And here is the partner to chapter 3. If you didn't make the connections as to who the extensions of the family were in the last chapter, they are explained a little more fully in this one, especially as the focus is not on who you think it's going to be on.

Separated Sister

Screwball tried her best to smile as she entered her home. It was a tough time after each visit with her mother. Mostly, she didn't want to let on what it was she had been doing. Her father often insisted on going with her to these visits.

Meanwhile, a similarly-colored filly of pink with purple and white mane and tail was walking alongside a gray-coated filly with blue glasses. They were gossiping about their school day, before stopping in front of the stately mansion that was the Rich Estate.

As the door closed, the pink filly cringed. The gray one adjusted her glasses. "Diamond Tiara, isn't it early for your father to be home?"

"Why, yes. Yes it is." Diamond Tiara took an awkward step up on the stairs to the door. "I'll catch up with you later, Silver Spoon. I should probably see why he's back early."

"Now, hold on," Silver Spoon complained. She stomped her forehooves down on the path that led to the stairway her best friend was perched upon. "Why don't you invite me in? It's been what? I think it's been almost two years since I've been inside your house."

"W-well, you know," Diamond Tiara turned with a slightly blanched look to the white-maned filly. "It's just boring in there, anyways. It's just a bunch of stuff that is a no-no to touch like all of those fancy paintings and suits of armor that my dad likes to collect."

"It's not like my father doesn't collect that stuff, too," Silver Spoon corrected her. "It's not like I'm going to touch anything. We used to have a lot of playdates in there, before, anyways. Your parents never seemed to mind." She placed a thoughtful hoof on her chin. "Actually, now that I think about it, I haven't seen your mother in a while, either. My mother hasn't even gossiped about gossiping with your mother." She frowned. "And all of your parties take place at Sugarcube Corner, anymore."

"Well, it's not like any of the folks back in Canterlot exactly visit," Diamond Tiara took an awkward step backwards up the stairs. "And it's really not a good time, right now. My dad might be mad about something, if he's home early, so I better go comfort him."

Silver Spoon gave the receding filly a hard stare. After a moment of glaring, she sighed. "Very well, Diamond Tiara. I guess I don't really want to be around your dad, if he's mad. I'll see you tomorrow, then." She turned and began trotting down the path to her own home.

"See you, then, Silver Spoon." Diamond Tiara grinned broadly and falsely after her friend as she waved. She quickly turned and marched up the stairs. She threw the door open and shouted, "Screwball!"

The propeller-beanie wearing mare quickly trotted down from upstairs and jumped the smaller filly. "Sister! How are you?" She wagged her tail excitedly as she beamed at Diamond Tiara.

The young heiress ignored the question. "What were you doing outside?" she demanded, half-panicked. "You know you shouldn't be going out without permission. Everyone's glaring at you out there."

"I-I know," Screwball whimpered as she backed up into the house. She allowed her sister to come in, before she made another move. "I was just… I just needed to get outside. It's boring in here, you know?"

Diamond Tiara turned on Screwball and growled. "Really? You usually listen to dad! You know that you could end up in trouble, if we don't watch after you! You know-" She stopped as she saw the tear stains beneath the other pink pony's eye. "Oh… You went to see mom again." She sat down on the floor and began drawing awkward circles on the ground.

There was a heavy silence between the two which felt like a stone on a feather. It wasn't a staring contest. It wasn't even uncomfortable. It was just a pause, before they knew something had to give.

"You don't need to lie about that, you know," Diamond Tiara finally confessed. "You really should take one of us with you, though. I don't think the hospital likes you very much."

"I know." Screwball laid down submissively in front of her sister. "I just… it's my fault that she's in there, isn't it?"

Diamond Tiara flinched. She remembered when her sister from the same mother first came home. She had told her that it was her fault that their mother had to go to the nuthouse part of the hospital and would probably never come back. If they couldn't buy mom's freedom with dad's money, how could they ever get her out, after all?

Screwball looked up sadly at the smaller pony. "I'm sorry. I just like to see her. If you won't tell dad, I promise to only go with you from now on." Even though she knew this meant she could not use the special screw, she knew that her sister was only trying to watch out for her. "Mom said she didn't mind that you picked on the other fillies. She says you're entitled or something."

It was a flicker of a grin that passed Diamond Tiara's concerned face. She never could understand how Screwball seemed to always be able to talk to her crazy mother. She figured that it was because they were both crazies, even if she would never say it aloud.

"Big sis, why do you pick on the other fillies?" Screwball's expression was still sad as she looked up at the tiara-bearing rightful heir.

In response to the question, Diamond Tiara turned her head and coughed. "It's really not important. Go up to your room. I'll be up there to play with you in a minute. I just need to grab a snack and put my backpack in my room."

"Yay!" All cares seemed to flee from Screwball immediately as she buzzed on the air, flying away in glee at the prospect of her older sister playing with her.

The young heiress smirked after her sister. She really didn't hate her. She probably wouldn't have hated her, either, if she didn't act so dumb. No, it wasn't the fact that Screwball was a borderline psychopath. It was the fact that she acted like Diamond Tiara's younger sister.

Technically, Screwball was younger than her by a considerable gap. However, it made life rough for Diamond Tiara. She was nearly three times as big as her and looked more mature. If she would just act like a teenager instead of a five-year-old, Diamond tiara and Filthy Rich could have treated her like a delirious debutante who had returned from a boarding school that no one remembered being shipped off to in the first place. Instead, she acted like a kindergartner. Cheerilee probably wouldn't put up with the little nutcase, either.

Diamond Tiara sighed as she grabbed an apple and began eating it on her way up the stairs. She really had to stop eating these things. They reminded her too much of the little upstart Applebloom. That idiot and her couple of do-goods. Truth be told, Diamond Tiara was considered a late bloomer, as far as cutie marks go. She had been teased herself, so it was only right that Applebloom took her just desserts. Besides, Applebloom had her destined cutie mark practically spelled out for her. She and Sweetie Belle and even Scootaloo all had talents which would have gotten them cutie marks a hundred times over, if they didn't decide to stupidly experiment with everything.

What did Diamond Tiara have for a cutie mark? A diamond tiara! What kind of talent was that supposed to represent? Was it supposed to mark her as an heiress, and that's all she'd be good at? Did it mean she was going to just be daddy's little princess for forever? Maybe she could go into jewelry, but she wanted to go into business like her dad. Her cutie mark was rather defunct in her eyes. It was a status symbol, though. At least, she could take solace in that.

Even though she'd never admit it, Screwball was also rather defunct. It wasn't because of her chaotic nature. If anything, that was a plus. It was still that fact that she acted like a child rather than her older sister. Those Cutie Mark Crusader brats all had older sisters, after all. To the small heiress, Rainbow Dash counted as Scootaloo's big sister, blood relation of not. They were all talented and successful mares with the whole town's acclaim. Her sister could do far more amazing things than those three combined, though, with just her mane. Screwball could even fly without having wings or balloons. The only one who could really rival her sister in talents that lived in town was the true nutcase Pinkie Pie.

Diamond Tiara ground her teeth at the thought of that cake-hoarding mare. "Why don't they lock her up, instead of mom?" she speculated as she walked up the stairs. "Is it because she's too popular? She'd be more of a risk that a pony who just chased squirrels. Besides, mom doesn't normally act like that. She was a rags to riches story who married smartly and knew how to be practical. That lunatic was born that way, parading through town like she owned the joint. When would she learn that she just gets on everyone's nerves, eating all the sweets in sight like she does?"

Really, there was a lot which the little Diamond Tiara was jealous of. She couldn't even tell her best friend about her problems because her family was an ancient line with old money since the early days of Canterlot. The Riches were nouveau riche, being only wealthy for the last century or so. These issues her family was having would get them all laughed out of social elite society.

Diamond Tiara approached her bedroom door and opened it. She pulled her backpack off of her back and threw it into her room. Who needed that dumb homework? She knew how life and business worked. The homework was so boring and simple, she didn't even care for wasting a lot of time on it. She passed all of her tests, after all.

No, as she marched down the hall, she thought to herself. I know what my life is going to be like. I'll watch after my sister and go to school. I'll keep teasing the blank flanks until they actually become a part of mainstream society. I'll end up as a trophy wife to a stallion that my father approves of. Hopefully colts grow out of being idiots, or my choices as slim. After that, I'll just be the pretty face while I watch after my family, both from being a sister and daughter and from being a mother. I just need to keep marching ahead with life. Everything will be fine. Mom will get out of the hospital, Screwball will grow up to be a good heiress, Applebloom will stay on her bumpkin farm, and hopefully that idiot Snails will smarten up and grow into the pick of the litter down here.

A blush crept across her face, and she shook her head. She was getting ahead of herself. She just had to live her life. After all, if all else failed, he daddy would take care of everything. He always, did.

She carefully opened the door to Screwball's room. Toys were already scattered across the floor as the swirly-eyed filly rolled around in playful impatience.

Screwball looked up as Diamond Tiara stood at the door. "Ready to play?" she asked in delight, staring at her sister intently.

Diamond Tiara entered the room with a flip of her hair. "Yeah. I'm ready to play."

I am not going to lie. I was going to be a little bit more leisurely with this. Then I find out they're converting Discord to good on the 19th of this month! Good grief! I needed him still "evil" for these chapters and one more, so there will likely be another chapter up later this week, before Saturday.

(Honestly, converting him this soon? That should have been a fourth season thing!)

Anyways, I'll be starting a much more light-hearted piece on ponies, too, centering on romantic relationships. After all, they're converting two villains to good now (Trixie and Discord). I need to get my points out before I get totally left behind by the series.