//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 - Second Side of the Spoon // Story: Exchange of Spoons (Revised) // by CommanderX5 //------------------------------// Exchange of Spoons - Chapter 3 Second Side of the Spoon “Time to wake up, Miss Spoon,” called out a familiar voice. Silver Spoon yawned before raising herself to a sitting position, her eyes still closed as she waited for the maid to wash her face with a towel as per routine. As seconds passed and nothing happened, she decided to rub her eyes before opening them, now staring at the smiling face of the servant who failed to do her duties. A quick glance at the table filled her with confusion. A hay sandwich and an apple… that’s it? She blinked in confusion, wondering if she was still dreaming. No strawberries or sweets, no snacks and oranges? Where are all the choices? She looked back at the maid in annoyance and said, “I’m waiting.” “Waiting? I thought you may need help with taking off the bandages, but I see you took care of it already. Is there anything else?” “Bandages? I am waiting for you to do your job.” Silver Spoon pointed at the table next to the bed and continued, “I cannot help to notice the lack of towel and water, and low variety of food.” Soft Rose raised her eyebrow. “With all due respect, Miss Spoon, but wasn't your wish not to be treated like a little filly?” “My wish?” Silver Spoon asked as she pressed a forehoof against her own chest, her brows knitting together in confusion. “It was always like this. Why would I ask to change it?” Soft Rose giggled before poking her in the muzzle, much to her surprise. “Because it was embarrassing. I know that your parents want you to live in luxury, but there is just so much humiliation a pony can take.” Silver Spoon stood on her bed and took a step back, captured off guard by her maid. The usual, ‘yes Lady Spoon’ or ‘Yes Mistress’ replaced by an opened dialogue. She rubbed her foreleg nervously and asked, “Humiliation?” The maid nodded as she paced back and forth next to the bed. “You’ve been spoiled like a little filly. Just think what others would think of you if they found out,” she said before raising her head upward arrogantly. She continued with a snobbish tone, “My dear daughter cannot burn her tongue by eating a hot soup. She shouldn’t bother with trivial things like eating or washing herself.” She chuckled before adding, “Oh, I have an idea, how about I hire somepony to carry her everywhere, so she wouldn’t need to use her legs.” The filly blushed. “Now that you say it aloud… it does sounds humiliating.” She looked to the side and muttered to herself quietly, “Not that mom or dad would ever hire somepony for transportation. I can walk just fine.” Soft Rose nodded. “It was just an example. You rebelled against your mother because of how she was treating you after all. She was killing you with kindness, so in my personal opinion it’s good thing you finally rebelled.” Silver stomped and shouted, “Hey, I would never dare to rebel against my mom in any way!” The maid stood on her hind legs and placed forehooves on her hips. “Oh really, because I remember it differently.” She returned to standing on all four and turned around. “Well, you are rather subtle with it, but whatever is the case, I’m on your side.” She gave a quick glance at the clock on the wall. “Oh, look at the time. Your tutor should be here any minute.” The filly looked at the clock and immediately bit her lip, her expression one of pure shock. “It’s so late, I am too late for school!” She trotted back and forth on the bed in panic. “I was never late to school, never! Miss Cheerilee will be disappointed, my parents will be disappointed. Being late will end up on my permanent record.” Soft Rose rolled her eyes. “Don’t you remember your mother's decision from yesterday?” Upon seeing the shake of filly’s head who sat and stared at her curiously, she continued, “She sent Fresh Tea to inform your teacher that you won’t attend school today because of your health issues.” “Health issues?” Silver asked in confusion. “Weird, I know,” Soft Rose said while pointing at the grey filly on the bed. “Your cuts healed so well that I can’t even see them, yet your mother worries about nothing.” “Cuts?” “Anyway, your tutor should be here in around ten minutes, so you better get cleaned up,” Soft Rose said before approaching the door. She gave Silver Spoon one more glance and shot her an encouraging smile before closing the door. Silver Spoon was so stunned she didn’t dare move a muscle. Her mind one large mess. “What just happened?” Did something happen yesterday that I forgot? Did she hit herself in the head and lost some of her memories? Her intensive thinking failed to bring any answers as she massaged her forehead. Ever since her youngest years, she was living in luxury as her mother provided her with everything, no matter if she needed it or not. Even now as a filly the age of nine, she was still used to being fed and spoiled every morning. Each maid and servant followed her or her mother’s instructions without complaint while dad was mostly at work, busy earning bits to keep their life standards as high as possible. Today however, the maid acted as if she wasn’t herself. She actually chatted. Silver Spoon rubbed her chin, wondering about her past. Now that she thought about it, none of the numerous servants in the residence ever talked with her. The usual, ‘yes Young Mistress, yes Miss Spon, your manners Young Lady, I will get right to it,’ became commonplace while she lived in in this large residence, but nothing more. And yet today Miss Soft Rose started a discussion. She even went as far as to accuse her, Mistress Silver Spoon, of daring to rebel against her parents’ wishes. The very thought made her feel butterflies in her belly. To make matters worse, Miss Soft Rose failed to accomplish her duties for the morning. Silver Spoon climbed down from the bed and approached the mirror on the wall. Her mane was in disarray, her face was not yet clean, her glasses weren’t on her face, and her tutor was only minutes away from arriving. “Come on Silver, it can’t be that hard,” she said to herself before turning on the sink and cleaning her forehooves. She splashed her face with water before trying to grab the towel, an action she found difficult with closed eyes as she accidently pushed a brush to the floor. A weak thud quickly reached her ears. Note to self: First grab the towel, next wash my face… or maybe I should get the towel wet and use it to wash my face? Silver Spoon picked up a brush from the soft and clean carpet and started to work on her mane. Brushing appeared to be the easiest part, but rolling it into her usual manestyle proved difficult. “How am I supposed to get this done with my hooves?” she asked herself with an annoyed frown as her fifth attempt ended in failure. “Doing it with magic would be so much easier. Why did Miss Rose leave when she could do it in moments?” Now that I think about it, Miss Rose’s special talent is gardening, and yet she isn’t an earth pony. No wonder she became a maid and gardener in our residence, always focusing on the aesthetic rather than the practical part of growing plants. She shook her head. Why am I even thinking about her in the first place. She’s just a servant like many others. Silver Spoon grimaced at her struggle, starting to consider telling her mom about Rose’s incompetence. She glanced at the clock and bit her lip as drops of sweat started to run down her face. Her forehoof trembled, desperately trying to tie the third rolled fragment of her mane with a hair tie before her time ran out. She repeated this action with the part of her mane on the left side of her head, only this time for it to end in failure. Silver Spoon grit her teeth and threw the hair tie at the wall before stomping in anger, her forehoof sinking into the carpet as only a quiet thump followed. She sat and took a few slow, deep breaths, successfully calming herself down. She sighed while opening the shelf where her elegant pearl necklace lay, and quickly placed it on her neck. Not wasting a moment, she opened the shelf with her glasses, only for her eyes to widen in surprise. “Why in the world would my mom buy me so many?” she said to herself as she examined each model, the increased weight of the glasses she now held in her forehooves somewhat surprising. “Are they reinforced?” She shrugged and placed the glasses on her muzzle before approaching the wall. After a moment of searching, she picked up the hair tie, only for it to bounce on her forehooves as the noise of the door opening startled her. “Your tutor has arrived, sweetie.” The filly turned towards the source of the voice as drops of sweat once again covered her face. Her attention then shifted from her entering mother to a tall stallion wearing a black dress suit and glasses. His cutie-mark was covered by the uniform. Not wasting a moment, she hid the hair tie behind herself and smiled. “Hello Mr…” “Book,” the stallion said as he placed his telekinetically held suitcase next to the bed and approached. “Pleasure to meet you, young Miss Spoon.” “P-pleasure is all mine, Mr. Book.” The tutor looked to the side at the mare and asked, “May I ask you a question, Miss Novel.” “Of course.” Silver Spoon took a step back the moment Mr. Book pointed at her. “Your daughter seems uninjured. Are my services still necessary?” Silver Novel looked at her daughter suspiciously before nodding, “My daughter may try to hide her wounds and act as if she was feeling fine, but I am not a pony who changes her mind easily, Mr. Book. I have already informed Miss Cheerilee about my daughter’s condition and her home tutoring.” “Understood,” Book said with a firm nod. “Should I start right away?” “In ten minutes. I wish to talk with my daughter.” “Of course,” the stallion said before walking outside through the open door, which Silver Novel closed behind him. The tall mare then turned towards the filly and approached. Silver Spoon rubbed her foreleg nervously as she asked, “Umm… mom…  what did you mean when you said that I was hiding my wounds?” She examined herself before looking at her mother in confusion. Silver Novel frowned. “Don’t play dumb with me, little missy,” she said as her daughter curled a little, clearly shocked. “It doesn’t matter if you heal fast and try to hide your injuries from yesterday with a bit of makeup. You’re not going to school today.” She took a closer look at filly’s mane and continued with annoyed voice, “And finish fixing your mane. It is bad enough that you embarrass our family in front of school fillies and a teacher. I don’t want you to do so in front of a hired tutor. Am I understood?” The filly gulped quietly and nodded. “Good,” Silver Novel said before turning around, now standing with her back to her daughter. “I will task Soft Rose with getting you in shape, and I expect you to behave.” Silver Spoon was speechless as she could do nothing but stare at the closing door. Did her mother just scold her? Was she displeased? Those two thoughts haunted Silver’s mind as she couldn’t comprehend the situation. The last time her mother was angry at her was… never. Ever since she spoke her first words, to this very day, not a single time Silver Novel showed even the slightest sign of aggression or disappointment. Her anxiety grew with each passing second as the elegant sanctuary she proudly called her room now felt silent and empty. She closed her eyes and massaged her forehead, trying desperately to remember yesterday’s events, but no matter how hard she thought, she couldn't recall being injured or hitting herself on the head, much less doing or saying something that would anger her mother. Something was amiss in her predictable life, and she hated it. The door opened again as Silver could see Soft Rose entering and staring at her with concern. “What’s wrong, is something bothering you?” she asked before sitting next to the bed. What’s wrong? Is something bothering me? Silver though as she grit her teeth. She shot an angry glare at the maid and shouted, “Of course something is wrong! My mom was displeased with me!” She pointed at Soft Rose and cut her off before she could say anything, “And you! You left me without even helping me with my mane.” She pointed at the top of Rose’s forehead. “If you haven’t noticed, I am not a unicorn. I failed to get my mane done in time before the tutor arrived.” The maid took a few steps forward and, much to the filly’s surprise, rubbed the top of her head. “Somepony seems to be in a poor mood today.” Upon noticing a hair tie lying on the carpet behind Silver, she lit her horn and began her work, quickly removing any hair ties that were already holding the filly’s mane in order to rearrange them properly. “Done.” Silver Spoon approached the mirror and examined her mane, which was now much more presentable than before. She turned towards the smiling maid and shot her a raspberry. “It took you several seconds to get this done, so why did you leave me to struggle with it for minutes?” she asked, barely keeping her anger in check. “Because you said it was a petty service you could handle yourself,” Soft Rose said with a relaxed tone. “Though I must say, you did a very poor job today. Something must really be weighing on your mind to make you so clumsy.” Balloons grew across Silver’s cheeks as the very sight of the maid’s smug smile irritated her. “You know I can ask my mother to fire you if you keep up this kind of attitude?” The maid just chuckled. “True, but the Silver Spoon I know would never do such a thing.” I wouldn’t do such a thing? That’s ridiculous, Silver thought. What’s wrong with her today. No servants ever act so casually around me. “I know you don’t like missing school, but it’s not the end of the world,” Soft Rose said before rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “It’s nothing compared to when Sombra captured Fluttershy and used her as a hostage against Discord to force him to free Tirek from Tartarus so they could take over Equestria. Now that day was terrifying.” “W-what are you talking about?” Soft Rose blinked. “I’m talking about a story you told me some time ago, a story you heard from Princess Twilight herself.” Silver Spoon shook her head while her tired brain failed to provide her with anything but a headache. The only thing she remembered from Tirek’s attack on Ponyville was sitting quietly in the basement alongside her mother, while her last encounter with the princess didn’t exactly end on the best note. She stomped and said, “Why would the princess tell me this story personally? This makes no sense.” “But of course. Why would the princess herself ever tell you anything about her adventures,” Soft Rose said before winking with her right eye. “She would never waste her precious time teaching you and your friends various skills, nor would she make you promise her to keep it a secret from your parents.” She glanced at the clock on the wall before saying, “Look at the time, I better leave you alone with your tutor, and don’t worry, I know exactly what to do to make you feel better.” She half-bowed in goodbye and went for the door. Silver Spoon stared at the leaving maid with her eyes wide and mouth agape. The moment the door closed behind the servant, she groaned, shook her hooves in aggravation and shouted, “What in Celestia’s name is going on!?”