Disclaimer: I don't own My Little Pony; Friendship Is Magic

Title: A Rough Patch

Summary: Diamond Tiara is healing. She's gotten over being sent away from home to live with her Uncle. She's getting quick on her hooves all over again after 'the mining incident' (well, mostly. Limbs were still limbs, even if one was made of plastic and metal, right?) and she's learning to humble herself. But she's needed in Ponyville for an arranged marriage, she has to figure out how to dodge her friend, and, to top it all off, the town's resident chicken is in her therapy class. A rough patch indeed.

Warnings: Protetic Limb. Nothing else for this chapter, really.

...

Her suitcase was packed, mane combed, and her leg firmly in place. Diamond was ready to go physically, at least.

"You come back soon, you hear?" Her uncle said, pulling her into a hug.

"Yeah, whatever."

"I'm serious, Mondy. You don't swing by nearly enough."

Enough to make you scramble to get rid of her. Diamond bit her lip.

"I'll think about it, I guess."

Uncle Soot smiled and grabbed her suitcase for her. "That's all I ask."

The carriage ride to the train station was quiet. Too quiet. Diamond shifted around awkwardly, bumping her leg on the floor at random intervals. The older stallion didn't chide her for it.

Diamond, thanks to her disability, was seated at the front of the train, on one of the seats that were couches in disguise. The ponies already sitting there grumbled irritably as they trotted away, and the mare couldn't help but feel bad. She could walk up steps, sit down like everypony else, but they'd taken one look at her leg and immediately assumed her incapable. She wasn't sure if that was her fault or their's.

Stretching out on her side, DT squeezed her eyes shut, face flush with embarrassment. It wasn't all bad, she reminded herself. Going back to Ponyville meant that she could get back to her job at the forge.

Unless, of course, Hot Iron, her boss, deemed her incapable too...

"What's wrong with your leg?"

Diamond snapped her eyes open and sat up. "Nothing is 'wrong' with my leg. It works just fine."

The filly nudged it curiously. "But it's made of plastic."

"And so is your personality. Congratulations; you match."

The filly sniffled, stepped back, and ran over to his mother with a 'hmph.' "Mommy, the freak-pony was mean to me!"

If it were possible, she sunk even further into herself.

"Hush. She's just bitter." She soothed, giving her a warning look over her shoulder before leading the filly deeper into the bowels of metal, glass, and polyester.

Bitter indeed. She'd be bitter too if she'd just had some random kid come up and poke her like she was the newest specimen at the local zoo. Diamond sighed and rolled onto her back.

The rest of the trip went smoothly, but Ponyville came into sight far too soon for Diamond's liking. One of the attendants, deeming her too helpless to lean down and get her own luggage from the carrier under her chair, did it for her and 'escorted' her off.

Diamond officially hated the train station. From now on, no matter how far her destination may be, she was hoofing it.

"Diamond, sweetie!" Filthy Rich swept his daughter into a hug with the grace of a stallion who'd done it thousands of times before, every day, even though they hadn't seen each other face to face in half a year. He pulled back. "So, this is 'the leg', huh?"

Diamond sighed, unamused. "Yes, dad. This is 'the leg.'"

"Neat! A little plain, though. We can take it to a shop somewhere, I'm sure."

"Dad, this isn't a carriage you can 'trick out', you know." She shook the limb, eyebrow raised.

"You can't? Huh. You learn something new every day."

Diamond shrugged and fiddled with the ground. "Er, okay then. So, uh, since I'm back, I can go to the forge, right?"

"Of course." He paused. "Listen, Diamond, I'm not really sure how to help you through this. Do you need some handrails? A pony to help you around when you need it?"

Diamond's heart clenched. "Dad, I'm not helpless!" She snapped. Filthy nodded.

"I know, I know. I just want to help you."

"If I need any help, I'll tell you, alright?"

He nodded again. "Sounds like a plan."

Diamond pointed at the trail, desperate for any kind of distraction. "I'm going to the forge, alright?"

"Of course. Have fun."

"Always."

Diamond's cutie mark was in smithing. Silver Spoon's mark, likewise, was in collecting, selling, and creating silverware, specifically antiques.

Silver Spoon preferred carving things out of wood. Diamond was the only one of them who dabbled in the dangerous work of ironsmithing regularly, and she was proud of that fact.

It had all been so much simpler when they were fillies, she reflected. They were on top of the world, better than everypony else. Their cutie marks proved it. Now she was just another earth pony; living the same life, getting the same injuries, nursing the same grudges. But it really couldn't be helped.

Hot Iron was a stallion that easily towered over her. Diamond was pretty small for an earth pony in the first place, so the stallion, only the tiniest bit shorter than Big Mac, was practically a giant in her eyes. It made crawling back to the forge, bad leg and all, after being gone for half a year all the more intimidating.

"Hey, uh, Iron?" She called, closing the front door behind her. The forge was a one-floor masterpiece of metal, fire, and tools, and it was her favorite place to be. It made Diamond itch to grab her special mallet and tools and get creating. She shook her head. Later. "I'm back."

She peered around the door. Iron's fur, as yellow as the molten metal he worked with, seemed to be almost dull under his protective garments and tools.

"'Bout time. I was starting to think I'd need a new apprentice."

"So, uh, speaking of my job... It's still mine, right?"

""Course it is. There's aren't many ponies out there willing to risk third degree burns for a hunk of metal." He pulled his wielding mask up with a sigh and wiped his brow before fixing her a look. "Alright, I'll bite. What's wrong with your legs?"

Diamond jumped and hid herself further behind the door. "Uh, nothing?"

"Donkey manure. Get your tail out here. Now."

The mare winced, stood her ground, then finally gave in and walked forward into the room completely.

He passively examined her. "Carriage accident?"

"Cave-in."

"Ouch." He shrugged. "Alrighty then. Get to it."

Diamond jumped. "I can still keep my job?"

"That's what I just said, ain't it? Diamond, our jobs run the risk of deadly burns, missing hooves, and don't even get me started on broken bones. What kind of hypocrite would I be if I kicked you out now?" He turned back to his work. "Get back to work. And, uh, be careful."

Diamond's chest felt ten pounds lighter as she grabbed her safety gear and got to work.

Maybe things wouldn't be so bad after all.

Author's Note: Ta-da!

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