//------------------------------// // Check-Up's and Check-In's // Story: Worth more than silver // by Nova_Wings //------------------------------// The train chugged slowly into the Ponyville station, it was late afternoon now and ponies were busy going to and fro taking care of whatever business they had. Three ponies stepped off the train and into the cool fall air, they moved through the town waving to ponies they knew as they made their way home. There were few whispers as they passed from a few of the more talkative ponies. “Is that?” “I thought they moved to Manehatten?” “Where are her parents?” “Did they adopt a filly finally?” “About time, I won the bet by the way.” The group ignored these for the most part, though the last comment got Lyra to give Bonbon a sideways smirk. Once they made it home Silver noticed they were at Bonbon’s store. “Wait, you guys live here too?” “Yep, we rebuilt the entire upstairs into a two bedroom apartment slash house, a little trick we learned, if you live on the property you pay residential tax, not business, and it's a lot cheaper.” SIlver tilted her head as if something clicked. “Oh, so that's why the Cakes and Pinkie Pie live at Sugarcube Corner.” “Yep, lots of ponies use that, come on let's head up and get these saddlebags put away, I need to stretch after that long train ride.” The three made their way to the upper level of Sweet Drops, the stairs opened into a sunken living space, complete with fireplace, bookshelves and comfy looking couches. There was a dining and kitchen area that ran along the opposite wall, between the three areas they only took up about half of the total floor space, the rest was divided between two bedrooms and a bathroom that formed a rough ‘L’ shape. The entire place was cozy without feeling small, and was open enough to make it feel like a proper home instead of some upper floor apartment. This in itself was a shock for Silver, but it was what was in the home as well that made her jaw drop. Everything was high quality and expensive items, the floors alone seemed to be made of cherry wood, something not even Silver’s old home had. “H-How?” Both Bonbon and Lyra looked puzzled. “What's wrong Silver?” Bonbon asked frowning. “You two must be loaded, you have stuff not even my parents had.” Both mares traded confused looks. “Seriously?” Lyra asked. “This is stuff we just bought around Ponyville, mostly. I found the bookshelves in Canterlot, they just looked really pretty” Said bookshelves were a dark wood with gold leafing around the edges. SIlver gave Lyra a shocked look. “Where at, the palace when nopony was looking?” Bonbon shook her head. “I know we invested a lot in this place when we rebuilt it, but it's not that much.” “Not that much? I think this place might be worth more than my old home here in Ponyville.” Lyra rolled her eyes. “Now I know you're exaggerating, it's not like-” “You have a mahogany bookshelf with gold, cherry hardwood floors, and I swear those couches are made of velvet.” Bonbon faced hoofed. “The floors are recycled timber, we stained them and it came out darker then we intended. No the bookshelf isn’t mahogany, though it is stained to look like it, Lyra added the leafing with some bits she melted down, yes I’m still annoyed you did that.” “You said it looked good!” Bonbon rolled her eyes. “And the couches are reupholstered, Rarity did that in exchange for a favor, she didn’t tell us she was going to use velvet for them.” Silver just blinked. “Ya you don’t have to be swimming in bits to have a few nice things, you just have to know how to use them and what to look for.” Lyra said proudly. Silver just looked at the two mares, seemingly unable to process what she had just learned. “I think we broke her.” Bonbon sighed. “On it.” Lyra said cheerfully. Before Bonbon could ask what she was going to do, Lyra leaned in and licked Silver right on the snout. “GAH!” SIlver flailed, falling over backward. “What was THAT!” “Lyra!” Lyra just smiled like a cat that ate the canary. “It was effective, not to mention the look on her face was priceless.” Silver glared up at Lyra, fixing her glasses from her tumble. Bonbon just sighed pinching her brow. “Sometimes I swear Lyra. Alright, we have a few things to take care of now that we're home, starting with you Silver.” Silver looked at Bonbon with a somewhat timid look. “Me?” “Yes, firstly we need to get you a check up. As much as I loth to leave you with her, Lyra can you take her to Nurse Red Heart, and behave.” “Yes mom I’ll behave.” “None of the sass, we still have a couch you can sleep on.” “Oh, you're no fun.” Lyra said with a chuckle. “Come on Silv let's go pay a visit to Red Heart, we can meet Bonbon for lunch afterward, I don’t know about you but I’m hungry after that trip.” Silver Spoon nodded, she was starting to wonder what she had gotten herself into by going with these two mares. ~o0o~ Bonbon entered the Ponyville Town Hall, she made her way up to the mayor’s office knocking on the door. “One moment.” Came the voice of Mayor Mare. Bonbon waited, hearing the shuffle of papers for a few moments before the door opened. “Oh Bonbon what a nice surprise, what brings you here?” Bonbon glanced around before leaning in a little closer. “I’m here in regard to that arrangement.” Mayor Mare’s face became serious. “I see, come in.” The inside of the office was much like one would expect, ordered chaos of papers scrolls and documents. Bonbon sat facing the Mayor and her desk. “So what do we need to discuss?” Mayor Mare asked. “I’ll give you the full details with the official paperwork, but me and Lyra will be taking care of Silver Spoon for some time, possibly permanently if she agrees.” Mayor Mare blinked, of all the ponies SIlver Spoon was the last she thought would come up in this conversation. “How did this come about?” “Turns out Silver has been living on the streets of Manehatten for the past several months to a year, we found her yesterday and brought her back with us.” “I see,” Mayor Mare said pausing. “Well I can see why you wanted this rushed, but you know legally…” “Yes, we asked her about living relatives, fathers side lives in Vanhoover but is not in contact, mothers side is an unknown, not even sure what the maiden name is.” “Well, we’ll look into the mother’s side, as for the father.” Mayor Mare let out a long sigh. “I happen to know from previous legal matters that they have disowned each other, as far as the law is concerned they are no longer related.” “I would say we don’t bother contacting them,” Bonbon began. “But we both know the letter of the law on this one, we have to at least send a letter.” “I’ll send it,” Mayor Mare said. “I can use my official letter head, they might read it rather than a random letter arriving from a strange pony.” Bonbon raised an eyebrow. “That bad?” “You have no idea.” Mayor Mare said shaking her head. “Should I draw up adoption papers?” “Yes but hold on to them for now, we might want to keep her but if she’s not comfortable with us it would be better if we helped find her a better home.” Mayor Mare smiled at this. “You and Lyra are going to make wonderful parent, regardless if things work out with Silver.” ~o0o~ “Well aside from being underweight everything checks out, you should try to get her back up to wight for her age.” Nurse Red Heart said to Lyra as she looked over her clipboard. “Are we talking body weight or muscle mass?” Lyra asked, in an oddly serious tone. “I would say half and half, but it's not an exact science.” “So lots of food and exercise got it. Anything else we need to take care of?” “Not today, but I would like to schedule some follow-ups.” Nurse Red Heart smiled at SIlver Spoon before hoofing her a lollipop. “Here why don’t you wait in the lobby for a minute while we set up some appointments, it won't be long.” “Thank you, Miss Red Heart.” Silver said as she exited the examination room. “Alright Lyra, what have you gotten yourself into?” “Wow right for the low blow huh? What makes you think I had…” The unamused stare Red Heart gave Lyra cut off any further argument. “Alright alright, we ran across her in an alley in Manehatten when she was dumpster diving for food, Bonbon and I agreed to bring her to Ponyville, at least she's not going to be out on the street here.” “I can assume Bonbon is taking care of the other side of things?” “She’s at town hall right now, everything is going to be taken care of.” “Good, have you two thought of any candidates?” Red Heart noticed the grin Lyra had. “You two, really? Not saying you would be bad, but I just didn’t expect you two to think about adopting a filly yet.” “We’ve been discussing it for a while, and well, my past and how we found her…” “Say no more, have you told her?” Lyra shook her head. “Were trying not to overwhelm her, she didn’t say it directly but… we think she witnessed her parents death.” Silence hung in the room for several moments. “I see, well that explains that I suppose, I hope things work out one way or another.” Lyra gave a firm nod. “So about that follow-up?” “Bring her back in six weeks, just make sure she doesn't lose any weight and things should go smoothly.” Lyra gave a salute before heading out. ~o0o~ The Hay Bale wasn’t the fanciest restaurant in Ponyville, but it was known for having some of the best food. Lyra and Silver Spoon found Bonbon waiting for them at a booth, they sat across from Bonbon as a waiter came with menus for them. “How did things go with Nurse Red Heart?” “Better than we thought, Silver’s in good health over all, just need to put some weight back on.” “With you, I’m sure that won't be a problem.” Bonbon joked. “Says the candy maker.” Lyra said with smirk “Keep it up and I’ll cut you off form those chocolate mints you like so much.” Bonbon’s face told Lyra the threat was very real. Further conversation was halted as the waiter came back to take their order, with there orders place the three returned to talking among themselves, albeit with a more serious tone. “How is it being back in Ponyville Silver?” Bonbon asked. “I-its strange really, when we moved I thought I would never come back, and really I was fine with that. I could have more friends then Dimond Tearra, even if they were all just picked for me at least it would be more then one bully.” “You and her weren't really friends were you?” Lyra asked, she mostly knew the answer but she assumed the two files at least liked being around each other. “No, she made me follow her around and do what she said or she would stop being my friend, and considering that she was the only one in town who my parents would let me hang out with…” “If she stopped being friends with you, then you wouldn’t have any friends and have nopony to hang out with, meaning she had all the leverage.” Bonbon summed up. Silver nodded her head as she looked downcast, Lyra, however, had a brilliant idea. “Well you’re here now and we won't tell you who to hang out with, maybe you could start over, make some real friends for a change.” “I’d like that.” Silver said with a little smile. “Well I know the best way to do that, do you think about going back to school?”