The Tiara weighs Heavy

It had been only two days since the Cutie Mark Crusaders returned from their trip to ColdStone Academy. Despite the teachers watching her every move and seeming to try to give her demerits for the most minuscule infractions, she was on the cusp of being expelled. Diamond Tiara was determined to continue holding her meetings with her fellow crusaders. She and Cherry Bomb were flying around, admiring how packed the room was. They saw many of the foals actively looking for their cutie marks. Still, many were bumping into each other doing physical activities, and they had to split them up or find missing material for the artists.

The little red-coated pegasus commented, "We're gonna need more space if you want to continue holding these meetings."

"I agree. We could try sorting out the events better, like having arts and crafts one day and more physical things like sports another day.

"That would definitely help make things more organized! Though I do like the disorganized chaos in general."

"Of course you do, but we should host these meetings with different events on separate days; it will make things easier and draw less attention."

Just then, she heard somepony shout, "They're in here! Come on!"

It was Onyx, and I could hear hooves scampering towards them. Diamond and Cherry instinctively flew over, baring the floor with some furniture as she heard older mares shouting, "Open this door this instant!"

Diamond turned to the dozens of terrified fillies looking at her, and she shouted, "Everypony, get out of here if they don't see you; they can't prove you were her. Go!"

A back entrance led the foals around the backs of the teachers and, hopefully, back to their dorms. Snowflake led them, and the foals dispersed. Diamond and Cherry Bomb held the door shut, with the teachers now trying to buck it open. The little pink filly asked her flying mentor, "What are you doing here!?"

Cherry Bomb threw her mane back and scoffed, "I ain't gonna leave you to get in trouble. If anypony asks what we were doing, I was giving ya secret flying lessons, ok?"

"And I was here because I needed tutoring," Snowflake added, flying beside them. The rest of the fillies are heading back to their dorms, so there's no proof of them breaking curfew."

"You guys are the best," Diamond sighed as the teachers continued bucking at the door. Her stamina was slowly draining, and she knew they would have to eventually let them in. She turned to her friends who all nodded and flew backward as the doors burst open, and she saw Mrs. Hardwood standing over her, with Onyx shouting, "There were many more ponies in here! I know it!"

"Onyx, stop! Whether there was some secret club here or not does not matter," the mare smirked, turning to Diamond, and said, "The rules are clear: foals should not be here after curfew, and, as such, Diamond Tiara, it is my honor to say you will be expelled finally."

The alicorn smirked and then said, "About time." She was taken away, and the other teachers escorted her friends down the opposite side of the hall. She could only hope she didn't unintentionally drag them down with her.

Early the following day, Filthy read the letter Diamond wrote him, and he sat down, having to re-read it a couple of times to ensure he wasn't misconstruing what he read. His wife hits his daughter, abusing her and manipulating her, and on top of it all, sends her away not because of her actions but simply because Diamond went against her when she was trying to make her class body president. It was plain as day his wife was trying to control his daughter's life, and she was doing it under his nose. Filthy was utterly appalled by everything he read and realized he had to do something.

He heard hoofsteps coming down the hall and turned to see his wife approaching the front door, with Randolph trotting beside her. When they approached, he rose and growled, "Where do you think you're going?"

Spoiled, scoffed, and said, "I have a meeting in Canterlot with some new investors who want to inquire about our business, but you're too busy running the store. It only makes sense that I should attend."

"You wouldn't be happening to be visiting our daughter?"

Spoiled was eyeing him and asked suspiciously, "And if I am?"

He threw a few letters before her, including an expulsion notice from the boarding school. "Diamond's going to be expelled!"

"Yes, it seems she's proven to be quite the hoofful, and obviously, the school can't handle her, so I'll be going to put her back in her place."

"You won't do such a thing; she's going to leave that school voluntarily and have this expulsion notice removed from her record."

"Why?"

Filthy reared his head and shouted, "Why!? Because you sent her there without me knowing, let alone without my approval, that's why!"

Spoiled rolled her eyes as she casually threw a hoof and said, "Here we go again."

Filthy started getting furious with his wife and shouted, "Yes, here we go again! I'm not letting you off the hook this time!"

"Excuse me, mam, but the train will be leaving so-"

They both turned towards him and snapped, "Randolph, leave."

"Yes, right away." The butler quickly left, seeming too happy to oblige, as Filthy turned to face his wife and growled, "You hit our daughter?"

Spoiled paused, seeming to choose her words, "She…she had it coming, you know how she gets."

"Save it, don't even try to manipulate me. Diamond told me everything, and you can make any excuses or threats. I will not let this stand."

"What are you saying?"

Filthy was reeling for the first time, and he had been excusing her behavior for years, pretending that he could make this work. He decided at this point she was too far gone, and this marriage was destroying his daughter's life. The stallion trotted to her and said, "We're done, I…I tried to make this marriage work, but you're unreasonable, a bully, and, quite frankly, a horrible mother. We're getting a divorce."

Spoiled was appalled as she snapped back, "Says the oaf who can't even manage a store!? You would be pinching pennies in your father's dump if it weren't for me! I saved your store and reputation more times than I can count; you would have nothing without me!"

"Without me, you would've never become like this. All the money and power have gone to your head. Regardless, I won't leave you penniless. I'll make sure to give you your fair share."

Spoiled scoffed again, "My fair share. Don't make me laugh; I own most of Barnyard's Bargain stock. One word from me, and I'll have every investor vote for me as the head manager and leave you with nothing."

Filthy felt a pit in his stomach and asked, "So, this is who you really are?"

"Why are you acting so surprised!? Why do you think I married you, your looks, your brains!? You're an imbecilic moron with the class of a pig covered in mud. Divorce me, go ahead, but I will burn everything to the ground before this marriage is over."

Filthy Rich growled his teeth, "Even so, I would trade all my wealth and everything I have to get my daughter back and have her live a life without you!"

Spoiled smirked and added, "Good luck getting to her before me." She trotted off as Filthy seethed in anger and ran off after her, but his wife was long gone before he could catch up.

Diamond Tiara was now sitting in front of smug, old-looking mares, all smirking at her. She didn't realize how happy they were to find some excuse to kick her out. Then Mrs. Hardwood snapped, "Diamond Tiara, you are here because we professors at Coldstone Academy decided you would be expelled for breaking curfew."

The young alicorn wanted to laugh and smugly replied, "Seriously!?"

"Yes, seriously, you will return home with your mother as soon as she arrives."

Spoiled Rich entered the room with that stuck-up scowl on her face and replied, "Good afternoon, Diamond Tiara."

Diamond's heart stopped in her chest recognizing the voice as she slowly turned to face her mom and growled, "Mother."

Spoiled then ignored her, walking up to the board, and asked, "So my little filly was acting out of sorts, was she?"

"She has been a nuisance since arriving here and fighting with other students. She is suspected of cheating and breaking curfew. She is no longer welcome here."

Spoiled slammed a hoof on the ground and snapped, "That's all you can do? Just send her home. I thought this school was to change her?"

"We are strict and disciplined, but if the child cannot be taught, we can no longer have her here. Her behavior is contagious to the others and is making the other foals here rambunctious."

"I see, so what you're saying is that she needs more discipline."

Spoiled turned towards her daughter with a cold look and said. "There is one other option. Do you remember the chamber?"

The mares whispered to each other as one said, "We discussed using it on her, but we just think she isn't a good fit."

Spoiled came up to the board and, with a smile, replied, "Of course, she's a good fit. We all know Princess Celestia and Luna's time is waning, and Twilight is being groomed to take their place. Their ideologies are slowly eroding our power, the power of the Nobility. Diamond is the perfect tool to ensure that we will have a princess working for us when the princesses retire."

Diamond couldn't believe what she was hearing from her own mother. "Tool!? Is that what you see me as, Mother!"

"Be silent!"

Diamond instantly clammed up out of fear as the older mare turned towards the board and continued, "We have an opportunity that will guarantee our place as the true rulers of Equestria, and we need to mold my daughter into a princess that will work for us."

"Agreed, she has influence and seems to wield it. We can use that to our advantage; we can be unstoppable."

"She's young and malleable, so we can change her still."

The little earth pony was horrified hearing all of this. She thought these teachers were old grumpy mares, but now she realized they were evil. The filly's heart was in her chest as they opened the door to a dark room made of this dark black crystal illuminated with an eerie green light that reverberated around it. "What is that!?"

"This will eliminate all those foolish notions of your friends and the riffraff. You will be proper filly soon enough," her mother whispered as she shoved her inside, and Diamond was slammed into the ground. She turned towards the back of the door closing and scrambled to her hooves as she shouted, "No, Mother!"

She flew into the crystal door, landed on the ground, and was knocked unconscious.

"Diamond, Diamond…"

The little filly slowly woke up to see she was in a classroom. Standing above her was an adult version of herself, with a long, flowing pink and white mane slapping the chalkboard with a ruler and snapped. "Diamond!"

"Yes,"

"Pay attention!" She then turned to see that she was the only one in the classroom, and some weird green energy constrained her body. The adult version of herself then turned its attention to the chalkboard and said, "Now, let's go over everything, shall we? First, bullying and manipulating Silver Spoon to be your friend at the age of five, my goodness, starting early."

Diamond looked around and squirmed, trying to see if she could get out of the constraints, but was stuck and asked, “Wha…what is this?"

The adult version of herself ignored her and continued, "Then you started bullying Apple Bloom about not having a cutie mark and purposefully not inviting her to your Cutesanara."

Diamond eyed her, then snapped, "So, we weren't friends yet, and I was a jerk."

"Yes! But you purposely targeted her and outed her for not having a cutie mark. You're showing your desire for power and your desire to bully others who are clearly already having a tough time. Let's keep going, shall we?"

She then pointed to a picture of Granny Smith, "bullying Apple Bloom again about her grandmother."

"I know that was wrong…"

"And yet you did it anyways. Did it make you feel good making a pony turn on her grandmother because she felt pressured not to be made fun of?"

Diamond winced feeling angry at herself for treating Apple Bloom like that and shouted, "I'm sorry I was wrong!"

"You're sorry now, but let's keep going she slammed her stick on a drawing of a newspaper with "Gabby Gums "on it. "Ah yes, Gabby Gums, the gossip column you had the crusaders run for you, exposing so many secrets that affected so many lives. If blackmailing the Crusaders wasn't bad enough, you didn't even consider what damage you could cause by exposing the privacy of others and exposing the princess and her cake addiction. You really are something! Imagine what you could do with a real newspaper column. You could topple the royalty in a matter of days."

Diamond's eyes began to water, and tears ran down her cheeks. "Please, I... I... I…I... I'm sorry."

"Stop with the crocodile tears!" the older version of her slammed the stick on a picture of Babs Seed, "turning Apple Bloom's cousin against her good move. Almost made another you in Manehattan."

She then pointed to a picture of Scootaloo, "taunting Scootaloo and making her feel self-conscious about her not being able to fly well played, learning to switch up your tactics to make your enemies feel less about themselves."

"And finally!" she then pointed right at a picture Pipsqueak. You were willing to destroy Pipsqueak merely because he didn't have the funds to help his school and would have a statue built in your honor. The ego, the greed, it so much!" This adult version of herself seemed to grow in height as she savored her last words.

Diamond Tiara took a moment to look at the chalkboard at all the horrible things she's done for the past few years. They barely scratched the surface of how she treated her fellow classmates, including her former best friend, Silver Spoon. This adult version of herself was correct. She was irredeemable as a pony, and maybe this whole cause of her trying to spread what she learned from the Cutie Mark Crusaders was just some dumb ploy to make herself feel better. Tears welled up in her eyes as she cried. "I didn't, though; I changed my mind."

"The only reason you didn't is because your mommy was mean to you! And you think you've been absolved of your sins!"

The adult version of her grew more prominent and taller, with sharp, pointed teeth. Her mane swirled around her as its wings grew out, and now it was taller than her, towering over her with this sneer. "You really were a horrible little filly, weren't you?"

Diamond bowed her head and said, "Yes, I was."

"Then stop pretending to be good," the form shrunk until she was staring at herself as a clone, perfect in every way except her coat was a darker shade of pink. Her mane was ethereal like the princess. She had this evil smirk on her face; "right now, you're just feeling guilty about everything you have done. You're still the evil little filly willing to walk over anypony to get what you want!"

"What is this? Who are you?"

She rolled her eyes, "please, I don't have time to explain all that."

The room morphed into a throne room similar to the one in Canterlot. However, the guards standing at attention had sparkling pink uniforms, and the stained glass windows showed relief of her. "These rich idiots have been using me for years to help make fillies act the way they want. All of them are the same boring little spoiled brats. You, on the other hoof, are something else entirely."

She flew around her and whispered sadistically, "You see, you have the potential to rule all of Equestria, not share the power like the princesses or the Elements of Harmony. You are the only one who deserves to be praised and worshiped."

Looking over the guards and seeing how the hall was decorated, she had to admit it looked and felt good being important.

"But for that to happen, we must make a deal."

"A deal?"

"Yes, a deal." She then sat down the filly on the throne, took out a rather official-looking document, and revealed it: "Simply put, I need access to that body of yours."

"Access?"

"Yes, access, we'll share it, and you will have everything you want: power, wealth, and admiration. Nopony would be able to stand against you."

Deep down, Diamond wanted this, but if she accepted this, she would be throwing away everything she had fought for since being at Coldstone Academy. The filly threw the form away and snapped, "As if! I will not agree to this. I've changed. I am not the filly I was before!"

"Liar."

Diamond threw her head up and shouted, "I'm not lying! I will never let myself be like how I was before, ever again!"

"That's too bad we could've done this the easy way; I guess we'll do this the hard way!" the little filly grew into the shadowy form again as it soared over her. Diamond ran as fast as she could away from it and then threw herself through one of the windows, shattering it. Then, she fell downward and slammed into another room. There, she saw herself another adult version of her drinking tea with a bunch of other rich mares looking snobbish like her mother. That same cold-hearted stare was haunting.

"If you wish, this can also be your future, a copy of your mother."

"I would rather die!" Diamond shouted as she ran off, bursting through another door and seeing a teenage version of herself looking sad and alone.

"If you deny me and your mother, this is your future, your friends will leave you, you will be alone forever!"

"No!"

Diamond threw out her wings and shined her horn. "These are all lies! The Cutie Mark Crusaders changed me! I will not be my mother! I will not be alone! And I most definitely will not join with whatever you are!"

She then lit her horn, and a magical blast burst outward enveloping the room in its light. The creature of shadow hissed and cried in pain but fought back, and its shadow formed a cage around her. The little filly pressed harder, encircled by the energy of her horn, trying to keep it from enveloping her, but it was difficult as this monster was trying to swallow her whole. The little filly held up that shield of pure light, and tears fell down her cheeks. She whispered, "Please, Snowflake, Cherry Bomb, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, help me."