Cruel as a Mule!
Staring: Diamond Tiara
Co-Staring: The Cutie Mark Crusaders, The Great and Humble Trixie Lulamoon
Part 1: The Pale Deer's Leer
Winter Wrapup seemed like an eternity away to the bundled citizens of Ponyville. As they trotted from store to store through the freshly fallen snow, gathering gifts and well wishes for Hearth's Warming Eve, the chill seemed to do very little to cool their warm smiles and cheery spirits.
Everyone seemed to move with happiness and joy in their every step, all but one little filly who stood apart from the crowd, dressed in all the finest couture Canterlot had to offer, yet couldn't seem to fashion even the slightest stitch of a smile. Her purple, gem-encrusted coat and matching boots paled to the brilliant silver Tiara atop her lavender mane. The frowning filly gave a little huff, as she took a step into the street, a look of annoyance crossing her ever-sour face as the sound of a shop's dangling door bell chimed behind her.
"Hurry up, Belvedere! We only have 5 hours to shop before the stores close," the little filly demanded as an elderly stallion, carrying far more shopping bags than one with his horrible back should attempt, stumbled from one of the lavish boutiques. With her nose turned up and her eyes closed, she almost resentfully scoffed at the butler as he did his best to keep the packages at the top of the pile from toppling to the ground.
"Yes, Diamo-"
"Miss Diamond Tiara," she corrected with a tilt of her head and a flip of her flowing mane.
"M-Miss Diamond Tiara," Belvedere nervously laughed as they walked into the busy lane. As she passed, Diamond Tiara seemed to have no qualms about bumping and shoving any pony that was in her way, as if it was their fault for not yielding in her privileged path. Butler Belvedere did his best to apologize on his charge's behalf while balancing tilting packages in his two front hooves as his young ward's offenses began to outnumber the parcels in his strained grip.
Despite the little filly's apparent aura of entitlement and righteous outrage, that didn't stop the otherwise merry pony's from glaring in disapproval at the richest, and arguably most spoiled little filly in town.
"Ugh! What is taking you so long?" Diamond Tiara growled in frustration. She stopped and turned with a stomp of her front hoof to see the struggling butler nearly topple into a young, grey pegasus pony with bubbles on her flank and a worn red hat on her blonde head. The pegasus lifted her front hooves as the mountain of packages and bags began to sway, flying to the top of the pile and plucking a few parcels from the top. The good deed seemed to pay off, as the teetering pile steadied. Diamond Tiara's eyes filled with momentary rage as the bubble-flanked pegasus pony offered to help carry more of the butler's burden.
"Thank you, young lady-"
"What do you think you're doing!? Who told you, you could touch my things!?" Diamond Tiara nearly screamed, causing a few startled ponies to trot away. The gray Pegasus pony's crossed eyes shifted a little in confusion as the huffy child stomped obnoxiously close to where she stood. Before the gray pegasus could reply, Diamond Tiara's angry voice cut her off.
"Put. Them. Back!" She shouted with a stomp of her fine-booted hoof. The Pegasus's crossed eyes started to fill with sadness and the hint of tears as she moved to place the packages back with care, trying to place them evenly and in more stable places on the pile. She cast a sad, almost apologetic look to the butler before flying off.
"Can you believe the nerve of some ponies?" Diamond Tiara started, as she closed her eyes, upturned her nose and quickly continued further along the bustling lane. "If I ever see that grabby, googly-eye'd geek again I'll'-" Diamond Tiara gasped as she felt herself walk into something. She collided with the starry-cloaked figure with such careless momentum that it was enough to knock them both to the ground.
"Ow!" Diamond Tiara shouted as she felt her front boot scrape against the ground, carving out one of the sparkling gems. The much taller, cloaked figure hit the ground with a grunt as the chinking sound of crystal hitting solid ground rung out in the street.
The figure's hood fell back to reveal a pale, panicked, and notably non-pony face. Her doe eyes watched in horror as her large ears picked up the sound of the crystal tumbler's stopper popping open, spilling the tumbler's precious contents on the ground. Her large, coal-black nose could smell the sweet liquid's perfume as it mingled with the snow and sank into the ground below.
It was then that the pain in that the stranger, a deer in the sight of those who had traversed through the deeper parts of the Everfree forest, bruised knee began to throb. What was more, the creature, a white-furred deer in the gawking ponies' sight, reached her cleft hoof to her freckled cheek, which had suffered a small cut on a hidden stone in the ground.
"Why don't you watch where you're go-my boot!" Diamond Tiara looked to the slightly damaged boot with horror and outraged in her young eyes, "What did you do to my boot you dog-nosed freak!? Do you have any idea how much these cost?!" She raged. By now many had gathered to see what the fracas was about.
The pale deer looked to Diamond Tiara, kindness leaving her large, chestnut eyes as a frown came to her face. She tried to stand but the sharp pain in her knee coupled with a slick patch of snow caused her to slip back onto the ground with a wince. All the while, the arrogant, accusatory child in her site did little more than spout insults, rather than make any motion to help her to her hooves.
What made her heart and ears sink further was the fact that none of the ponies now watching and whispering about the display moved to help her up either. Some turned, as if pretending not to see her there on the ground, others seemed fearful of getting involved especially at the sight of the daughter of the richest, most powerful pony in Ponyville.
After what seemed like ages, one among the crowd straightened her star-and-moon hat and moved towards the injured deer with fearless and proud steps.
"Are you alright?" a mare with fine blue fur and a silvery-sky-colored mane asked, picking up the spilled tumbler with one hoof before offering the other to help the fallen stranger up.
"I'm alright, not harmed at all, I just had a nasty fall," the deer, who seemed to speak in a similar manner to the zebra in the Everfree Forest, replied with a strong, highland accent to her soothing voice. She gave her momentary rescuer a grateful smile before turning her attention back to the red-faced and rage-eyed child.
"Um, hello? She totally bumped into me and ruined my new boots, you saw her do it, didn't you Belvedere?" Diamond Tiara turned with threatening intent in her vision as the now sweating and laboriously-breathed butler quickly nodded. "So either you need to fix them or you owe me 200 bits to replace them." Diamond Tiara declared with a triumphant smirk. The deer moved her hood back over her face with a slight grimace of pain, as a small red welt began to form on her cheek.
"Ok, seriously, you need to calm yourself down little girl. You are fortunate that the Great and Powerf-Humble Trixie is not in the mood to discipline rude fillies. I saw the whole thing-you weren't watching where you were going and you bumped into her! Now say you're sorry." The mare, who called herself 'Trixie' spoke with much attitude and conviction.
"I'm not saying I'm sorry- it's her fault for being in the way!" Diamond sneered with confidence and swagger flowing in her aura.
"No pony speaks to me that way! Who do you think you are to address Trixie with such disrespect?" Trixie indignantly asked.
"Oh, you don't know who I am? I'm only the daughter of the richest, most powerful, and most able to get your flank banished from this town for good, business owner in Ponyville. So you better turn your tacky-dressed self around and mind your own business. I mean seriously, where did you get that outfit? Starswirl's Second-Hoof Store?" Diamond Tiara chuckled with the conceit only a spoiled princess could muster. Trixie did her best not to grind her teeth to the root as her cheeks began to flush.
"Why you-you—horrible, monstrous little brat!"
"Be calm, new friend, I will see to this bickering's end," the deer softly spoke with a cool smile. She turned her gaze until it was fixated on the little filly, a strange golden aura surrounded her, but it seemed that only those with magic in their skill set could see it. Trixie raised a brow at the sight as Diamond Tiara's very being seemed to dare the deer to cross her further. The deer slowly walked up to the little filly until she was close enough to look her square in the eyes. Diamond Tiara held her ground as the deer began to speak again.
"Such vile spirit, such bile in it,
such a hateful, disrespectful child.
Such strong hate, will not abate,
she will ne'er be tender nor mild,
So by the night, the stars so bright
and the moon's heavenly rule
until you speak the words I seek
you will forever be a mule!"
With a twinkle in her eyes and a spark in her aura, the deer finished that seemed like a weak poem in the ears of the brash little filly. Trixie stood agape as what looked like a sunlight explosion filled the scene in her perceptive vision.
"Whatever, I don't have time for this. I'll tell my father on you, and you'll be sorry, loser! Come on Belvedere," Diamond Tiara jeered as she and her butler trotted off for a few more rounds of selfish shopping. The crowd began to disburse as the starry-cloaked deer did her best to keep the tears forming in her eyes from spilling over onto her bruised cheeks.
"What WAS that magic I've never seen-what's the matter?" Trixie asked as the deer did her best to keep a smile on her face despite the evident sadness in her eyes.
"It was deer magic, from the forest of Everfree. You can learn it though; I'll teach you if you'll walk with me. It's the least I can do for your kindness, when all the other ponies looked to my plight with blindness," she spoke as she took the tumbler from Trixie and placed it back in her open side bag.
"Everfree magic huh?" Trixie asked with a sly smile, "That could be...useful later. I'll walk with you a while then, where are you headed?"
"To Canterlot, to the palace there, I'm to meet with the royal heirs. That tumbler contained a great gift, but now it is lost to the snow drifts," the deer sighed as the pair of new friends began walking from the busy street.
"That works out perfectly. I'm from Canterlot. I was only in Ponyville to do some shopping; prices here are better. My name is The Great and Humble Trixie! And you are?"
"I am called a princess where I am from, but I'm just Yula in the pony kingdoms. Celestia and Luna are my father's friends, he sent me to them with a gift for year's end."
"Well it is very nice to meet you Yula-wait you have an audience with the princesses?"
"That I do, would you like to meet them too? As I am traveling things can get lonely and hard. I could use a skilled and confident body guard. Besides, I like your style. I have not seen night themed-garb like mine in a while," Yula smiled as the mare at her side nearly beamed with radiant inner light.
"Well it is your lucky day! There is no better companion, nor magical body guard than the GREAT AND STYLISH AND HUMBLE TRIXIE!" Trixie gushed with great emphasis on her title and name, causing the deer at her side to give a joy-filled laugh, as if the ugly events were already forgotten, at least for her. "By the way, what did you do to the little brat anyway? Hey, now you've got me rhyming!" Trixie gave a little giggle of amusement.
"Rhyming is the key to the magic of the Everfree. Keep yourself in a state, so serene, your casting will remain pristine. But if you stray in your discipline, it will be seven days before you can, from the start, begin. I can speak as you do if you want me to. Seven days without magic wouldn't be too tragic. As for the silly filly—no more or less than what she's earned for being a rotten child, as far as I'm concerned," Yula informed as the stinging in her cheek momentarily brought her thoughts back to the fall and loss of her precious present to the princesses.
"Your rhyming doesn't bother me, but it seems like it would be hard to keep it up," Trixie shrugged. Yula smiled with a slight laugh as she allowed the slightly golden sheen to drop from her person.
"You have no idea. It's almost worth seven days without magic just to be able to talk freely, you know? Sometimes I wish I was born a unicorn so I wouldn't have to do that all the time," Yula shook her head as Trixie spoke words of reassurance. The pair walked towards the outskirts of town as Yula did her best to remain upbeat despite the loss of her precious gift as, for the first time in her yearly journey, she had a seemingly kind-hearted and enthusiastic companion.
Despite the many hours that had passed since her prized shoe was damaged, Diamond Tiara was still seething. She barely touched her favorite dessert as the events of the day ran through her mind.
"Not hungry, dear? You usually inhale that strawberry trifle," Diamond Tiara's mother, known as 'Crown Jewel' to the citizens of Ponyville as well as the Canterlot Elite dryly inquired.
"No, I just had the most annoying day. Bevedere almost dropped my presents AGAIN and ponies all over town were just in my way-all the time! I swear it's like they don't even know they're wastes of space," Diamond Tiara grumbled. Crown Jewel rolled her eyes as Diamond Tiara's father, Filthy Rich, cleared his throat.
"Diamond Tiara-that is no way to talk about those ponies and my customers. After the 'kooky old lady' and 'Gabby Gums' incidents, it'd do you well to try and put yourself in others' hooves for once-," Filthy Rich began as a sharp look from his elaborately-dressed wife silenced his voice.
"What your father means is you have to learn to tolerate them, sweetie. They may be crude, obnoxious, and not quite up to our standards but, their patronage keeps our business and lifestyle going. So there's no need to be in a tiff, now eat your trifle," Crown Jewel motioned with her own well-licked spoon.
Diamond Tiara's mind whirred with anger, bile, and a touch of resentment at her parent's dismissive tones. She gave a frustrated tone, slammed her hoof on the table, and left for her headed to her personal wash room to prepare for bed. Her hooves seemed to drag a few early yawns came far sooner than usual.
Diamond Tiara conducted her usual evening ritual of a bubble bath, thorough tooth brushing, mini facial scrub, and hot towel treatment. Despite the relaxing and replenishing ritual, she still wore the face of a disgruntled and seething filly.
She put on her satin pajamas and settled into her plush pink bed, nearly forgetting to remove her favorite, diamond-encrusted tiara. She pulled a gem-encrusted book from beneath her pillow, took the pencil that was tucked in the binding, and began to furiously write as if she was in the heat of battle rather than in her lavish bed.
Once her scratching, aggressive pencil strokes stopped and the book was placed back in its daily resting place, Diamond Tiara slowly settled into a light sleep, her usual dreams began co churn as something grabbed her consciousness and pulled her far from the waking world.
Swirls of violently-bright color draped her then aching mind as a pain wracked every inch of her little body. She tried desperately to wake up, but something kept her under. Just as she thought she would be trapped in the terrible nightmare forever, the bright light of morning brought her back from the brink of madness.
Diamond Tiara sat up as a wave of relief washed over her sweaty form. She did her best to calm the beating in her chest as her panicked breath slowly became even. Just as a sense of calm began to settle in Diamond Tiara's mind she looked down to her hoof and her eyes went wide.
Instead of her usual, perfectly-groomed leg and hoof, a wrinkled, gray, spotted, and knobby-looking knee met her site. She looked to her other hoof and it too looked worn, rough and angular.
"W-Wha-HAAWW?" she spoke with a strange, donkey-like haw as she clasped her hooves over her large, mangle-toothed mouth. She could feel her now huge lips and gigantic, crooked teeth as she lifted her hooves to feel long, narrow ears where her cute pony ones once were.
Diamond Tiara tried to scramble out of bed, but her new legs were a tad longer than the ones she was used to and she only succeeded in falling to the floor. She stood and shook herself, the awful feeling of long jowls on her cheeks and loose skin on her stomach nearly made her blood run cold. The little diva raced over to the mirror, hope trapped in he once again racing heart that what she was feeling was little more than a continuation of her horrible nightmare.
But despite smacking her now horribly ugly visage, the reflection in her ornate mirror didn't seem to shift. Instead of the familiar site of her pony persona, the wrinkled and worn face of a gray mule met her terror-filled eyes.
Diamond Tiara' let out a scream that echoed through out every room in her vast mansion home.
~To be Continued...~