was simply odd how Luna wanted her dad's help at the Gala. Perhaps it had to do with last night. Maybe it really was a coincidence. Either way, she was grateful for the princess.
