Chapter 2

     “Wake up!” Mrs Tiara shouted while banging on Fluttershy’s door with her hoof. “Wake up NOW!”

Fluttershy opened her eyes and stared at her slanted ceiling. She had been restricted to a small closet underneath the staircase. It was barely big enough to fit a bed into. Fluttershy had a few broken toys and dolls that Diamond Tiara had grown tired of in a small dresser, but she never did find the time to play with them.

     “Wake up cousin!” Diamond Tiara shouted, “We’re going to the zoo!”

     Diamond Tiara oozed smugness. From her purple and white mane to her bright violet coat, every inch of her, she was convinced, was much better than everypony else.

She kicked the closet door back in Fluttershy's face as she walked by.

     "Cook the eggs, and just try not to burn anything," Mrs Tiara said, letting Fluttershy take control of the sizzling frying pan.

Mrs Tiara picked up a piece of toast and started nibbling on it. 

"Bring my coffee, girl!" Snapped Mr Tiara. 

     Mr Tiara wore a round pair of glasses that were far too small for his pudgy face. He had a bright blue coat and a thick brown mustache. His face was always locked in a resilient scowl.

"Yes Uncle Tiara," Fluttershy said softly.

"I can't hear you." Mr Tiara said, putting down the newspaper in his hooves.

"Yes Uncle Tiara!" Fluttershy said. Her voice could barely be heard over the sound of sizzling eggs in the frying pan.

"I still can't hear you!" Mr Tiara shouted, now quite amused by Fluttershy's lack of volume.

     Fluttershy took a deep breath, as if she was about to shout something incredibly loud.

"Yes Uncle Tiara!"

All three of the Tiara brats busted into laughter. It had been no louder than her other two attempts.

"Can you honestly not talk any louder than that?" Mrs Tiara said through laughter.

"You're such a freak, cousin," Diamond Tiarra giggled. "That's why you have that thing on you're flank. Because you're a freak!"

     Fluttershy tried blinking away her tears. She looked back at the pink and cyan butterflies on her flank. The "Birthmark" Fluttershy had possessed her whole life, even since she was a little filly.

     The other ponies tended to make fun of her for it. They told her all sorts of nasty things about her. About how she looked. About how she sounded.

About her parents...

     The smell of burnt eggs made Fluttershy snap back into reality.

"Can't you do anything right, girl?" 

     Mrs. Tiara pulled the frying pan off the burner.

"That's it!" Mr. Tiara shouted. "You won't be having any breakfast for the next three days. Instead, you'll have to watch the rest of us eat and bask in jealousy."

Mr. Tiara grinned. He was proud of the punishment he had come up with on the spot.

     "Where are my presents!?" Diamond Tiara demanded a few minutes later. "I got so distracted by Fluttershy's stupidity that I forgot about all the presents you two owe me."

Mrs Tiara smiled.

"Of course sweetie!"

     Mrs Tiara lead them all into the next room.

"Here they are!" Mrs Tiara said, pointing to a massive stack of colorful boxes with her hoof.

"How many?" Diamond Tiara asked, clearly not impressed.

"Thirty six! Counted them myself!" Mr Tiara said proudly, as if counting presents was an accomplishment.

"Thirty six?!" Diamond Tiara cried. "You don't love me!!!"

"N-n-no!" Mrs Tiara stuttered. "We do!"

     Diamond Tiara started crying tears as fake as Mrs Tiara's eyelashes. "But you got me thirty seven last year! I wanted at least three more!"

"I'll tell you what Snoogums," Mrs Tiara said. "When we go out to the zoo, we'll buy you four new presents."

     As quickly as they had come, Diamond Tiara's tears disappeared.

"Okay!" She shouted.

****************

     Fluttershy sat quietly, watching a silent staring contest between a giant frog and Diamond Tiara.

"Move!" Diamond Tiara shouted, leaning over the rails of the frog exhibit.

     The frog inside was lying on top of a lily pad, moving as little as possible.

"You're boring!" Diamond Tiara decided, and she ran off to the chameleon exhibit.

"Sorry about her," Fluttershy said to the frog. "She doesn't understand what it's like for you."

The frog opened it's eyes and stared at Fluttershy.

"Can you hear me?" She asked

The frog nodded.

"Oh wow. I've never talked to a frog before. Do you talk to people often?"

The frog shook it's head.

     Fluttershy paused. "Are you from a swamp somewhere? Do you miss your family?"

The frog motioned towards the exhibit sign.

Raised in Captivity

     Fluttershy frowned. "That's me as well. I never knew my family either."

Fluttershy felt a hoof on her shoulder, and before she knew it, Diamond Tiara had pushed her to the ground.

"Are you talking to a frog?"

     Diamond Tiara leaned over the railing. The frog let out a loud "Ribbit", and jumped as high as it could. It landed right on Diamond Tiara's head.

"AIEEEEEE!!!" She screamed. "Get it off! Get it off!"

     Diamond Tiara started flailing her hooves around, trying desperately to pry the frog off her head. Just as she preyed the frog loose, she slipped and fell forward into the frog exhibit. She landed right in the swamp with a huge splash.

     The frog hopped past Fluttershy, winked, then hopped happily towards the zoo's exit.

"My little baby!" Fluttershy heard Mrs Tiara scream. She looked over and saw that the frog exhibit was too deep for Diamond Tiara to climb out.

     Fluttershy hated laughing at other's suffering, but the sight of Diamond Tiara, trapped in a miniature swamp was just too much for her not to giggle. 

     As she did, she saw Mr Tiara staring right at her. The look in his eyes was not concern for his daughter, or even anger, but excitement for all the punishment he could now give Fluttershy.