//------------------------------// // Considering the Methods of Mobilization Within a Manehattan Shark Tank // Story: The Silver Standard // by PatchworkPoltergeist //------------------------------// Silver Spoon lay back to admire the well-earned spoils of a successful Hearth’s Warming. A sparkling moat of wrapping paper and ribbons reflected little dots of light along the walls. Father had opted for yellow lights this year and in the cloudy morning, Silver’s twenty-six presents took on a heavenly glow. She didn’t even mind that she’d received fourteen fewer gifts than last year (not counting gifts from friends). As an older, wiser, young mare with a cutie mark, Silver understood the need to downsize, and ponies usually got fewer presents with age anyway. The new tea sets, dresses, jewelry, shoes, and the deluxe stationery kit (including a magnificently thorough day planner with a silver clasp) more than sufficed. Mother cuddled in the comfort of her new dressing gown, the one Silver Spoon helped Father pick. One long, silk sleeve dangled from her hoof as she pointed toward the pile of presents. “I think you’ve missed one, dear.” “I did?” The sea of wrapping paper churned with Silver’s search—no new presents hid under them. Nothing at the back of the pole or sticking out between the lights. Nothing new in her porcelain Hearth’s Warming doll, either. “Where? I don’t see it.” Father tried to hide his smile behind his mug of eggnog, but did a poor job of it. “Maybe a cup of tea could help you remember. From your newest set, perhaps?” Ever-so-slightly he nodded at the jade teapot upon the coffee table. Silver didn’t hear a rattle when she gently shook the pot, though she felt something move inside. She lifted the lid to discover a violet envelope sealed with shiny gold wax. A pink wisteria flower bloomed in the top left corner, just like an official notice from… but that made no sense at all. “Why would Wisteria Academy send me letters?” Well-wishes for the holidays hardly required an official seal and colors. Besides, schools didn’t send former students letters, save to beg for alumni bits. “Hm. Why indeed?” Father’s grin breached the edge of his mug. Silver didn’t bother with a letter opener and cracked the wax seal by hoof. A letter plopped upon the table. Two shining silver tickets fluttered down after it, both marked with the official Wisteria seal. Impossible. Silver caught them before they hit the ground. She held them under the light to confirm: The Wisteria Annual Winter Gala: Esteemed Guest. Silver Spoon stared as if Celestia had hoof-delivered them herself. “I—but… but how?” She stared at her father, who grinned down with the biggest smile she’d seen since the move. Her eyes widened. So did his grin. “Don’t tell me it gets better?” Mother slid the letter forward. “Much better.” The letter still smelled of Headmistress Avalonia’s office. Violet ink on smooth, thick paper. Silver skimmed the pleasantries until she reached the heart of the matter. She read it. She stared up at her parents, open mouthed. “You’re kidding.” She read it again: …it delights us to extend a cordial invitation to the grand opening of The Silver Spoon Ballroom, located in the south gardens. You are allowed one guest of your choosing. Kindly remember school dress code, enclosed herein. We at Wisteria Academy eagerly await your arrival. “I can’t believe it!” “I take that it meets your approval, Brightness?” Father wrapped a foreleg around Silver’s shoulder and kissed the top of her uncombed head. “It’s a little late to return it.” “Oh, Father! Father, I love it!” Little fillies twenty, fifty, a thousand semesters from now would know the Silver name. Her name. “But I thought we didn’t have the funds for—” Mother waved her off. “We donated the money ages ago. Some of it before you were born, I think.” “It’s only they didn’t finalize the building arrangements until now,” added Father. “Remember to thank Granddad, too. He helped with the final adjustments.” The words barely registered, but Silver Spoon nodded anyway. Finally, a real chance to redeem her reputation! Not just now, but for semesters to come. No doubt her good standing lay shattered by spiteful, vicious tongues, but even shattered reputations could be fixed under the right circumstances. Nopony could deny the staying power of a namesake. Future students of the Academy would never know why Miss Sterling Silver Spoon left Manehattan. No, they’d read her name every day until it became part of the vernacular. “Let’s all meet outside Silver Spoon after three,” they’d say, and know that this Silver Spoon had been a very important pony. Silver squealed and pulled on her new Prim Hemline parka, the price tags still swinging from the sleeve. “I’ve got to tell Di! She’ll be so excited!” The fluffy hood plopped over her eyes as she felt through her presents for the matching boots. Father flipped the hood back, amused. “You’ve got all day to visit, what’s the rush?” “Yeah, but there’s so much to do until then! The gala’s in just a week, and I don’t know if Diamond’s dresses fit the dress code. I know she got one last month from Carousel Boutique, but that’s a pageant dress, she can’t wear it twice. Besides, it’s not warm enough for winter in Manehattan.” Father looked at Mother. Mother hummed under her breath. “Then again, we’d be inside anyway, so it might not matter. But would our coats match?” She turned in a circle, double-checking the new coat’s colors. Neutral browns and blues went with most things, but young ladies could never be too sure. If nothing else, she could cross-reference some magazines or ask Miss Rarity. Pulling on her boots, Silver glanced over her shoulder to discover her mother frowning. “Not that I need to buy anything else. If this doesn’t match, something older will be fine.” “No, Brightness, it all goes together perfectly. We made sure of it.” Father’s smile turned gentle. Too gentle. Silver paused, the last boot in hoof. “What’s the matter?” Mother had the same expression. “Is something wrong?” “Silver Spoon…” Mother glanced aside, as if she’d find a better answer in the discarded wrapping paper. “Silver, dear, are you sure you want to invite Diamond Tiara to the Winter Gala?” “Of course!” Silver laughed, but the concern in her parents’ eyes made it stammer. “Who else would I bring?” After a long pause, Mother sighed, defeated. “I can’t say I know.” She rearranged herself, fluffing the robe’s collar. The smile returned, warmer. “Nevermind us, dear.” Father nodded. “I’m sure you’ll both have a wonderful time.” He took a swig of eggnog and patted Mother’s leg. “Go tell her the good news.” As it turned out, Diamond Tiara not only had a suitable dress and coat, but suitable shoes, vests, shawls, and hats, too. Any of them could have made an amazing ensemble, now it was just a matter of choosing. And navigating Diamond’s closet. They’d split up to cover more ground, calling to each other through the hangers and shelves in a fashionista’s version of Mareco Polo. “I think I’ve got it.” Diamond’s voice rose from the depths of the sweater section. “Okay, so I’m thinking if you wear that new powder blue dress, I can wear that ruffle gown I got for my birthday. The one with the satin collar. We’ll have, like, perfect synergy!” Silver Spoon weaved through a forest of hat racks, ears swiveling to catch Di’s position. She ducked under the shelves to take a shortcut through the hanging purses. “The emerald one?” “No, no, the seafoam one.” The glittering tiara bobbed over a sea of bearing reins and lacy saddles. “With the sequins.” Diamond’s head burst through the purses, the ruffle dress hanging from her mouth. “Ha! Found you first!” Silver Spoon giggled. “It’s your closet, of course you did.” “Pff, like that means anything.” Diamond slung the dress over her shoulder and made her way to the carpet path that led to the door. “Dad says he tried to find my locket in here one morning and he didn’t find his way out until sunset.” From the faraway recesses of the entrance, Mr. Rich moaned, “I almost starved to death! It was awful; I saw my life flash before my eyes. My life and boxes and boxes of shoes.” “Your dad’s silly.” Silver stood on her back legs and peered over the clothes racks. Mr. Rich waited by the open door, skimming a business magazine. When he spotted Diamond and Silver, he waved his tie to them as if they’d just returned from the war. Mrs. Rich paced behind him, pausing every few minutes to poke her pointy muzzle over Filthy Rich’s shoulder. She’d not stopped pacing since Silver showed off the tickets. A smile flickered at her husband’s joke, and she laughed a microscopic laugh. “Diamond? Did you find something?” Diamond Tiara held up the dress as high as she could. “Uh-huh!” “Proper language, Diamond.” She ventured a few steps into the closet to meet them. “Bring up the dress, I want to see it.” Diamond’s face shifted, biting back a huff. “…Yes, ma’am.” Filthy Rich nuzzled his wife’s shoulder. “I’m sure it’ll be fine, hon.” “Mm.” Mrs. Rich toyed with her necklace, frowning in Silver’s direction as they approached. Her tail twitched anxiously. “I still don’t like it, Fil. Not a bit. Manehattan’s nothing like Ponyville, you know.” “And it’s nothing like Canterlot, either.” Mrs. Rich nodded, though she didn’t seem too convinced. “We’ll be okay, ma’am,” said Silver Spoon. She patted Diamond’s shoulder. “I know West Manehattan like the back of my hoof and we’ll be with Brass Tacks. He’s the safest pony in Equestria.” As Diamond approached with the dress, Mrs. Rich watched Silver Spoon out of the corner of her eye. “I’m very sure he is.” She arched an eyebrow at the ruffle dress twinkling in the closet spotlights. “Is this it?” Soft, swirling taffeta rolls on the train and sleeves made the dress unfurl like waves upon the sea. A high neckline left it modest, and the sequins and ruffles kept it fun. Diamond straightened out the collar before handing it over. “It’s the one from my birthday, remember? I thought I could wear it with some earrings or a—” “Absolutely not. Too gaudy; you’ll look like a sparkly cabbage.” Mrs. Rich scanned the lines of clothes and depths of the closet. She clicked her tongue. “Shouldn’t wear an old dress, anyway. We’ll find a proper outfit in Canterlot.” “But I really liked—” “We can’t commission a new one on such short notice, so we’ll have to make do with what we can find.” She frowned at Silver as if that was her fault. “Get your coat, Diamond, and don’t dawdle.” Mrs. Rich checked her watch. “We can make the next train if you hurry.” Mr. Rich blinked. “What, now?” “Of course now, Fil. The party’s in five days, she’s leaving in three, and the stores close at sunset.” Diamond Tiara grabbed a puffy jacket and zipped it halfway. “Can Silver Spoon come with us? I want her to see the new dress so I know we’ll have synergy.” She glanced at Silver. “Maybe if you run back to your house really fast, you can get your dress so the clerks know what to look for.” But Mrs. Rich shook her head. “Silver can come along next time. Hurry and find your boots.” “Yes, ma’am.” “Let’s step lively, ladies!” Brass Tacks’ voice carried over the overlap of Manehattan’s train whistles and chugging engines. “We’re expected to check in at Manefair Hotel by noon.” Nopony had to tell Silver Spoon twice. She jumped the last step of the train, weaving through wayfarers’ hooves and luggage, flicking her ears at the old, familiar song of Grand Stable Station. A busker’s clarinet echoed through the century-old train tunnels. A menagerie of accents threaded all about her, one conversation melting into the other. Somepony from Hooflyn needed a new passport. An anxious mare from Trotten Island worried the long lines could make her miss the train. A trio of south-side foals begged for more ice cream while a company of Broncs stallions debated Wonderbolt stats. An indignant filly from Ponyville struggled to fight through the crowds. “Hey! Watch the coat, it’s dry-clean only!” Diamond held her saddlebag close, trying to duck through the crowds and trot at the same time as she caught up to Silver Spoon. “When he said ‘lively’, I’m pretty sure he didn’t mean ‘take off like a maniac’.” “Indeed, I did not. Do try to stay close, Miss Silver.” Brass Tacks frowned beside a stack of levitating luggage. He did his best to stay firm against Silver’s excited prancing. “We’ll see more of the city soon enough.” Silver Spoon stepped back into the Manehattan air with a contented sigh. The wind snatched at her mane, carrying along scents of smoke and metal, carrot dogs and old brick, axle oils and perfumes. The greatest city in the world hadn’t changed a bit: a grand and dynamic metropolis always alive with energy, yet comfortably stable. If Manehattan could be called chaos, then it was an ordered chaos. The clang of construction and the clatter of wheels beat a steady rhythm. A pony just had to follow the beat and the city spread wide for them. Dozens of neighborhoods meshed together with endless ponies, with everypony in their place. As the cab driver loaded their luggage and made small talk with Brass Tacks, Silver watched pedestrians cross traffic. The trained eye always knew the difference between ponies that walked because they wanted to and those who walked because they had to. Strangely, none of this magnificence seemed to impress Diamond Tiara at all. She stayed close to Tacks until they climbed into the cab. As they moved down 29th Street, she glanced at a tower or two, but never marveled at them. She didn’t notice the variety of well-dressed ponies or complain about the heavy traffic. Now that Silver thought about it, Diamond didn’t say much through the train ride, either. Probably just tired, or maybe she’d seen all this before. “Is this your first time here?” Silver pulled out a map of landmarks, ready to mark some off. “We’ve only got a couple days before the gala, so I don’t want to show you places you’ve already been. We could check out historical landmarks or the boutiques or—oh! The old neighborhood!” The cab turned on 24th Street just in time for Silver to see the penthouse rooftops sail over tourist shops. She wondered if any of her friends were home. “Tacks, you sent out the telegrams, right? They know we’re coming early?” Brass Tacks nodded behind his newspaper. Diamond Tiara lifted her head. She’d been staring at a Bridleway ad pasted to the back window. “You say something? I wasn’t listening.” “I asked if you’d been here before,” said Silver. Diamond tilted her tiara with a dismissive flick of the mane. “Naturally. Dad takes me down here all the time when he has business trips. He gave me a tour of Stall Street.” She looked at the Bridleway flyer again. Apparently, a new musical had opened last week: Hinny of the Hills. A play about a half-donkey didn’t sound engrossing, and musicals were opera’s half-baked cousin, but it couldn’t hurt to try. Silver nodded to the flyer. “You interested?” “Maybe.” Diamond shrugged. “Not really. Hey, the party’s at your old school, right? How is it?” “The gala?” “The school.” A question so absurd, Silver had to laugh. “It’s only the best school in the city. Probably the best in Equestria if you don’t care about learning magic. Only the best fillies even get through the gates.” Except maybe the scholarship students, but who cares about scholarship students, anyway? “Mother said that, too.” Diamond sighed and nudged her suitcase with her hoof. “Still don’t get why she couldn’t just let me pick out my own dress. Like, it’s my dress, you know?” She kicked the suitcase and flattened her ears. Silver didn’t know the correct response for that, so she offered a sympathetic shoulder pat. It seemed to suffice. In the seven-story shadow of Madame Wisteria’s Academy For Young Fillies, Diamond Tiara fluffed her scarf for warmth. The greatcoat couldn’t hold against the breeze, and she stepped through the gates shivering. Her eyes traced the frozen ivy snaking over the bricks, up and up and up. Windows glowed in scattershot squares of light. Every so often, the ghostly silhouette of a pony shifted behind them. Sightseeing hadn’t panned out, so Silver had decided to make up for it by arriving early to show Diamond the school grounds. Too early, perhaps. The clack of their shoes echoed in the quiet courtyard. Diamond pointed to a pair of shadows bent over a book. “I thought you said it’s still winter vacation here.” “Oh, it is,” said Silver Spoon. She tucked her braid under her cloche hat and hopped over the old crack in the walkway. “Fourth floor’s the library, so somepony must have come back early to study. Anyway, that’s Wisteria Hall, most of the regular classes are there—you know, literature, history, math, etiquette, that kind of stuff.” She nodded towards a rotund building to the left. “That’s Waterfire Gym. The dining hall’s in there, too.” An orange mare in sunglasses and a sport coat nodded back to them from the walkway. Coach Pacesetter stood too far away to greet, so Silver just smiled and waved. “She taught my tennis class.” Diamond pulled her coat tighter. Her jeweled slippers fidgeted in the snow, hooves likely as numb as Silver’s. Snow boots didn’t match gala dresses, but young ladies knew how to tough it out. “This is all just one school?” She stopped a moment to look over her shoulder, shrugged, and moved on. “Like, for little fillies and not like… a college or whatever?” “For the best little fillies. We’ve got upperclassmares too, but they have classes on the top floors, so we don’t really see each other.” In three more years, Silver would have joined them, dining in the senior lounge and waiting to lap up the prestige of graduation day. She sighed. Oh, well. Graduating in Miss Cheerilee’s class is just as good. Silver’s eyes lingered on Star Song Auditorium, home to orchestra performances, spelling bees, chess tournaments, class plays, and graduation ceremonies. I suppose. “Hey.” Diamond nudged Silver’s hoof and pointed. “Do you know her? I think she’s been watching us since we got here. It’s weird.” Several yards away, a sea-blue pegasus filly hovered over the hedge maze. Gems decorated the lavender up-do and gold filigree tipped her primary feathers. Under a white trench coat, a ball gown billowed at her hooves. “It’s Fair Weather!” Silver Spoon laughed and reared up to wave her old friend down. “She lived in my old building with me and Brights and we were all the best of friends. Oh, Di, you’ll love her! She knows everything about everypony, she’s so much fun. Fair! Over here!” Fair Weather’s earrings sparkled with a flick of the ear. She lifted higher into the air, up and over the auditorium without a glance back. Diamond Tiara twitched her tail. “Best of friends, huh?” “She probably didn’t see us.” “If you say so, Silvie. Is the other pegasus your friend too?” Other one? Silver looked down to see a full, fluffy yellow tail vanishing into the hedge maze. Silver frowned. Unless she’d finally discovered what variety meant (fat chance), only one filly at Wisteria had that tail style with that color. “That’s strange. Since when does Fair Weather hang out with Toplofty?” An old, familiar voice spoke up behind them, gentle and mumbling. “Uh, since last summer, I think.” Diamond Tiara searched for the voice, only to discover a pair of massive stallions walking towards them. Both unicorns towered over her in dark grey suits, their eyes hidden behind shiny sunglasses. They’d likely teleported here. A pale green filly ventured out from behind their fetlocks. Two gold streaks cut through her forest green mane, styled into smooth, round bob. Reliable as the moonrise, the black combination lock on her flank was the only new thing about her. “Welcome back, Silver Spoon.” Silver met her with a light shoulder hug. “Good to be back, Wondermint.” She smiled up at the unicorns. “Hi, boys.” The bodyguards nodded in tandem. Wondermint leaned into the hug and smiled, though it seemed dimmer than Silver remembered. “I really missed you, Silver.” She peered over Silver’s shoulder warily. “Uh, Brass Tacks is with you, right? I hope you didn’t come here by yourself.” “He’s by the fountains, not too far.” Silver rolled her eyes at her old friend’s frown. “Wonder, come on. Nopony’s going to kidnap us in the middle of campus.” “Hmph, that’s just what criminals want you to think.” Wondermint stepped back to investigate Diamond Tiara, golden eyes on watch for mussed fur, questionable accents, or any other signs of thuggery. “So… who’s this?” The quiet, pensive pink filly who’d kept to herself and trailed behind Silver Spoon the past two days vanished with a lift of the head. Like a magician’s trick, the veils of her hair swept back to reveal the prestigious Diamond Tiara: back and bold and better than ever. She stepped forward and held out her hoof. “The name’s Diamond Dazzle Tiara, great to meet you. My daddy’s the president and CEO of Barnyard Bargains.” Wondermint’s gold-shod hoof gingerly shook Diamond’s sparkling slipper. She waited for Diamond to initiate the rest of the introduction. When Diamond didn’t say anything else, Wonder took back her hoof and said, “Good afternoon, Diamond Tiara. I’m Wondermint.” She gave Silver Spoon a wary look. “Of the East Manehattan Mints.” “Her mom runs the Equestrian National Bank.” Silver smiled and slung a hoof around Diamond’s withers to prove she was safe. “Wonder’s got more money than half of Canterlot, probably. Richest filly in Equestria, right?” “Yes. I think the only foal with more is a colt in Canterlot, by a few hundred bits.” She shrugged. “Mama says we’ll be tied by next year.” Diamond lifted her eyebrows with a smirk, intrigued but not overly impressed. “Huh. Not half bad.” “Heh, yes. We do alright.” Warmth came back into Wondermint’s smile. Her stance relaxed. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’ve heard of Barnyard Bargains. Is it a new investment, or…?” “We haven’t expanded very far yet, but Dad says we’ll have some in Fillydelphia and Hollow Shades by summer. It’s the oldest, biggest, and most successful business is all of Ponyville. Our family practically built the financial cornerstone of town.” Something clicked for Wondermint. She skimmed Diamond again. “Oh, how very interesting. Have you two seen the new building yet? Congratulations by the way, Silver Spoon. It’s beautiful.” Hairline cracks of pink sunset wriggled through the grey clouds. One by one, the lamps flickered to life. The white orbs hung from wrought iron poles, radiated a soft, comfortable heat. The gala couldn’t be more than twenty minutes away. “Not yet, no. I wanted to show Di Wisteria before the party started.” Silver squinted at the line of carriages lining up at the gate. Early arrivals trickled into the gardens, jewels and gowns winkling in the lamplight. She recognized Bankroll and Sand Dollar with Mr. Martingale, her old teacher. “Do you know when Prim and Brights are coming?” Wondermint laughed. “Knowing Brights, she got here two hours early to talk the wait staff into buying stocks.” Diamond Tiara stepped between Wondermint and Silver as they shared a giggle. “Shouldn’t we be heading in now? It looks like they’re starting.” As if to prove her point, a light piano melody drifted over the hedge maze. “Silver’s the Guest of Honor,” Wondermint reminded her. “She can’t come in until fifteen minutes after it starts, so everypony has time to show up. And it still doesn’t start for half an hour.” “Oh.” “Anyhow, I’ll see you two inside, okay? Stay safe, Silver.” “Yeah. You too, Wondermint.” Silver Spoon shuddered under a brisk January breeze. The lamps wouldn’t get to full warmth for a while. Maybe it’d be better to kill time touring the trophies in Waterfire Stadium. “Come on Di, I’ll show you my old tennis team’s trophy.” The Silver Spoon Ballroom locked in step with most of the other minor buildings dotting Wisteria’s campus: a marble and glass structure tucked into the willow trees and rose beds. It had small open patio in back and a tall, curved glass roof to let in the sun and stars, so the ferns and wisteria inside could grow. A cozy place ideal for tea parties and other little get-togethers, proud of its sensibility and comfortable in its station. A filly couldn’t ask for a better building. Silver had to wonder, as she admired the silver-framed plaque adorning the entryway, if Father requested a design suited just for her. “Tacks, take another picture before we go in, please.” The unicorn’s breath puffed in little white clouds with his chuckle. “Six aren’t enough?” “Seven’s a lucky number,” Diamond Tiara pointed out. Her dark purple ball gown didn’t match Silver’s ensemble at all, though the light blue ribbon tying the back—a last-minute addition from a Manehattan boutique—offered some semblance of unity. Parapets of rhinestones spiraled down the wide, flared skirt to match the jeweled slippers and sapphire choker. Armored in jewels and velvet and crinoline, Diamond seemed set to conquer The Grand Galloping Gala itself. Looking at her own powder blue gown and storm-grey stole, Silver couldn’t help but feel underdressed. Wisteria Academy favored simplicity, but a fancier pair of earrings couldn’t have hurt. She studied her reflection in the eye of the camera, searching for some tiny flaw she’d missed. Brass Tacks levitated his watch from his tuxedo’s breast pocket. “The hour strikes, young ladies. Shall I make your presence known?” Silver Spoon swallowed the niggling doubt in her throat and nodded. “Yes, please.” She followed Tacks to the entrance, huddling against the doorframe. Her ears fidgeted to catch whatever viperous gossip whispered behind the marble walls. Diamond flicked Silver’s hocks with her tail. “Nervous?” “Not really.” Silver shivered against the satin of her gown. “It’s not like anypony could say anything, even if they wanted to.” Celestia knows what a mess my reputation’s in by now. “I’m an honored guest; it’d be, like, way beyond rude.” Stop shaking, Silver. You’re perfectly safe. They can’t touch you. The doors creaked open and a bell rang. Twirling conversations hushed and the band fell silent. Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara stepped into foyer to meet Headmistress Avalonia and the ocean of staring eyes beyond her. From the depths of the crowd, Wondermint raised a glass. They can’t touch you. Silver Spoon let go of the breath she held and smiled. Headmistress Avalonia stepped to Silver’s side and cleared her throat. “Everypony, your attention, please. The Madame Wisteria Academy For Young Fillies is honored to present tonight’s esteemed and honored guest, without whom this night would not be possible.” Near the wall, a champagne filly curled upon a velvet cushion, her face hidden behind a lace fan—Palanquin, no doubt. She leaned over to whisper in Fair Weather's ear. Fair Weather nodded. Silver flicked her tail. Pony’s sake, Fair. Just cuddle up to Discord while you’re at it. “It is thanks to a generous set of donations from the Silver Family our school is bestowed this lovely ballroom.” Avalonia keenly ignored the whispers snaking through the crowd. “The Wisteria Academy’s Two Hundred and Fifteenth Annual Winter Gala is honored to welcome our very own Miss Sterling Silver Spoon to the grand opening of The Silver Spoon Ballroom.” Silver bowed her head and curtsied to waves of polite applause. Diamond Tiara gently cleared her throat. Headmistress Avalonia inclined her hoof. “And guest.” A twinge of some emotion crossed Diamond’s face, but vanished before Silver could spot it. Trotting her showmare’s trot, she kept to Silver’s shoulder as they cut through the crowd. Silver Spoon’s earrings jingled as her ears swiveled to filter through the familiar voices in search of the ones she liked best. No easy feat when somepony greeted you every two seconds. “Good evening, Silver Spoon.” “Good evening, Sand Dollar.” Silver waved to her and nodded to a cluster of passing scholarship students she didn’t know the names of. “Ah, Miss Silver! I hope you’ve been keeping up with your studies.” “Yes, Mr. Martingale.” Silver stepped back from one teacher and nearly ran smack into another. “Oh! My apologies, Miss Sugarcoat. Please excuse us; I think we’re being called.” She took Diamond’s hoof and pulled her past the chocolate fountain before the etiquette teacher could remark on their posture. A black pinstripe suit and a fiery yellow puffball of mane bobbed through the crowd, moving at a clip to meet them. The tip of a little brown horn poked through the coiffure. “Silver Spoon?” “Brights!” Silver laughed and spread her forelegs to meet the brown unicorn’s hug. “Ha, I knew it couldn’t be hard to find you.” Brights Brightly rolled her eyes towards her horn. “Yeah, it’s kind of obvious. Oh Silver, it feels like I haven’t seen you in twelve forevers!” She stepped away to look her over. “And you haven’t changed a bit. I mean, the cutie mark’s new, but that’s all. It’s for tea, right?” “Naturally.” Silver nodded towards the heart-shaped lantern on Brights’ flank, an exact match for her family’s company logo. “No prizes guessing what yours is for.” “Ha, nope!” Brights laughed, shaking her head. “Seriously, it’s like you never left, Silver. And to think, dumb old Palanquin said you’d gone country.” A filly with a deep raspberry coat stepped from the crowd, dressed in a simple black cocktail dress. Her pink mane spiraled upwards, held with little ruby hairpins. “’Quin just likes to hear herself talk, you know that.” Primrose Path didn’t offer Silver a hug, just a smile and a nod. “Evening, Silver. You know, just last week that old gossip tried to pass along this bogus thing about how you’d be walking here ‘cause you couldn’t afford to take the train. Of course, I was like, ‘Silver Spoon wouldn’t bother come all this way if she was broke’ but then she was like—oh hey, Wondermint.” Wondermint peeked over Primrose’s shoulder and smiled. Her bodyguards stood aloof in the corner. “Good evening, Silver Spoon. Hello again, Diamond, um…” “Tiara,” said Diamond Tiara. She turned her smile up to full brightness. “Oh yes, this is my plus-one, Diamond Tiara.” Silver gently nudged her into her circle of Wisteria friends. Primrose and Brights turned as one, blinking as if this had been the first time they’d seen her. They looked at each other, then back to Diamond and Silver. “Oh, hello.” Primrose Path cocked an eyebrow and side-eyed Wondermint, who shrugged. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Brights gripped Di’s hoof in a firm businessmare’s shake. “Evening, Diamond Tiara. Brights Brightly the Third, heiress to the Brights Brightly Corporation—we’re lighting up this whole campus right now, you know. Not to mention most of Manehattan, Applewood, Baltimare, and Las Pegasus.” She winked and slipped a business card in Diamond’s slipper. “Remember: Brights Brightly lights nightly!” Diamond stared at the card a moment, then smiled. “Wow, you really don’t waste any time, do you?” “Nope!” Brights’ smile was absolutely shameless. “My dad would like you. He’s the president and CEO of…” While Diamond exchanged the regular pleasantries, Wondermint nudged Silver’s withers. Her eyes gestured towards the left. Somewhere alarmingly nearby, a sweet, bubbly voice giggled. Silver’s ears shot up. Not five yards away, Toplofty watched with outstretched wings. Fair Weather and Palanquin flanked her. “Oh, stars.” Under her dress, the hair along Silver’s spine prickled. Through tremendous effort, Silver maintained her smile. Palanquin almost never got up from her pillow, and she never, ever bothered walking anywhere. Not unless Toplofty gave her a good reason. Wondermint shook her head when Silver tensed to move. “No use. Look.” A pack of Toplofty’s second-tier vultures skulked a respectful distance away. At least half the ponies here had three hooves in their own offshoot cliques and one hoof trying to carve a spot in Toplofty’s circle. No telling how many fillies stood between here and safety. “Sorry, Silver. Most of them got here before I did.” Silver’s eye darted to Diamond, still busy discussing Barnyard Bargains with Brights Brightly. “Any idea what her game is?” “None. I’ve barely seen her or Fair since Homecoming.” Wondermint nudged Brights, who nodded and kept on talking.  Primrose Path saw them, too. Her hooves fidgeted to run, but politeness dictated she make the next move. She gritted her teeth and held out her hoof. “So, Diamond, how do you know Silver Spoon?” Diamond Tiara wrapped a hoof around Silver’s shoulder and squeezed for dear life. “We’re friends.” Diamond might not have known the intricacies of a Wisterian ambush, but she certainly smelled blood in the water. “Oh, absolutely!” Silver squeezed back, keeping an eye out for an exit. “The best of friends! You know, my tea parties just wouldn’t be the same without her.”  “I don’t doubt it. Speaking of tea, why don’t we have some?” Primrose fluttered her eyelashes and stepped into Toplofty’s path. “It’s such a beautiful night, why don’t we all sit on the patio? I just want to visit the chocolate fountain first.” She swept back into the crowd. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon made a beeline for the patio, Wondermint and Brights Brightly flanking their sides. Behind them, Primrose Path’s voice perked in a delighted, “Hel-lo, Palanquin! How are you tonight? Oh, and Toplofty, are those new earrings?” The patio doors lay just ten feet away. Bless you, Prim. Fair Weather’s beaming face popped into their path. “Silver Spoon, hello!” Her wings spread wide—and rudely—to eat up most of the doorway. “I wondered where you’d stolen off to. How’s Ponyville?” “Lovely. Country air does wonders for the coat.” Silver ducked around her, nudging Diamond and Wondermint ahead.  Brights jostled Fair’s wing out of the way. “If you’ll excuse us, we’re having tea.” “Golly, what a crazy coincidence!” The crowd parted for Toplofty, who beamed wider and brighter than Pinkie Pie and Diamond Tiara on pageant day put together. Her yellow mane bounced on her shoulders as she skipped up to them. “We were just about to do the exact same thing!” Fair Weather nodded. “We sure were.” Palanquin finally appeared at Toplofty’s side, mouth pinched. She’d probably had to speedwalk to catch them. “Hello, Silver Spoon. It’s been a while.” “It has. Good evening, Palanquin, Toplofty.” Silver smiled evenly. “Fair Weather.” Fair Weather at least had the decency to look away. “We almost thought we’d missed you all.” Palanquin slid a green eye towards Primrose Path, who offered an I tried shrug by the punch bowl. “You’re ever so popular these days, Silver Spoon. However you manage to do it, I’ll never know. Evening, Brightly. Mints.” Brights Brightly, shouldered off to the sidelines, frowned. “’Quin.” Wondermint pressed close to Brights’ side and didn’t say anything at all. “Just in time to have tea with the guest of honor!” Toplofty wrapped one foreleg around Silver’s withers, the other around Diamond’s, and hugged. Her feathers mushed against Silver Spoon’s cheek. “Mm! How lucky are we, huh?” “…Yeah.” Diamond Tiara cast Silver a should-I-be-worried glance. “Who are you, again?” Toplofty blinked and pulled them all into a walk. She hadn’t had to introduce herself in years. “Ha! That’s what I get for getting ahead of myself.” She shrugged her lilac shoulders, giggling. “I’m Toplofty, of the East Manehattan Loftys.” Somepony opened the doors for them, and all six fillies stepped onto the patio. Somehow, it seemed more populated than it had been a few moments ago. Toplofty quickly found a table and offered Silver a seat. Silver let Diamond sit first before taking her own. “Thank you, Lofty.” She smiled. “You’re too kind.” “Aw, Silvs.” She slipped in next to Diamond, watching Wondermint quietly take the long way to the far side of the table. “You know I’d do anything for you. Us Wisterians have to look out for each other. Right, Minty?” Wondermint folded her hooves and blinked as her walls went up. She’d never mastered the art of verbal sparring, but her walls were nearly impenetrable. She’d stay quiet for the rest of teatime, if not the remainder of the party. Nothing safer than silence. Palanquin brushed snow off her hooves and curled next to Silver before Brights had a chance to sit. “It’s a lovely patio, isn’t it?” “Sure is.” Brights Brightly narrowed her eyes at fillies chatting around them, many of them the same familiar faces nipping at Toplofty’s heels not ten minutes ago. “It’s certainly a popular spot.” “I know, right?” Fair Weather swooped on the last seat, blinking back at the unicorn’s frown. “Oh no, I’m so sorry, Brights! You weren’t about to sit here, were you? I’ll get up.” Brights Brightly’s hackles rose, but she said the only thing she could. “Don’t trouble yourself. It’s alright.” She took a table nearby and called down a waiter for some steamed milk. While the waiter took Brights' order, Palanquin took the opportunity to ask for Earl Grey. Silver Spoon rolled her eyes. Leave it to Palanquin to choose the most uninspired tea ever. “My friend will have lemon and ginseng.” The waiter nodded. “And for you, Miss Silver?” “Surprise me.” Silver glanced at Diamond Tiara, who kept Toplofty occupied with weather small talk. The tip of Diamond’s tail swished thoughtfully, and she leaned forward with her hooves folded. She sat on guard and on watch, though perhaps unsure of what to watch for. Understandable; Lofty had that effect on ponies. For now, Di seemed alright. Meanwhile, other whisperings of the room buzzed in Silver’s ear: “—got some nerve…” “Can you imagine? She acts as if nothing’s happened at all.” “…didn’t even need another ballroom.” “My mom donates, but you don’t see me with a building. Like, she doesn’t even go here.” Silver flipped her tail and paid it no mind. Jealous naysayers came a dime a dozen, and half the smack fillies talked had no malice in it anyhow; talk for the sake of talk. Besides, even Silver Spoon couldn’t rebuild a reputation weathered by Palanquin’s tongue, not in one night and certainly not surrounded by Lofty’s dish lickers. Ladies pick their battles wisely. Silver nodded to her old tennis team, a few of them stopping to shake her hoof and deliver congratulations. Maybe I can’t fix it all, but I may not need to. After all, she still had allies where it mattered. That, plus a carefully maintained decorum, and she might still make it. Her eyes darted back to Palanquin, who flicked her fan open and pretended to study the skylight. Who even brings a fan in the middle of winter? “Admiring the architecture, ‘Quin?” “Mm, it’s a gorgeous building, Silver Spoon.” Palanquin idly stroked her auburn mane, smiling at the rafters. Her eyes slowly slid back to the table guests. “Why, it’s enough to… leave a pony bankrupt.” An unusually strong opening, but if Palanquin wanted to waste her big plays early on, Silver couldn’t complain. “Thank you. It’s one of the best presents a filly could receive. I’m sure you’ll have one of your own one of these days.” Silver shrugged and reached to take her tea. “Dean Avalonia would never leave you out. She thought to give your sister a fountain, after all.” She took a small sip: strong, simple black with a hint of lemon. Not bad. “A library wing, a plaque in the gym… I’m sure your mother will think to give you something.” Though of course, Wisteria policy maintained just one namesake for each family. But it was the thought that counted. Fair Weather popped an hors d’œuvre in her mouth. “So, you didn’t get your tickets until Hearth’s Warming, huh? Guess that explains why nopony got an RSVP from you ‘till the last minute.” Palanquin nodded. “Of course, there’s no knowing how long it took to get there. I expect the mail’s slower way out in the country, down in…” Her hoof twirled in the air, searching for the name. “’Quin, don’t be silly, you know it’s Ponyville,” said Toplofty. “Everypony knows Ponyville, right, er…?” Toplofty closed her pink eyes and hummed. “You know, I don’t think I got your name.” “Diamond Tiara, I think?” Fair Weather looked to Di for confirmation, then nodded. “Yes, that’s it.” Toplofty lifted her eyebrows. “Not the same Diamond Tiara whose father runs Barnyard Bargains?” Genuine and sweet, Lofty’s smile could have warmed a windigo’s heart. “Largest business in the whole town, right?” Silver Spoon narrowed her eyes. Lofty giggled. “What, I can’t read a business magazine now and then?” “Um… yeah.” With a jittering little laugh, Diamond’s shoulders slowly relaxed. “Yeah, I am—he does! Oldest and largest business in Ponyville since before the town got officially founded.” Impressed murmurs rolled across the table and into the crowd. “Huh!” Toplofty folded her hooves under her chin and leaned over the table. “I have to say, Diamond, that’s really impressive. I mean, if not for your address, I bet you’d totes make Wisteria material with those kinds of credentials.” Fair Weather nodded. “Such a posh little pony. It’s no wonder you’re Silver Spoon’s best friend.” Before Silver could try to derail, the pegasus turned to her with innocent eyes. “That’s right, isn’t it? You two are just the bestest of friends?” Silver Spoon stirred a bit of sugar in her tea, took a deep breath, and nodded. She didn’t trust herself to keep decorum if she spoke. “Inseparable from the start, too. Ponies like us, we’re just, like, drawn to each other, you know?” Diamond sipped her tea with a smile. A genuine one. “Oh, I don’t doubt it.” Toplofty’s voice lilted sweet, welcoming, and completely unreadable.  Silver’s stomach tied in a knot. If she could just sniff out the angle of attack, she might parry with a bit of gossip. If she knew any. Palanquin winked. “Only the best for our Silver Spoon.” Her eyes widened, wild with delight. “Goodness! Lofty, Fair, would you look at her tiara!” Laughter crept into her voice and poisoned every word. “Can you even believe it, ladies? A real, actual tiara, just like a princess!” Doubt crept into Diamond’s face. She flicked an ear and tried to pass it off with a chuckle. “Heh, I don’t know if I’d say—” “Oh no, but you are! Why, practically the princess of Ponyville. After all, you’re certainly dressed for it.” Toplofty’s wing played with the ruffles of Diamond’s sleeve. “Positively majestic,” said Palanquin. Fair spread her wings like Celestia on the five-bit coin. “Extravagant!” “Ooh and those slippers! Right out of a fairy tale, huh?” Toplofty shared a giggle with Palanquin. “You’d better watch out, Diamond Tiara. Luna might get jealous.” This is too easy. Silver frowned behind her teacup. It’s not even a fight. They’re just toying with her. Diamond Tiara folded her hooves in her lap, letting her curly bangs dangle in her face as needlepoints of laughter bit into her skin. Pain shot across her wide blue eyes, staring at Silver Spoon. And she knows it. Everypony knows it. All too late, her mistake lay in the Manehattan moonlight, clear as thin ice. Distracted by the delight of the new building and returning to her old haunts, Silver Spoon had forgotten the first thing she’d learned from the move: Manehattan is not Ponyville. After almost a full year of absence, she’d returned rusty and unarmed. No good gossip to parry with and no secrets to wield. Still, if Silver was out of practice, she still knew her backstroke in this ocean of privileged ponies. But Diamond… well, dogpaddling in small ponds just didn't cut it. “What’s the tiara made of, ‘princess’?” All pretense of sincerity dropped from Toplofty’s voice. “Platinum? Silver?” Palanquin hid her face behind her fan and stage whispered, “Tin and shot glass?” Fair Weather—the two-faced sycophant—didn’t even bother with tact and blew into full on laughter. Toplofty waved a hoof. “Oh, ‘Quin, be nice.” Diamond slugged back the last of her tea and looked up to face everypony at the table. Her eyes shone with the threat of tears, but her teeth clenched in a vicious snarl of a smile. “It’s made of diamonds,” she said. The teacup trembled in her hooves. “And steel.” Wondermint brushed her mane back and stared at the tablecloth. New money, old money, or no money, she knew a furious pony when she saw one. Gearing up for a counterattack, Diamond Tiara paused. Her ears swiveled to follow a passing cluster of scholarship students. She turned towards the ballroom, apparently struck by something, though looking into the throng of rental dresses and cheap shoes, Silver couldn’t say what. The bottom of Diamond's mouth trembled as if she might cry after all. “Uh, sorry, there’s something I have to… to look into.” She pushed out her chair, careful of the stiff crinoline. “I’ll be right back.” Palanquin watched Diamond bolt into the throng of partygoers and flicked her hair with a scoff. “Fifty bits says she won’t be.” Voices pitched up at the far edge of the patio in a gossipy tizzy. No doubt it’d travel back to them in a few minutes, whatever it was. Fair Weather sneered. “Eighty says she comes back in another trashy circus tent dress.” “Oh my gosh, Silver Spoon, she is just adorable! Funniest filly I’ve met since… well, I can’t even remember.” Toplofty dabbed a tear with her handkerchief, though she didn’t laugh hard enough for it. “There, you see, ‘Quin? I told you Silver Spoon’s not such a stick in the mud.” Fair Weather elbowed Palanquin’s side with a chuckle. “But didn’t I tell you guys? Didn’t I? No pony in Manehattan plays their cards as smooth as Silver does.” “Alright, so I’m wrong once in a while.” Palanquin rolled her eyes. “So sue me.” Silver Spoon blinked. “Pardon?” She tried to keep an eye on Diamond through the window, but she’d gone behind a pillar. “Credit where it’s due, Miss Silver. Truly a brilliant move on your part.” Palanquin lifted her teacup high. “In a thousand years, I’d have never thought you capable of a Foxglove Maneuver.” She said it just loud enough to reach the surrounding tables. Brights Brighty’s ears shot straight up and she spun about in her chair. “Well…” Toplofty steepled her hooves and closed her eyes with a gentle little sigh, appreciating the night air. “Maybe you just don’t know Silver Spoon, ‘Quin." The tradition had as many aliases as it had schools. At Merrylegs East they called it a Pyrite Pass. The public schools knew it as The Cuckoo Shuffle. In Canterlot (rumored to originate there), they’d simply named it a Zirconia. Wisteria Academy always knew it as The Foxglove Maneuver. An ancient, but simple concept: invite a pony (usually some uppity scholarship student) as a joke and see how long it takes them to figure out everypony was laughing at them. Done right, the game could last the entire night, though Silver knew of only one pony who’d managed it. “Mmm, it reminds me of the good old days. I mean, there’s just nothing like a classic Foxglove.” Toplofty draped a hoof on Silver’s withers and tipped her head back to grin into Brights Brightly’s horrified face. “Is there, Brights?” And there it was. Silver frowned. I’ve got to give it to Lofty. The filly knows how to bait a trap. At Silver’s frown, Palanquin tilted her head. “You look a little troubled. Whatever’s the matter, Silver Spoon? You pulled it off beautifully.” Toplofty’s giggle sounded how being pinched felt. “Oh, she’s just a little sulky it wasn't perfect. Cheer up, Silver! Take pride in your victory—oh, unless…” She put her hooves to her mouth in faux-shock. “Unless it wasn’t?” Silver Spoon gritted her teeth behind a tight-lipped smile. Fair Weather gasped on cue. “No! You can’t mean a sincere invitation?” “Fair, what a thing to say! Nopony’s that desperate.” Lofty took Silver’s hooves in hers and pulled her in so close Silver smelled Lofty’s bilberry conditioner. “I know you’ve had your differences, but to imply she invited new money—” Palanquin snorted. “Ugh. Practically rolled off the mint. It’s even worse than a—hm?” She flicked her fan open and leaned back to hear the whisperings behind her. “Well!” The fan snapped shut. “It appears our very own Ponyville princess is getting chummy with the charity case.” “You mean Pot Luck?” Fair Weather struggled to see over the crowd. Silver rolled her eyes. “Yeah. Sure she is, ‘Quin.” New money or not, Diamond still had standards. “Uh, excuse me?” Glaring, Palanquin swung her fan towards the ballroom. “I am not a liar, Miss Silver Spoon.” “And kindly notice that I did not call you one, Miss Palanquin, but I’m sure you’ve simply misunderstood. There’s no reason for Diamond Tiara to associate with scholarship students.” Silver Spoon sat up in her seat to see for herself. Her face fell. Sweet Celestia in summertime. Silver felt her stomach sink into her shoes. That’s impossible. She’d been right. Diamond wasn’t talking to the scholarship student, but the mare accompanying her. Not in school colors or wearing an official flower, the mare couldn’t be a teacher, but a guest. Pot Luck’s guest. Silver Spoon couldn’t quite see the face, but she’d know that pink mane, golden coat, and streamlined dress suit anywhere. After all, she’d seen her on Diamond’s wall hundreds of times. In the foyer, Golden Glitter draped a hoof around Diamond Tiara’s withers and gave her daughter a squeeze. A chubby red pony in a nicer dress than she could afford—Pot Luck, most likely—smiled next to them while excited scholarship fillies and bored gossips watched from the sidelines. Fair Weather sucked her teeth. “I bet Pots is blabbing on about that stupid play. Again.” Normally, that would be Toplofty’s cue to giggle and chide Fair for not appreciating a schoolmate’s accomplishments, but she’d grown quiet. Thoughtful. Dangerous. “Oh, is she in a play?” Silver Spoon dove for the change of subject and gripped it tight. If she could get Fair Weather on a tangential rant, she’d fly the conversation clear to Mustangia. “Like, for the school pageant, or…?” “Bridleway,” Fair Weather sneered. Her feathers ruffled the fine silk of her dress. “Got in by the skin of her teeth, I bet. Whatever, you know it’s just gonna close in like, two weeks or something.” “Have the reviews come out?” Silver fluttered her eyelashes and didn’t dare look away from Fair and her fascinating opinions. “What’s it called?” Fair Weather said that she couldn’t recall. More like she never bothered to learn it. “I think the critics liked it, last I heard.” Palanquin thought on it, tapping her fan against her hoof. “It’s… um, Something… on the Hill?” Silver thought back to the flier in the cab. “Hinny of the Hills?” “I guess,” said Palanquin. “She would be in a play about a half-donkey.” Fair Weather lifted a wing as if ready to clap somepony over the head. “Ugh, and she acts like she’s so much better now! I mean, where does she even get off?” Toplofty shifted in her chair, ears struggling to hear the rumbles of gossip over Fair’s steadily rising voice. “Like, you know she actually spoke to Bankroll in the hall the other week, right? Right in the hall in front of everypony and out of nowhere!” Got her. “No!” gasped Silver Spoon. “I don’t believe it.” “Oh, you’d better believe it, Miss Silver! I flew right on by and saw the whole thing with my own eyes—of course, you know I’ve got eyes like an owl, Silver—and I am telling you, that arrogant little toad just skipped up to Bankroll all like, ‘Do you know if the economics project is due this week?’ like it was nothing. Oh, poor Bankroll, I just thought she’d die. What is Wisteria coming to, girls? I don’t know where ponies get off these days, I really don’t.” “Fair, you can’t let fillies get to you this way. Look, your feathers are all in a fluff now. Besides, it’s a good thing our little Pot Luck’s successful.” Toplofty lifted an eyebrow at Silver Spoon with a wry nice-try grin. “Why, she’s doing so well she even brought her agent for a plus-one.” Her grin swelled at Silver’s furious stare. “Oh. Speaking of which, isn’t that your plus-one hugging hers, Silver Spoon?” “Oh, I, um… can’t see from this angle.” Silver looked away and fiddled with her glasses frames. A small gesture, but more than enough for Toplofty. The filly watched her for a moment, just to be sure. “You brought her for real, didn’t you?” Toplofty’s whisper trembled with absolute delight. “Didn’t you?” Silver Spoon’s ears drooped and she averted her eyes to the window. Golden Glitter had her muzzle in Diamond’s ear. The two of them nodded and parted ways. Diamond had her confident trot back, but she moved slower, not with defeat but with purpose. A flock of fillies trailed her at a safe distance with Primrose Path at the front. “Ooh! Here she comes again,” said Fair Weather. “Looks like you owe me fifty bits, ‘Quin.” “Small price to pay.” Palanquin fished out a pouch of bits and slid it across the table. “I haven’t had this much fun since forever.” Silver Spoon couldn’t see Diamond’s face yet, but she already felt the hair on her spine stand up. A hurricane was coming. Something must have shown on her face, because Wondermint—after a moment of consideration—broke decorum and reached across the table to take Silver’s hoof. “It’ll be alright, Silver.” She offered one of her rare comforting smiles. “You made the best of your circumstances, that’s all anypony can ask.” Palanquin waved her fan in the air, as if flagging down a courier. “We’re over here. By the way, I just love your dress!” Hardly bothering to lower her voice, she turned to Fair Weather and added, “That is the ugliest dress I’ve ever seen in my entire life.” “Really, ‘Quin?” Diamond Tiara didn’t bother sitting. The red rims smoldering under her eyes matched her eyeshadow. Her concrete smile had a lazy curve to it. “Weird, you’d think a pony with so much money could afford a mirror.” She spoke with a smooth, serene lilt. Silver Spoon had never seen her so angry. “...Di?” Diamond gave her a slow, impassive blink. “Silver.” Silver touched her hoof under the table, staring up at her. Diamond, please. Whatever it is, don’t do it. Diamond’s tongue ran along the edge of her teeth. Her gaze bounced from pony to pony, resting a long moment on Toplofty, who waved at her. She glanced back at Silver Spoon’s expression, gritted her teeth, and sighed. Diamond let the sun come back to her face and patted Silver’s hoof back. “Silvie, you’ll never guess who I just ran into. My mom’s actually here! I don’t want to drag you from teatime, but she’s been dying to meet you.” Diamond pulled Silver’s chair out without letting go of her hoof. “You’ve got to come say hello.” “What a lovely idea, Diamond!” Silver gave Diamond’s hoof a thank-you squeeze. “I’d love to.” The game was over. It had been over since Diamond abandoned the table ten minutes ago. But Toplofty had never been a gracious winner. “Your mother, Diamond? But I thought you lived in Ponyville, what’s she doing all the way in Manehattan?” She twirled her hoof in her mane, the picture of innocent curiosity. “Is she a teacher?” “No, actually. She’s a talent agent.” Thunder rumbled in Diamond’s casual laugh. “Just got a Wisteria student on Bridleway.” Willing to drop it there, she pulled Silver from her chair and turned for the ballroom. “Ah!” said Toplofty. “So she’s the help.” Silver Spoon took one look at the brief flash of lightning in Diamond Tiara’s eyes and stepped back. A pony could only take so much.  “Hm. I guess you’re right, Toplofty. She is.” Diamond adjusted her steel tiara, idly investigating her reflection in the glossy flooring. “I don’t always see my mom as much as I’d like to, but I don’t think I need to tell you what that’s like, Lofty. After all…” Her gaze shot up and straight into Toplofty’s eyes. “Yours hasn’t been seen in three years. Oh, Hearth’s Warming just ended, didn’t it? Make that four.” The dull chatter around the patio collapsed into silence. So quiet Silver could hear a monocle plop into a champagne glass. Wisteria’s horde of ladder-climbers, dish lickers, gossips, haters, gawkers, and rivals; the beautiful old money, glittering new money and hopeful no money alike, watched and waited. Surely any moment now, Toplofty would laugh it off, lob an insult, or at least deny it. She didn’t. Toplofty’s glittered eyebrows pinched together. One wing drooped crooked and a couple of feathers fell to the floor. Her cheeks turned a furious shade of pink. Her mouth opened a little, but no sound came out, not even a gasp of outrage. For the first time in the six years Silver knew her, Toplofty—first and only daughter of a hotel mogul and a senator—frowned. Wondermint leaned over to Brights and whispered, “Is that true?” Brights Brightly surveyed the crowd and the growing rumbles of doubt. Every added second of silence eroded Toplofty’s reputation. “Doesn’t matter,” she said. “It is now.” Palanquin retreated behind her fan. Diamond Tiara idly twirled her mane and blinked at the crowd as if she’d just noticed them. “What? Don’t tell me you guys didn’t know that? Funny, all of Applewood does.” She shrugged and looked to Toplofty again. “Hey, don’t worry, Lofty. Like, it’s no big deal, right? I’m sure she’ll be back eventually. Not like Silk Stocking would just abandon you for some pretty chorus colt. I mean, that’d just leave the business in ruins.” Diamond pretended to think for a moment and clicked her tongue. “Wait, my mistake. That’s exactly what happened.” Silver shook her head. She had no words. All this time feeling terrible for bringing Diamond unarmed to a swordfight, and now she pulls a sledgehammer from her pocket. In the quiet of the patio, somepony laughed—a squeezed, hysterical little giggle of disbelief. After a moment, Silver Spoon realized it was coming from her. “Oh no, I’m sorry, I don’t…” She put a hoof to her mouth to suppress it, but it only made her laugh harder. Toplofty snapped her frazzled wings back with a snort. Her breath hissed through clenched teeth. “Oh, shut up, Silver Spoon! What, like you’ve got room to talk? You’re too broke to even afford Wisteria anymore because your father’s too stupid to track who handles his money. This building wouldn’t even exist if your grandfather hadn’t bailed him out.” Palanquin’s eyes stretched wide. Quietly, she eased into a chair on the far side of Toplofty. Fair Weather went aloft and slid into the anonymity of the crowd.  Silver touched her pearl necklace and looked at the ground. Of course she shouldn’t care about anything Toplofty said, but to hear it out loud and in the open… it hurt more than Silver expected. Ugly murmurs of disapproval rumbled through the crowd. Tongues tisked, heads shook, and absolutely nopony would look Lofty in the eye. Wondermint, Primrose, Brights, and everypony else within reach folded around Silver Spoon to offer consolations and apologies on Wisteria’s behalf. Realization dawned on Toplofty’s face. She assessed the room, measuring her chances of recovery. For a moment, it seemed like she’d double back and apologize. “I…” Diamond Tiara giggled. Toplofty swallowed hard, wrenching her hooves into the tablecloth. In a low, husky voice she hissed, “The only reason you’re both here is charity and pity, Silver Spoon. I hope you know that.” Palanquin peered over her fan. “That might be, Lofty, but at least Silver still remembers her manners.” She shut the fan with a sneer. “Not to mention her composure. Silver Spoon, that was completely uncalled for. I apologize.” “Insulting the guest of honor, and in her own building, too.” Diamond shook her head. “Just terrible. I mean, I’m just from little old Ponyville and even I know that. Come on, Silver, my mom’s waiting by the fountains.” The crowd parted before they even moved. A few reached out to offer their own little apologies as they passed. Brights gave Diamond another card on their way out. “Nice meeting you, Diamond Tiara. Have your dad wire mine sometime.” She gave Silver Spoon a little pat on the back. “Sorry Lofty’s such a nag, Silver.” Silver nodded to the room graciously. “It’s alright. We really did have a lovely time, otherwise.” “We sure did.” Diamond paused when they reached the door. “Oh, and tell Toplofty I loved her dress. Saw it on clearance last week in Canterlot.” The burst of winter air made Silver Spoon’s teeth chatter. “Diamond, what was that?” She said it more to herself than anything. “What? I didn’t do a thing. Toplofty’s the one who put her hoof in her mouth.” Diamond rolled her shoulders, trying not to shiver. “Technically, I don’t need to follow any of Wisteria’s rules. I’m just the tacky plus-one, remember? Besides, I didn’t break any of ‘em.” Diamond had a point. She hadn’t raised her voice or been rude at all. She’d made an unthinkably bold hit—any other pony than Toplofty and Silver might have called it cruel—but one well within legal boundaries. “No, I guess not,” said Silver Spoon. She looked over her shoulder at the warm light of her ballroom and wondered who’d fill the power vacuum. Palanquin couldn’t hold the roost alone, after all. I bet it’ll be Primrose Path. She’s craftier than Brights and bolder than Wondermint. Come to think of it, only returning to Ponyville held Silver back from taking the position herself. No doubt Fair Weather’ll just move back to her old spot. The blue pegasus silently flew a respectful distance behind them, waiting for a chance to kiss flank. Her gaudy gold feather tips jingled like a coin purse. Silver looked away before they made eye contact, but Fair Weather swooped in anyway. “Hey, you know I didn’t mean any of that, don’t you Silvs? I mean, you know how Lofty can be and when you were gone, what else was I supposed to do? That’s just how it works, you know? No hard feelings, right? I was never really against you, Silver Spoon, truly I wasn’t.” Fair Weather banked right, so that she fluttered just overhead. “Miss Tiara, who does your mane? It looks amazing.” “I know.” Diamond rolled her eyes, but didn’t bother shooing the pegasus off. “I just told the truth, Silver Spoon; nothing wrong with that. Honesty’s an Element of Harmony, you know.” She waited a few seconds before adding, “And it’s not like you were gonna do anything.” “Di, it—” With a cautious glance upwards, Silver moved in closer and lowered her voice. “It’s not like that, I… it’s just been a long time since Lofty jumped me so hard.” Or so well prepared. Silver scowled up at Fair’s pathetic face hovering above them. Easy guess who tipped her off. “Fair Weather, don’t you have someplace to be?” Fair Weather fluffed her feathers for warmth. She’d left so fast, she didn’t even get her coat. “Why would I, Silver Spoon? I haven’t seen you since you moved out. The penthouse is so boring these days and Wonder hardly talks to me anymore. I, uh...” Her ears drooped a little at Silver’s scowl. “How’s Ponyville? Is the country air as nice as they say?” Silver picked up the pace, but the tightness of her gown wouldn’t let her run. “Weather’s alright. But you know what the best thing about Ponyville is?” She fixed Fair Weather with a corrosive stare. “No panhandlers.” “Silver, I really didn’t mean—” “I know what you meant, Fair Weather.” Silver nodded to the fountains. “If you’ll excuse us, we’ve got places to be. Enjoy the rest of the gala.” Fair Weather drifted away without so much as a halfhearted farewell. A gust of air and a little sigh was the only sign she’d left at all. The fountains splashed up ahead, backlit by a soft, green light. Diamond ran ahead to meet the mare and filly sitting by the edge.  “A-ha, there they are! The fillies of the hour.” Golden Glitter snapped her pocket mirror shut and stepped up to meet them. Pot Luck hid behind her and gave a little wave. The mare had cheekbones sharp enough to cut gems and the brightest teeth Silver had ever seen. A pony couldn’t quite guess her age under all the makeup and the moussed power hair, but she looked a little younger than Mr. Rich (and much younger than Di’s stepmother). A little pair of green sunglasses rested on her nose despite it being well after dark. Golden Glitter was a patchwork of locales: Applewood smile, hungry Manehattan posture, Trottingham fashion, and an accent that twisted somewhere between east-Fillydelphia and Canterlot. If somepony told Silver that Golden Glitter came from Ponyville, she’d have never believed it. Never. Silver Spoon curtsied. “Good evening, Miss Golden.” “Shush, Miss Golden is my mother.” She bent to shake Silver’s hoof, lowering her little green sunglasses to wink at her. She smelled of new carriages and hollyhock perfume. “Call me Goldie, hon.” That didn’t seem like a proper way to address an adult, but Silver nodded anyway. She nodded to the red filly behind her. “I assume you already know my client?” “Of course, we go way back.” Silver had barely known what the kid looked like until tonight. “Evening, Pot Luck.” The scholarship student blinked, confused. It might have been the first time somepony in Silver’s class ever really talked to her. “Good evening, Miss Silver.” She bit her lip, struggling to remember the proper greeting for special guests. “Um, it’s… an honor to…” Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes. “We’re off the clock, kid. Relax.” Pot Luck looked to Silver to be sure. When Silver nodded, she sighed and smiled. “Okay, good. You got a killer ballroom, Silver. Toola Roola an’ I really dig it.” Silver hardly understood half of that. “Um, thank you.” “Yes, congratulations, hon.” Golden Glitter smoothed out the frills on Diamond’s collar and readjusted the tiara. “I’d like to get Diamond’s name on a sign one of these days.” The Applewood smile strained under a flat chuckle. “Of course, it might have happened already if Filthy hadn’t chained her to that podunk little—” “Mom?” Diamond’s ears gave a nervous little twitch. “No Dad talk, remember? You promised.” “Just thinking out loud, princess.” Golden peered over her sunglasses, watching Fair Weather retreat into the ballroom. “How’d you make out in the shark tank? You wow the judges?” Diamond puffed her chest. “Ten out of ten.” Golden Glitter kissed the top of Di’s head. “That’s my champion! But no slacking off like that next time, okay? You can’t let ponies push you around that way.” She gave Di’s withers a little jostle. “No losers in this family, right?” “Right.” “Good. Oh, Silver Spoon?” Golden pointed to Brass Tacks, who’d followed at a gracious distance since Silver and Diamond left the ballroom. “That’s your escort, isn’t it?” “He is, ma—” Silver frowned. If Diamond’s mom didn’t want to be "miss", then she’d certainly not want to be “ma’am”. She just waved Tacks over so she wouldn’t have to finish the sentence. “Brass Tacks, this is Golden Glitter. She’s Diamond Tiara’s mom. …The other one.” The slender unicorn bowed his head, but never took his eyes off the mare. “A pleasure.” “Pleasure’s all mine.” Golden smiled at the assortment of fillies at her hooves. “Say, you’re all going to catch the train back to Ponyville soon, right?” “Late tomorrow, yes.” He frowned at Diamond’s grin, sensing an unexpected change in schedule. “Why?” “Why don’t you skip the train and let me give you a lift instead?” Before Brass Tacks could question it, Diamond popped up at his shoulder and practically screamed, “She’s got a blimp!” She bounced on her hooves and giggled. “It’s huge and it’s got its own pilot and we won’t have to deal with crowds and it’s, like, way faster!” Silver Spoon lifted her eyebrows. “A blimp? Like, an airship blimp?” “Technically,” Pot Luck said, “it’s the theater’s blimp. It’s for advertising.” “And what better way to advertise than to spread word across the kingdom? Plus, you get to arrive in style.” Golden smirked and pushed her glasses high on her nose. “Bet nopony else in Ponyville is rocking a blimp.” Little snowflake flurries drifted in the air as the group made their way off school grounds. The cab had already arrived. “I think Cherry Berry’s got a hot air balloon,” said Silver Spoon. “Though, I’m not sure that counts.” Diamond stuck her nose in the air. “It doesn’t.” Brass Tacks flicked his tail thoughtfully. “Mm. It’s safe, I trust?” “Oh, safest outside teleportation!” Golden Glitter put Toplofty’s grin to shame. Silver gently tugged her butler’s coattails. “Please, Tacks?” Outnumbered three to one and too tired to argue, Brass Tacks sighed. “I suppose it couldn’t do any harm. Though I expect Madam Perfect might become alarmed at the sight of an airship in the yard.” Golden pricked her ears. “Oh? You mean they didn’t come to…” She glanced at Silver Spoon and frowned. “Hmm, I guess they wouldn’t, would they?” The cab waited for them. Silver clutched her shawl, watching the tall gates of Wisteria Academy pass over her for certainly the last time. It didn’t hurt as bad as it did last year, at least. When she looked up again, she found Diamond’s mom watching her. “Yeah, I know. Back to Ponyville after all this? Just like going into a bathtub after swimming the ocean.” Golden patted Silver’s shoulder. “It’s rough, but I think you’ll get through it. I mean, you can’t go wrong when Diamond Tiara’s with you.” Diamond smiled at the praise, but her tail dragged as she climbed into the cab. “I don’t know. Ponyville’s not that bad.” “I didn’t say it was, princess. It’s just a bit… humbler.” Golden shrugged and popped her jacket collar. The snow had picked up. “I’ll see you all bright and early, alright?” “Okay, see you tomorrow, Mom.” Diamond scooted over to make room for Silver Spoon, who had to clutch the edges of her dress to keep the slush from the fabric. “Hey, Silvie, there’s something I’ve been wondering about.” Silver tugged the last of her dress safely inside before the valet closed the door on it. “Yes?” “That thing Toplofty said. About the money, I mean. Is that true?” Silver Spoon paused, one hoof still on the door as the cab lurched into motion. “Of course it is. I mean, we’re not, like, broke broke. We’ve still got more money than everypony in Ponyville besides you and maybe Twilight. But we used to be the fourth-richest family in Manehattan, and now…” She gestured to the cab roof overhead. “Oh.” Diamond let her back legs dangle off the seat and poked at a coffee cup somepony left behind. “Um. Sorry about that, I guess.” Silver flattened her ears, not at all in the mood to be made fun of. “Like you already didn’t know.” “I didn’t, Silver Spoon.” Diamond Tiara tilted her head with a perplexed little frown. “Why would I?” “I guess I don’t know.” Silver rested her back against the seat and wondered what time it was. It felt like they might have been out anywhere between two and twelve hours. She watched the bright lights of Manehattan’s nightlife skim across the window, smeared by snow and ice. “Doesn’t really matter now, anyway.”