Crowned Diamond had not had a proper night of sleep in few weeks now. Maybe it was the last remnants of his consciousness screaming at him, or maybe it was the fact that the head scientists had walked out on him immediately after both of his sons were confirmed to survive and heal after the experiment, and now that she was gone, the other scientists were not listening to him anymore. Or maybe because the stocks of his company had tanked after the rumors of the failed experiment had started spreading. Or the fact that his eldest son refused to speak with him now. Or the fact that there was suppose to be a meeting with the shareholders this very evening and he was not ready for any of it.
Crowned Diamond groaned and rubbed his tired eyes. Ever since that yellow abomination was born, everything had started to go wrong. He was not able to see his own faults in the situation, the fact that if he had not resented his younger son and wife so, White Dove might have not gotten sick and died. And if he had treated Shô with respect and love, he might still have Ruy's respect. Or the fact that if he had just swallowed his pride and accepted the fact that Shô was an earth pony, and not try to change him with the use of faulty technology, Ruy could still have his good looks he so desperately needed in this job. But now his profile was ruined forever by those scars...
Diamond muttered curses under his breath as he made his way to the meeting-hall. He didn't know what to tell his shareholders. He was prepared to lie his way out, but he also needed an excuse for the rumors itself. As he was wondering what to say, he heard shuffling in the dressing room. Curious he opened the door... to see Ruy putting on his business attire.
"What are you doing!?" Crowned Diamond shouted, half mad, half panicking. Ruy wasn't thinking of making an appearance like... that?
Ruy simply gave him a cold leer with his partly blinded eye and muttered "Crowned Diamond." with faked respect.
"You're not going out there! Not with those scars! You'll pull the whole company down with you!" Diamond said, now clearly panicking.
"Correction: YOU will bring this whole house down with YOUR stupid ideas. If you keep lying to the shareholders that everything is fine, when it clearly isn't, you will pay the consequences sooner rather than later. Besides..." Ruy said calmly, as he was putting on his tie with his magic.
"The doctor said my scars will never fully heal."
Diamond winced. "Then use a concealing-spell! I know you can do them!"
"Transparency with our shareholders is the first step to achieving more solid future." Ruy said simply.
"Either way. Let me make some things clear to you:" Ruy started, as he stepped closer to Crowned Diamond, leering him so coldy the older unicorn felt shivers down his spine.
"I'm doing all of this for my brother. If you mess up, he won't have a livelihood anymore. And since you keep making decisions that hurt us all, I'm not going to trust you with deciding our fates anymore. I'm going to take over this company one day, and once I do, Shô shall be my assistant and right hoof. And you will have no say in the matter, or I will reveal the whole truth of the matters to the media myself."
Crowned Diamond wanted to look away from Ruy, but couldn't. There was something in his eyes, something familiar. And then it hit him: Dove. She had looked at him the same way when he had been threatening Shô.
"I shall show myself to the audience, make a statement that an unfortunate accident happened while testing our newest product, that due to the potential dangers is now being discontinued. Some shareholders will leave, others will stay, and new one shall come to replace those who left. We will have harder patch for now, but we'll manage." after saying that Ruy walked past his father to the hall.
Crowned Diamond ran after him.
"You say I'm a lair, and yet you lie yourself! The development of the horn is not done yet!"
"It is." Ruy simply said, not turning to face his father. "I told the scientists to scrap the damn thing and get rid of all the blueprints. Told them to do something more creative and useful."
Diamond watched as his son proudly and bravely made his way towards the hall. A part of him was proud of the stern and strong willed stallion he had been able to raise. But the other one felt nothing but seething hate. Towards whom? Even Diamond himself didn't know...