> A Silver Life
>  by TheOneAJ
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> chapter 1. Arrival
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The countryside rolled by the window as Silver Spoon leaned against her first class train seat. It was a nice compartment, not the most luxurious she ever sat in, but that didn’t matter to her. Her mother and sister had just headed out to stretch their legs and get a bite to eat, leaving her alone to take in all that had happened to her; having to say goodbye to her friends, dealing with her parent’s divorce, and leaving Diamond Tiara on such horrible terms.  

It was a lot to take in and all things considered, she thought that she had handled it  in the most mature way an ten year old could. She didn’t know a lot of ponies who were going through what she was, but still...

She dug her right hoof into her seat and groaned. It wasn’t as if she did anything wrong when she sided with the CMC instead of Diamond Tiara, right? It was all Diamond Tiara’s fault for abandoning her. She had spent all summer trying to convince her to join them, and all that pink mule did was snuff her out at every turn. Then again, she did show up at the train station to say goodbye. That had to have meant something, right? 

She sighed and sank deeper into her compartment seat, only to have her head shoot up when she heard her older sister, Octavia, walked into the cabin. “I don’t suppose this seat is taken?”

Silver Spoon responded by placing her chin on the hoofrest, which someone translated to her sister as a yes because a moment later, she was sitting down next to her.

At first, the two sisters sat in their private train car in awkward silence, neither sure what to say. Silver Spoon was sure Octavia had a lot to ask after seeing her bucking book and her reaction to Diamond Tiara on the platform.

“So,” Octavia began, “I left mom in the club car. We took a few shots and I snuck away before she could notice.” She stroked her sister’s hair. “Did you order anything for lunch?” Silver Spoon pulled herself away from her sister’s hoof. “Do you want to talk about anything, anything at all before mother gets back?” Her question was met with more silence. “Come on, Spoony, you’ve been like an open book all summer, and now you clam up?”

Silver Spoon cringed at her sister’s poor choice of metaphors for their situation. She didn’t want to talk about it, but she didn’t feel right about leaving her sister hanging. After Octavia dropped herself off in Canterlot, she probably wouldn’t see her until Hearths Warming at best. The last thing she needed was to leave another pony she cared about on a sour note.

She looked up at her older sister. “Alright, Tavi.”

Octavia noogied her head as she playfully resisted. “Hey, only you and Vinyl get to call me that.”

Silver Spoon smiled. “Okay,” she said with a sigh, as she realized that she had to start taking. “So, where to begin?”

“How about with that plushy book I gave you that one Hearts Warming as a gag gift? The one that now seems to have a rather beat up picture of myself on the front. That seems like a good place to start.”

Silver Spoon scratched the back of her head. “Right, that. Um, I sorta kept it as a way to relieve stress.” She took a deep breath. “I was always jealous of you, how successful you are, how proud mom and dad are of you and how I always seemed to be stuck in the shadows. Then you gave me that plush book. I hated it because I knew you were just making fun of my Dyslexia.” Octavia’s face turned a bright red and lowered. “So instead of throwing it away, I kept it, put your picture on it, and beat the tar out of it whenever mom and dad were acting like mules.”

Octavia’s eyes widened. “Sister, such language.”

Silver Spoon’s ears fell flat. “I know, and I’m sorry. You were never supposed to see it.”

“Hey,” Octavia wrapped a hoof around her. Silver Spoon resisted for a moment, but decided to just give in to the hug. “I mean, I would hate me too from the sound of it.” She felt her sister squeeze her. “You know I didn’t have it any easier, right?”

Silver Spoon leaned into Octavia’s shoulders. “I know, it’s all you ever talked about all summer.”

“Hey, Octavia chuckled, “from what you’ve told me, you’ve had it easy.” She looked down at her own cutie mark.  “It was nothing but music lesson, after bucking lesson.”

Silver Spoon gasped. “Sister, such language.”

Octavia closed her eyes and laughed. “Well it was. I mean, I love performing, and I’m happy where I am now, don’t get me wrong. However, it was still a nightmare getting there. All the harsh lessons, all the judging eyes from my family to do great.” She rubbed her sister’s back. “At least you had the courage to stand up to them,” Octavia pointed at her sisters flank, “and follow your own path.”

Silver Spoon gazed down at her flank at her three silver spoon cutie marks that smiled back at her. “I suppose, but that doesn't  mean mom has been on board with my new decisions with wanting to be a teacher.”

Octavia rolled her eyes. “Sounds like mom alright.” She broke away from the hug. “Still, we mustn’t be too hard on her, she can have her good moments.”

Silver Spoon raised a hoof, then slowly lowered it. “I don’t know. I mean, I don’t hate her, or dad, but making me chose between them, what kind of parents do that?” 

“I don’t know, Spoony, I really don’t know.” She said as she looked out the window. Canterlot Mountain was closing in, and from the look of things the two had less than an hour together. “Enough about those things, do you have anything else on your mind?”

Silver Spoon placed a hoof to her chin. “Actually, I don’t suppose you know how to deal with friend problems?”

“That depends, which friend are we talking about?”

“Diamond Tiara.”

“Diamond Tiara. Diamond…” Octavia tapped her hoof before her eyes widened. “Ah yes, Suri’s younger sister.”

Silver Spoon’s ears perked up. “Suri? Oh.” Her ears fell flat. She had forgotten that Diamond Tiara did have an older sister. She had only ever met her a few times, and those were more than enough. “How do you know Diamond’s sister?”

“Well, we used to be friends when we were fillies.”

Silver Spoon’s head tilted. “Used?”

“Yeah, but then I met Vinyl in music college and we haven’t spoken a word since...” She noticed Silver Spoon’s pupils shrank. "But that was different.” Octavia quickly said. “I mean, I‘m sure if you really care about her, you two will come around.”

Silver Spoon let out a little sigh, but still held onto some of her breath. “So, what happened with you two then?”

“She acted like a bitch to my other friends, and I didn’t want to be around her if she couldn’t treat Vinyl with respect.” Octavia placed a hoof around her. “I’m sure you and Diamond won’t end up the same way. I mean, why don’t you tell me more about her?”

Silver Spoon nodded her head, and spent the next half hour doing so. She went over how they met, how they looked out for one another, how close they had been, and how they split up. She spoke about all the good, and bad things they did together. Even though she couldn’t make it sound like she wasn’t more or less a lackie, she did stress how she would keep Diamond Tiara from going too far with her cruelty towards other. Now, without her, she worried every moment about what would become of her.

As she neared the end of their backstory she looked up at her sister, who had a twinkle in her eyes. “What?"

“Oh, um,” Octavia scratched her chin, “its sounds like she still cares about you alright.”

“I don’t know, sis. I mean, it’s not like I left her, or chose my new friends over her. I even offered her to join us, but she just lifted her chin and walked away.” She leaned into her sister. “Oh, what have I done?”

“Well,” Octavia said as she rubbed her back, “for one, don’t you dare give up on your friend. I’ll admit, part of mine and Suri’s split up was my fault. Maybe I could have reached out to her more or something.” Octavia’s rub halted. “She’ll come around, best friends always do. At least, Vinyl and I do after we get into big fights.” Silver Spoon sighed, thinking back to Apple Bloom saying a similar thing. “Just keep writing to her every chance you get and you’ll be the best of friends again before you know it.”

Silver Spoon let out a relieved sigh. “Thanks, sis. Now I feel bad for always hating you.”

Octavia raised an eyebrow. “It’s called being a sister you know?” Silver Spoon chuckled. “But hey, if you need me, I’m always a letter away.”

She was just about to make herself comfortable, when the compartment door swung open.

“Oh, there you girls are,” their mother; Silver Platter, said as she stumbled into the cabin. “Octavia, why’d you run off?”

Octavia wiped her muzzle. “I just thought I’d spend some time with my little sister before we arrived at Canterlot.”

Silver Platter chuckled. “Oh, you girls have spent all summer together,” she got up and placed herself between the two girls. She wasn’t flat out drunk, but Silver Spoon could tell that she may of had a wine glass too many. “I mean,” she wrapped her arms around them, “you’re my babies after all.”

“Mom,” Silver Spoon pushed back, “you’re embarrassing me.”

Silver Platter hiccupped, and brought herself to her senses. “Sorry,” she sighed, “it’s just,” she drew Silver Spoon into a hug, “you don’t know how much I love you. Oh I’m so thankful you chose to me over that ruffian of a father.”

“Oh believe me,” Silver Spoon struggled to breath, “it wasn’t an easy choice.” If it wasn’t for how the residents had looked and avoided her after her cutie mark had changed, she wouldn’t have hesitated as much to stay with her father in Silver Manor with her friend, and Diamond Tiara.

“Come on, mom,” Octavia tugged, “you won’t do any good squeezing her to death.”

Silver Platter released Silver Spoon. “Yeah, I suppose you're right.”

The intercom began to buzz. “Now approaching, Canterlot station.”

The three Silvers looked at each other as Octavia cleared her throat. “Looks like my stop is coming up.” She got up to bring some of her suitcases down.

“You sure you can’t stay longer?” Silver Platter questioned, a pleading look in her eyes. “I don’t get to see you very often anymore.”

“I’m sorry, mother,” she said as she took a step forward. “But Vinyl and I got a show tomorrow night that will requires us both to be at the concert before-hand.”

Silver Plater huffed at the name, Vinyl. “You know, dear, I don’t know why you hang out with such a pony.” Silver Spoon could tell that her mother wanted to say more, but she wasn’t that drunk.

Octavia just sighed. “Mom, honestly, she’s one of my best friends. You’re never hard on Silver Spoon when she hangs out with her friends.”

“Yes.” Silver Platter looked down at her youngest daughter. “Although I don’t know why you traded up Suri, such a nice pony, for those ruffian commoners anyhow.”

“Mom!” Both girls said through their teeth.

Silver Platter winced. “Sorry.” She chuckled, “Look at me, trying to be the overbearing parent. Oh the times are advancing, the lines between rich and poor is blurring, and I bet you both hate me for that.”

Both mares glanced back and forth between each other nervously. “Don’t hide it,” she huffed, “I can’t, worry about what’s best for my girls?” she went on before either of them commented. “I suppose it doesn’t matter who you befriend,” she forcefully brought her girls in for a hug, “as long as you make me a proud grandmother one day.”

“Mother!” Silver Spoon’s mind still hadn’t quite reached that point yet. She might of already had her first period, but the thought of colts and husbands were still far too distant for her.

“Yes,” Octavia looking down at her hooves. “I’ll, get right on that.”

They felt the train slow down. “Canterlot station!” They heard the conductor shout.

“Well,” Octavia quickly organized her suitcase as crew members collated her other belongings. “It has been a wonderful time, but this is my stop.” She hugged her mother first. “Now you take care and try not to overbear Spoony, okay?”

“Oh, honey.” Silver Platter hugged back. “Don’t worry about me.”

Octavia nodded skeptically as she made her way over to Silver Spoon. “Now you take care of yourself too, sis. Don’t let this whole divorce thing get to you, or be too hard on mom and dad.”

She let out a fake grin. “I’ll try.” She couldn’t promise.

The sisters leaned in for a tight hug as Octavia whispered something important into her ear. “Don’t give up on your true friends, no matter what. And don’t let anything mom or dad might say about any of your friends, including Diamond Tiara, hold you back from them.”

Silver Spoon pulled back and gave her sister a confused stare. “Why would—”

Octavia held up a hoof, and looked back at their mother nervously. She then looked back at Silver Spoon, her expression saying, ‘not here.’ “Well,” she spoke, “you both take care, and write to me anytime.” She placed her cello case on her back and waved to her family. “I’ll see you both soon.” She then walked off the train.

Silver Spoon raced to the window to see her sister’s friend, Vinyl, welcoming her with a warm hug.

“Honestly,” her mother sighed. The train began to move again. “Still, as long as she is having a successful life, who am I to complain?” 

She leaned back into her seat, occasionally tapping her hooves together as they made their way down the mountain in silence.

Which was fine for Silver Spoon. She almost disliked it when her mother started talking. “So,” her mother began as she stood up and rubbed her front hooves together. “I just want you to know, Spoon, that I’m here for you, Silver Spoon. I know that I might have acted ‘a little unfair’ about all of this,” Silver Spoon tensed, “but I’m here for you now if there’s anything you would like to say.”

Oh, Silver Spoon had a lot to say, but decided that now might not be the best time to speak.

She sighed. Complaining about it wouldn’t help. All she could do was go forward, and make the best of things until she graduated. “No, mom, I’m looking forward to living in Manehattan with my aunt and cousin.”

“Oh wonderful.” Her mother clapped her hooves together. “Oh, you are just going to love the city. Oh, it is going to be the best, and you’ll make so many friends—”

She let her mother ramble on about all the wonderful things they would do in the city.

Truth be told, Silver Spoon was looking forward to living in Manehattan. She still wished that things could be different and that she didn’t have to leave her home and friends behind. However, she did have things to look forward to in the city.

She hopped to find more opportunities to explore her new destiny in teaching, among other things. Not that she couldn’t find any chances in Ponyville, it was just that the city might have more choices that would work well with her disability.

“Did you order anything for lunch?”

“Hun?” Her mother’s question brought her out of her daydream. “Oh, um,” she said as her stomach grumbled, “no. Guess now is as good of a time as any.” She picked up a menu.

“Are you sure you don’t need help reading that?”

Silver Spoon rolled her eyes. “Mom, it’s not like I can’t read.” 

A minute later, a waiter walked into the compartment. “What can I get for you two?”

“I’ll have some more champagne and some chesse,” Silver Platter ordered.

“And I’ll take the filly special.” Silver Spoon said.

The waiter raised one of his eyebrows. “The what now?”

Silver Spoon quickly glanced back at the menu. “I mean, the lily special,” she said with a toothy grin.

“Of course,” the waiter wrote it down and exited, leaving Silver Spoon alone with her mother.

It was an awkward moment of silence for a long time, broken when their orders arrived and they began to digest their orders. Even then, neither of them spoke until they were finished.

“You know, Spoon, I known now’s not the best time, but you do realize that it’s not going to be easy—if at all possible—to find a teaching job with your dyslexia?”

Weighing in her options, she chose to shake her head and let her mother rant on about all the trouble it would be for her to become a teacher and how she should do something fashion or high society related. 

After the twelfth time, she had learned how to tune her mother out and respond whenever necessary. Hopeful after a while, she would get use to her mother talking in contrast to any awkward silence between them. 

As her mother lectured her, she let her mind drift to another thing she had to look forward to in Manehattan; Babs, whom Apple Bloom promised would let her join their branch of the CMC, and her cousin, Decimal, whom she hadn’t seen since she was a small foal.

With her mother ranting on in the background, her mind began to wonder about all the fun things she would do with the two of them. As time went on though, she began to feel tired. The train wouldn’t arrive in the city until the next day, and it was starting to get dark outside. With no end in sight of her mother’s rant, her own eyes began to close on themselves...

*****

“Diamond,” Silver Spoon said as placed a hoof over her friend, “why are you crying?”

Diamond Tiara snapped her neck around. Her face was a mess, makeup smeared all over as if she was some sort of terrifying clown. She looked up at Silver Spoon as the makeup began melting off her face. Where Diamond Tiara’s face should have been, was the face of a disfigured monster.

“Why wound’t I?” It asked in a deep, dark voice. “My mother left me,” the pony in front of her began to grow, “my best friend left me, why should I care?”

Silver Spoon curled up into a small ball. “No, no! I didn’t leave you, I wanted us to still be friends. You left me!”

Flames spouted out of the Diamond Tiara’s mouth. “No! You were supposed to be mine, Silver.” She snorted out columns of smoke. “Now you will know how I feel!” A wall of fire shot towards her.

Silver Spoon screamed as the flames rushed towards her. She threw a hoof over her face, and braced for impact. When no pain came, she hesitantly lowered her hoof.

Staring aghast, the flames had circled around her in a vortex. When she reached out to touch them, they flew upwards where they put themselves out. Where the Diamond Tiara monster had been, a majestic figure began to drift down towards her. A black coated mare, twice as tall as her mother, with a mane that flowed with the stars of the night sky.

“Princess Luna?” Silver Spoon stared awestruck at the princess of the night. Then the realization came over her. “So, is this a dream?”

She remembered hearing about similar stories from Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. They each claimed to have been visited in their dreams by the princess; Sweetie Belle even claimed to have meet her in person after she had been visited in her dreams.

Needless to say, Silver Spoon hadn’t believed any of them.

“What do you think, child?” The alicorn asked with a mischievous smile.

It was a dream either way, so Silver Spoon shrugged it off. “Alright, if you are really here and I’m not dreaming you up or, something….” She rubbed her forehead. “Since when are dreams this confusing?” 

“Indeed,” Luna said, “dreams are not meant to make sense. They are meant to reflect our fears and troubles in the real world. That is why I have made it my duty, to visit the foals of my land whose dreams are causing them the most pain.”

“I have sensed your dreams growing restless all summer. I haven’t bothered you because of how my sister and I may have, pestered you.” Luna eyed Silver Spoon’s cutie mark. “However, your dreams have not been as bad as they have been the past two days either.”

Silver Spoon lowered her head. Ever since she received her new cutie mark, and lost Diamond Tiara as a friend, her dreams have been getting worse.

They started out infrequent, usually just a replay of her day on the bridge when she had gotten her new cutie mark. At worst, they would just end with her looking back at her friend, teary eyed, tired, and once diamond tiara had even jumped off the bridge.

The closer the summer came to an end, the worse and more frequent the dreams became. They hadn’t gotten to the point where she couldn’t sleep, but they were getting there.

The princess leaned down next to her. “Would you like to talk to me? I promise not to judge. I am only here to help.”

“Well,” Silver Spoon rolled her eyes, “I don’t know. I haven’t gotten over Diamond Tiara leaving me.”

Luna rolled her eyes around to the moving background. “Unless we’re not on a train, it would seem like you are the one leaving.”

Silver Spoon sighed. “I didn’t want to leave, even if it was my choice. Well, it’s not like I’m leaving her. I’m going to write to her as soon as I arrive in Manehattan.” She took off her glasses to clean them. “I don’t suppose you could help me figure out why she’s giving me the cold shoulder? Visit her in her own dreams or something?”

Luna rose up. “I do not know how to heal cold shoulders,” Silver Spoon slapped her temples, “or how to deal with a troubled relationship between friends. However, with my powers to see glimmers, no matter how limited, I can see that you and your friend will be together again. You will have many more challenges to face, many of which will leave you more hurt than you can imagine. Through it all though, you will grow into the mare you want to be. You will be an inspiration for others, guide them to their own destinies. Of course, I hope I didn’t just set you up as some sort of egotistical messiah figure.”

“Oh don’t worry, this is just a dream after all.”

Luna raised one her eyebrows. “You still don’t believe this is real?”

“Eh…”

Luna chuckled. “I suppose I wouldn’t think so if I was you either. However, a little something to ask me if we ever meet in life. Ask me how many apples I can balance on my rump. When I answer 16, will you believe me?”

Not seeing any harm in it, Silver Spoon nodded her head. “Sure thing, princess.” She bowed. “And while we’re at it, can you order me 100 gallons of ice-cream?”

“Done,” Luna said, “although, why not have it now?” As the princess vanished, Silver Spoon found herself on a raft in a river of ice-cream.

She dipped a hoof in the river and into her mouth. “Mhh, coconut.”
> Chapter 2. Decimal 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Silver Spoon,” she felt her mother rub her side as her eyes drifted open. “Wake up, we’re there.”

With a groan, she forced herself awake. She hadn’t wanted to wake up, but a new day was calling. Sure enough, once she placed her glasses onto her face, she could see the city of Manehattan rolling into view.

Silver Spoon moved up to the window. The city gleamed as it always did, the tall buildings scraped the sky as the smell of pizza and carrot dogs could be smelt from across the bridge. Although the thing that stood out the most to her as they crossed the Brooklyn bridge onto the island was the Statue of Liberty. The large green mare, that stood tall as she always did with her torch and book in hand. 

One day she would have to remember what was written on that book—something important she was sure—but for now, she had to worry about meeting her aunt.

*****

They passed through the Brooklyn Bridge, and into the heart of the city into the station, a half-an hour ahead of schedule.

It was a busy afternoon in Grand Central Station. The clock in the center of the station read 11:13. The smell of station food and the calls of vendors trying to sell their wares meet Silver Spoon before she even stepped off the train.

Once she got off the train, she was meet with the familiar traffic of ponies in a rush; bumping, pushing, and shoving her out of the way. She wasn’t in Ponyville anymore.

“Spoon, sweetie,” her mother called out, “don’t go too far, okay?”

“Silver Platter,” a white earth pony with golden mane and a silver coin cutie mark, walked up to the them. “It’s so good to see you again.” She placed a hoof around her sister.

“Silver Lining,” her mother said as she returned the hug. “It’s so good to be off of that train.”

Silver Lining broke the hug. “Yes, welcome to Manehattan. Please allow my servants to take your bags.” A team of pegasi and earth ponies descended onto their suitcases. “Oh,and, Silver Spoon,” her aunt embraced her, “look at you, you have grown.” She brought her in with one hoof. “I must say, I love the new cutie mark as well.”

“Oh um,” Silver Spoon swung her tail over her rear, “it’s nothing. Also, I’ve been trying to keep a low-key about it. If you know what I mean.”

Silver Lining chuckled. “Of course, dear. Still, you should always look on the bright side of things you know. There is always some good in everything.” She swung her hoof forward.

Silver Spoon grinned nervously at her aunt. She knew that her aunt could be a happy-go-lucky mare, maybe not to the point of Pinkie Pie, but it could still make you feel uneasy if you experienced too much of it. However, something seemed off about her aunt’s positivity; she didn’t feel positive. Silver Spoon couldn’t put a hoof on it, but it almost felt like her aunt was forcing on the smiles.

“Um, where’s Decimal?”She asked as she looked around that station. when she looked up at the adult mares, their glance towards one another and back to her brought chills to her stomach.

“Oh, don’t you worry about him, dear.” Her aunt patted her on the head. “You’ll meet him later tonight, and he’ll be on his best behavior.”

“Oh,” Silver Platter batted her eyelashes, “that’s wonderful.”

“Yes it it.” The adults went on to ignore Silver Spoon. “‘I’m  telling you, he has made vast improvements. Why, we could probably be out of special Ed by next semester.”

“Special Ed, what? Hey,” Silver Spoon said as she tapped their legs, “is there something I should know about him?” she certainly hadn’t known there would be anything wrong with him. He seemed like a normal baby when she and Diamond Tiara foalsat him as a baby. Had something bad happened to him between now and then?

It seemed like Silver Lining was just as confused as she was when she looked back at her mother. “Wait, didn’t you tell her?”

“I... did? Didn’t I?”

Silver Spoon shook her head “No, mother, you haven't'. So what is going on with my cousin that I don’t know about?”

Before anypony could answer, the station bells tolled five. “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you, honey, but let’s get moving. I’ll explain in the cab.”

“Alright,” Silver Spoon sighed as she followed her mother, eager for some answers.

*****
"Well,” Silver Platter said as she flipped on the lights to their condo, “here it is, home sweet home.”

Silver Spoon whistled as servant ponies moved past them. It looked more like a large hotel room more than anything else. The walls where crisp and clean, the furniture wasn’t wrinkled, a fresh vase of flowers had been placed in the center of the room, and not a speck of dust could be seen.

In fact, Silver Spoon almost felt a ping of guilt in her chest that all of their boxes would have to spoil such a pristine room.

“What do you think, Spoon?” 

Silver Spoon straightened her glasses. “Oh, it’s great, its great.” She said as she looked out her window and beheld; a perfect view of central park. Not ponyville, not Silver Manor, but it was a home.

Silver Platter clapped her hooves together, “Oh, I haven’t shown you your room yet.”

“Okay,” Silver Spoon said slowly, not that she was that surprised that her mother was sounding so excited about it. It had probably been stuffed with new toys and dresses to impress her.

Sure enough, as they walked into her new room, a pile of new toys had been laid around her bed as her few belongings from Ponyville were still being brought in. She hadn’t brought much, having anticipated her mother doing this, just some things that mattered the most to her.

“Oh,” Silver Platter made her way to the window as Silver Spoon’s bucking book was brought into the room. “Take a look at the view.”

The light blinded Silver Spoon for a moment, but when she put her hoof down, her mouth followed. 

She raced over to the window. “Wow,” was all she could say. Out looking her new balcony, was one of the most gorgeous views of the city. First it started with the changing color of leaves of Central Park, which stretched out to a Bridleway theatre. Beyond that, stretched the vast oceans and the Statue of Liberty.

Silver Platter raised her chest. “What do you think?”

“I...“ she pinched herself, not willing to fall for any selling out tricks that easily. If her mother thought that some new toys and a nice view would make up for putting her in the middle of a divorce, she had another thing coming.

Although that didn’t mean she had to hate the view just for it. “It is a nice view, mother.”

“I’m glad you think so,” she hooked a leg around her. Silver Spoon wanted to pull away, but chose just to lean into her today.

She would let her mother have this day, but from here on out, she wouldn’t give in too quickly to her mother’s candy. “Yes, mother, and I’m sure I will enjoy the city life.”

“Oh I am so glad to hear that,” Silver Platter stared out into the city, “because I have this friend who has a daughter—”  Silver Spoon never learned about her mother’s new ‘friend.’ For at that moment, a loud crash and scream could be heard from a room on their floor.

Silver Spoon’s neck turned to the direction of the sound. “What was that?” Her question was followed by a series of animal howls she had never heard before.

Silver Platter sighed and leaned towards her daughter. “I’m, sorry. I didn’t think it would be this bad.”

"Bad?” The realization hit Silver Spoon harder than Apple Bloom on the first day of their family history project. “Oh.” The screams must have belonged to her cousin, Decimal.

The cab ride over to the condo certainly hadn’t been a pleasant one. Even the sight of the city-which she had seen plenty of times anyways-hadn’t lightened up the mood once her mother and aunt had explained everything.

Apparently, her cousin was diagnosed with a new developmental disorder called, autism.  A rather new disease, at least one that had been diagnosed, had somehow avoided her attention all those years ago. Whether it had to do with her own problems, or nopony wanting to talk about it, this was the first time she had heard of her cousin’s condition.

She felt an urge to look more into it later, but according to the adults, autism was a form of mental retardation that wasn’t really full retardation. In which, the pony affected by it still had some motor and brain functions, but not much. Her mother, away from her aunt, had described it as a clock that only had a few working parts to it, as opposed to none.

Before she could ponder more on it, there was a knock on their door. “Be right back,” her mother unhooked from the hug and headed out the room.

Curious, Silver Spoon leaned against the door.

“Is everything alright?” she heard her mother ask.

“Of course,” she heard her aunt say in a weary voice, “Decimal is just having a fit about wearing a dinner outfit to your welcome meal.  Anyway, I just stopped by to ask if you wouldn’t mind if we bumped up dinner to an hour? I know it’s early, but I’m about to put him on some new medication and I can’t be sure how long they will be effective. So, if you wouldn’t mind?”

“Not at all, sister, we’ll be ready in less than half an hour.”

“Thank, sis, this is going to go perfectly, don’t you worry.”

“I’m sure they will.”

By the time they had finished, silver Spoon began to have her doubts about her and Decimal becoming the best of friend. Not that she wouldn’t try, but it didn’t sound like it was going to be easy anymore.

She backed off from the door as she heard her mother’s hoofsteps approach. 

“Well,” Silver Platter said as she entered her room, “our dinner plans with your aunt have been bumped up, so you better get ready. I know you’ll be on your best behavior, as always.” she turned to walk away. When Silver Spoons next words froze her in place.

“Mom, is everything alright?”

Her mother paused and kept her back towards her when she spoke. “Just be ready. I know that boy has matured since he was first diagnosed, but don’t be surprised by anything. Your aunt has put a lot of time into him, so the least we can do is act like he’s a regular colt even when he isn’t. do you understand?”

Silver Spoon blinked. “Yes, mother.” She promised. Although truth be told, she wasn’t sure what to make of any of this.

*****

“All set?” Silver Platter said as she rang the doorbell to Silver Lining’s condo.

“Yes, Mother.” Silver Spoon adjusted her dress frills. “I’m actually quite excited to see my cousin again.”

“I’m sure you are.” She said with a wide smile. “That is very nice of you. I’m sure you and Decimal will become the best of friends.”

“I’m sure of it too.” Silver Spoon grinned, ready for more or less everything. After living in a town where something came out of the everfree forest every other weekend, how bad could one autistic cousin be?

The door opened to reveal her aunt bouncing with enthusiasm. “Ah, sister, Silver Spoon, so glad you could come.” She stepped out of the way and held her hoof out to her home. “Come in, the first course is about to be served.”

They made their way into the condo. Nothing much stood out from their own, except for the photos on the wall and other various household objects in various places here and there. One of which was an action figure of Decimals (she assumed) that she almost stepped on.

The dining room had already been set up to serve only four ponies tonight, and the salad course had already been set on the table.

Silver Spoon looked around the empty dining room.“Where’s Decimal?” 

“He’s not...” Silver Lining glanced towards one of the plates. “Hold on a minute.” She walked off without any change in attitude.

Silver Spoon thought nothing of it, until she looked upon the salad. She had seen many fancy salads before, and had expected her aunt to go full out for their first meal in the city. Which was why she was confused at how plain the meal looked. 

There was lettuce and, just lettuce. When her mother wasn’t watching, she shifted through her meal to confirm it. Sure enough, there were no other ingredients; no croutons, no salad dressing, tomatoes, nothing but plain lettuce leaves.

“Come on now.” Her attention was drawn away from her plain dinner by her aunt’s voice. “Don’t you want to meet your aunt and cousin?” Her answer was met with a loud moan that sounded more animal than pony, followed by a young colt mentioning a movie.

“Yes, I’ll get you all the Star... what are they? Never mind, you can have all the toys you want if you behave tonight, okay?” There was a pause, another moan, followed by her aunt saying, “Alright, let’s go meet your family.” Silver Spoon glanced at her mother, who weakly smiled back, then looked down at her salad.

“Sorry about that,” her aunt walked into the hallway with a young colt dressed up in an overly priced suit. Her cousin, Decimal, was a light yellow, nearly brown, earth pony with a silver mane.

To Silver Spoon, he didn’t look anything at all in the way she would have thought somepony who was special, she forced herself not to think retarded, would be. He seemed a little thin for his age, but that was all that stood out about him. If she were to judge just on appearance, she would have considered him perfectly normal.

His mother, with a flick of her tail, pushed him towards her. “Decimal, you remember your cousin, Silver Spoon?” The colt remained expressionless while his head looked down at the floor. “Say hello.” 

Silver Lining gave him another swipe of her tail. “Decimal.”  She said through her teeth.

“Hello.” He could have said, ‘Fuck you,’ for all she knew. He kept his head down, voice above a whisper, and it caused her aunt to frown.

Silver Spoon acted fast and pretended that she had heard him. “Hello, cousin, it’s so nice to see you again.” She extended her hoof

Decimal remained silent, Silver Lining glared. “Your cousin complimented you. What do you say?”

“Okay,” he said, never meeting Silver Spoon’s eyes.

“Alright,” Silver Lining said in a rushed tone as she ushered him to his seat. “We’ve meet and introduced, so let’s eat!” 

Silver Spoon didn’t complain. She poked a leaf, and tried to make the best of her plain meal. She would have liked some dressing, or at least some carrots, but chose to keep her mouth shut about it as the parents went into some conversation about the divorce. She tuned it out to focus on her cousin.

"So, Decimal,” she grinned at him, “how have you been?” He continued to stare blankly at his salad. “I mean, I know you wouldn’t remember me, but I once foalsat for you when you were a baby. When was that, five, six years ago?”

He went from awkward silence to nibbling on a piece of lettuce.

“Okay,” Silver Spoon stabbed a piece of lettuce. “Is there anything you want to chat about?”  When he didn’t respond, she reached out a hoof to poke him to make sure that he had heard her.

She retracted her hoof when her aunt coughed loudly. “Hey, Silver Spoon, um, why don’t you tell us how your schooling is going?”

“Oh, it’s going great.” Silver Spoon nodded as she placed her hoof down. “In fact,” she said as she eyed her mother, “I was thinking about becoming a teacher.” Her mother raised an eyebrow at her. Which was fine with her, she even enjoyed it a bit.

All the while, she kept an eye on her cousin. He had moved on towards his drink, a cup of grape juice. Silver Spoon noticed she had the same drink. Feeling thirsty, she took a sip,and almost spat it out. 

It wasn’t awful, quite the contrary, it tasted bland. It had no flavor, good or bad, and she couldn’t help but gag.

“Sorry.” She said as she tried to hide up her gag reflex by placing a hoof over her mouth.

“Oh,” Silver Lining said, “I must have given you some of my son’s grape juice by mistake.” She waved to a servant.

“Oh, no,” Silver Spoon waved it off. More prepared for it, she took another sip of her juice. “It’s perfectly fine.” She said through a long breath.

Her response seemed to bring ease to her aunt. “Well, let me offer you another drink anyways.”

“Auntie, it’s fine.” She held her cup away from the advancing servant.

“It’s no problem, dear, I can get you anything you want.”

“No really, I’ll drink it.”

Her mother narrowed her eyes on her. “Silver Spoon.”

“Mom, I’m…” without realizing it, her drink flew out of her hooves and spilled all over her cousin’s shirt.

Before she could apologize, the colt screamed. Not a normal scream one could expect under  the circumstance, but a terrifying scream that didn’t sound like it belonged in this world. 

“Gahh,” he screamed in the unnatural voice as he jumped up from his seat and ripped his shirt off in a nearly perfect tear right down the middle.

Her aunt jumped up from her own seat. “Decimal!”

“I’m so sorry,” Silver Spoon shot up, napkin in hand and ready to help. “Here let me just—”

“No!” Her aunt shouted as Silver Spoon pressed her napkin to his coat.

The moment she did, something stirred inside of her cousin. At first, he froze up, the next, he screamed that unholy sound again, and then he swatted her in the face.

“Decimal,” Silver Lining said over her son's screams, “what did I tell you about hitting other ponies?”

Unharmed physically from his attack, Silver Spoon tried to say something, but was too stunned by her cousin’s actions. 

In his distress, Decimal threw himself onto the floor, covered his hooves to his ears,  rocked back and forth, and began to moan.

His mother, on the other hoof, was taking it even worse. “No, no, no!” She threw herself down, trying to pull him up as tears rolled down her eyes. “Those damn therapist, why don’t they fucking do something? Ah!” She screamed as Decimal spat and threw her off.

If it wasn’t for the horror of the situation, Silver Spoon would have been damned impressed for her cousin’s strengths. As it was, she was too mesmerized by what was going on to do anything but stare.

“Madam, are you alright?” a butler said as he raced past Silver Spoon.

When he tried to help her up, Silver Lining batted him away. “Um, yes,” she said as her face began to twitch. “Um, see to it that my son,” he began to run around the table screaming his head off, “is put to bed.” She glanced at her sister and niece. “Oh well,” she waved a hoof in the air as mascara ran down her face, “I guess Jr. here isn’t in the mood tonight.” She caught him as he came around, and used all her strength to keep him still until another set of hooves came around to keep him down.

"No, no!” He cried out as he banged his head against the table. “I hate you!”

“Haha, how silly, son?” Silver Lining said as her mussels bulged out from holding him down.

“Auntie,” Silver Spoon advanced. “Is there anything—”

“That will be all for tonight,” she placed her head onto her son’s, only to have him bite at her. She did a rather fine job of acting like she wasn’t in any pain.

Silver Platter advanced forward. “Sister...“

“JUST LEAVE!” Her voice rocked the house, even Decimal stopped whining for a moment.

Silver Spoon and Platter continued to stare at them, dumbfounded by the evening’s turn of events.

“Aunt Lining,” Silver Spoon broke the silence shortly after Decimal began to pick up the moaning. “If there is anything I can do to help, you can always call on me, if you want.”

Her aunt turned her head away. “It will be fine, James will show you out, now.” She and the butler picked Decimal up, and carried the struggling foal away, “goodnight.”

*****

Even though she was being shown out, Silver Spoon was far from calling it a night. For one thing it wasn’t even 6 O'clock yet, for another, her mind was trying to wrap itself around her cousin. What had happened since she last saw him? Was it something somepony said? Something somepony did? What was it? How did he go from such a normal looking and behaving colt to, that.

As they exited the condo, her mother seemed to read her mind. “I wish I had a clear answer for you, Darling. This whole damn thing has been having quite the emotional effect on your aunt.”

“But… but he,” she struggled to say as she thought back to him saying that he hated his own mother. even she wouldn’t have sunk that low. “How can anypony act that way?”

Her mother wrapped a hoof around her. “I don’t know, darling, I really don’t know. But,” her mother removed her hoof from her back, “there is nothing we can do about it. Your aunt has tried everything in her power.” She turned her back on Silver spoon. “Just don’t worry about it, okay?”

“But...”

Her mother put her hoof down. “Silver Spoon, I don’t want you to try anything because I don’t want to set you, or my sister, up for disappointment.” She sighed. “She has dozens of therapists and specialists on hoof. She’ll find a way to break through to him, I promise.”

Silver Spoon raised a hoof, but her mother’s gaze told her otherwise. Enough had happened today, she didn’t need a full on fight with her mother added to the list. “Alright, mother.”

Her mother scratched her ankle. “Right then, let’s go home. And don’t think I won’t talk about your little 'stunt' with the teaching thing later.”

Silver Spoon nodded, expecting as much, but not finding any satisfaction in any way about how the night had turned out, but with a new spark swelling up inside of her.

She didn’t know how, but she was going to find a way to help her cousin. Her mother hadn’t forced her to say please, and she was going to take full advantage of it. How she would do that was a good question, but that didn’t matter at the moment. She would do it, one way or another.

For now, she had an important letter to write when she got home.

*****

Silver Spoon sat on her new bed, with a freshly sharpened pencil and a blank piece of paper in front of her. After her first day in the city and all that had happened in a rather short time, she found herself lost for words.

That wasn’t true, she just didn’t know how best to write them. She thought about putting off her first letter to Diamond Tiara until morning, but decided to at least get a rough draft done before she went to bed.

If anything, this letter was intended to be more for herself rather than for Diamond Tiara. Between what her sister had told her, her aunt and autistic cousin, she felt sure that if she didn’t write any of this down that she would be getting another dream with Princess Luna (not that she didn’t mind the coconut ice-cream river part).

Still, after an hour of just lying on her bed thinking about what she was going to say, she forced herself to write something. She aligned her pencil in her teeth, brought it down to the paper, and wrote; 

Diamond Tiara,

So far, it has been a very eventful day. We just got all our boxes into our new apartment. You should come over to visit sometime soon. Is your father going to bring you on another business trip? Anyways, the view from our condo is pretty nice, you can see central Park from the window; you would love it. Also, remember my cousin, Decimal? I’m not sure if you do, we were young. Anyway, long story short, without meaning to sound rude, there’s something wrong with him. The parents want to call him, retarded, but I don’t know. He seems to have more qualities that points him in the direction of something called, autism. I’ll explain more llate when you reply. She put emphasis when she wrote down, reply. 
Long story short, I don’t believe he’s retarded, and I’m going to help him. If that wasn’t enough, my mom is still against me becoming a teacher because of my dyslexia, can you believe it? I mean, I sure could use some more ponies saying I can do it. 

She sighed, wondering if Diamond Tiara would reply to this letter. It wasn’t unlikely. There certainly wasn’t any point in thinking that she wouldn’t until the mail came. If it came to it, she would wait a year for a reply from her few Ponyville friends.

She continued. 

I wish I knew why you acted so cold towards me. Talk to me Diamond. I know that our friendship was set up by our parents, but I don’t want to lose you like your sister did with mine.

As always,

Your friend,

Silver Spoon.

Maybe she would come up with more in the morning, but that would do for now. She placed the letter to the side, pulled up her blanket, and looked up at her new pink ceiling. She groaned and flipped over. She’d get used to the all-too familiar color soon enough, or she would just paint over it.  Either way, she was determined to find a way.

> chapter 3. Babs
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Of all the things in the city to wake Silver Spoon up the next morning she was quite surprised that it was a dog.

One moment, she was swimming in a coconut ice-cream lake, the next a dog howling in the background brought her back into reality

“Gah,” she moaned as she looked towards the clock, realizing it was only nine o’clock. Sure, she would have to get up earlier for school in a week, but that didn’t mean she wanted to get up so early today. She stretched out her legs and brushed up against the letter she wrote last night.

“Right,” she told herself, “got to get that delivered.” So she got out of bed and carried her letter straight to her writing table. She looked over the letter again, wrote another one to Apple Bloom and the crusaders, and made her way out of her new room with a saddlebag full of bits just in case she felt like doing something once she downstairs to the lobby. 

Her mom was still asleep despite the noise, so she didn’t have to play a million questions just to get out the front door. But when she made her way out into the halls she stopped dead at a pair of arguing earth ponies several rooms over. She might have gone on, if one of those ponies hadn’t been her aunt.

“Your son has woken up half the building, again,” the opposing bleach earth pony said to her aunt. “When are you going to put him in a group home where he belongs?” They heard another howl coming from her aunt’s condo. Silver Spoon’s insides twisted when she realized what had woken her up.

“He’s getting better,” Silver Lining tried to make herself look taller. “He just needs—”

“A little more work, patience?” The white mare said as she towered over her. “How often have we heard that one before? So either you do something or else—”

“Or else what?” Silver Spoon said as she made her presence known. 

The white pony chuckled and looked down at her. “And who might you be?”

“She is my niece,” Silver Lining said stepping in between them. “And I suggest you get your ass out of this hallway before I start, oh, spreading rumors about you and certain janitorial ponies?”

Her opponent's eyes widened. “You wouldn’t. You would seriously ruin what little reputation you have left by spreading lies?”

“For my family, yes.” she said as she pointed to the elevator. “Now go.”

The white earth pony took a moment to consider, but did as she was told. But not before looking towards Silver Spoon. “If I were you, kid, I would talk to your aunt about putting that retard of hers into a nuthouse where he belongs.”

Her aunt stomped a hoof into the floor. “Leave!”

With that, the white pony left, but not before giving the pair one last look that said ‘this isn’t over.’ She then disappeared into the elevator.

“Sorry you had to see that, niece.”

“It’s fine,” Silver Spoon lied. “But, you don’t get that on a regular basis, do you?”

Her aunt didn’t respond right away. She took a moment looking away from her before speaking “It’s nothing you have to worry about, Spoon,” she said with a sigh. “You know how rich people can be. We get woken up too early, or if everything isn’t perfect, we set ourselves up to see that it is that way.”

Silver Spoon wished she couldn’t relate to that. “Well, say hi to Decimal for me and see you later.” She made her way to the elevator when her aunt stopped her.

“Where are you off too?”

“To mail a letter to a friend of mine.”

“Okay,” her aunt said with a smile, “have fun. Oh wait, Silver Spoon! Since you’re here, do you think you can do me a favor?”

“Sure thing,” she said without a second of hesitation. “What do you need?”

“Well, I’m taking you up on that offer you gave me last night about being there to help me out.” Silver Spoon titled her head as her aunt went on. “You see, Decimal has a therapy appointment tomorrow at ten in the morning. If I can’t take him, one of my servants do. However, they all have other things to do tomorrow and the only one who can get Decimal to his appointment has an important errand to run across town. Do you think you could be a dear and make sure he gets there and back again?”

A part of Silver Spoon wanted to protest. It felt like her aunt’s last visit all over again when she made her foalsit Decimal as a newborn foal. Then again, it would give her some one-on-one time with her cousin. Maybe learn more about him, see if she could find a way to help him like she swore to herself. Besides, unlike last time, which she enjoyed anyways, this time her aunt had asked her in advanced instead of throwing a foal onto her back. 

Also, she didn’t have anything else to do tomorrow anyways.

“Alright,” Silver Spoon answered, “what time do you want me over?”

Her aunt raced up to hug her. “Oh thank you, Silver Spoon. Thank you so much.” She released her. “Just stop by at 9 o’ clock. My butler, Waiter, will see you both to a cab.”

“Alright, auntie,” Silver Spoon said as she made her way over to the elevator, “I’ll see you later.”

“Goodbye,” her aunt waved with a smile as Silver Spoon stepped into the elevator. Her Smile dropped just as the door closed when another howl echoed throughout the floor.

*****

“Good morning, Ms. Silver.” The stallion at the front desk said to Silver Spoon

“Morning, sir.” Silver Spoon nodded back as she held up the letters to him. “Could you mail these for me?” 

“Sure thing, madam.” He nodded, and she made her way towards the door when it slammed into her and knocked her onto the ground.

“Oops,” Derpy said as she helped her up. “Sorry there… Oh, Silver Spoon,” she apologized as she smiled at her. “You're just the pony I was looking for.”

“Hi, Derpy.” She said back. “Wait, why were you looking for me of all ponies in this city?”

Out of all the ponies back in Ponyville who had treated her differently because of her changed cutie mark, Derpy had been one of the few ponies who hadn’t treated her any differently besides her friends. Not that most ponies had glared at her, which there were enough of, but she at least would give her an honest smile.

Perhaps it was because Derpy could relate with her own deformities with her eyes. Either way, Silver Spoon was glad that there were ponies in the world such as Derpy.

“Because,” she answered as she pulled some letters out of her saddle bag, “I have some first class letters to deliver to you from Ponyville from your friend Apple Bloom.” She handed Silver Spoon the letter, and pulled out a clipboard. “Sign here.”

“Okay,” Silver Spoon said as she pulled out a pen from her own bag to sign her receipt. “I can’t believe Apple Bloom would send a letter so soon.”

“Yeah, she said it was important you got it as soon as possible.” The mailmare placed the clipboard back into her saddlebag. “Now I can go tell her that you got it.”

Silver Spoon grinned. “Well, thank you, Derpy.” She began to open the letter when she realized something. “Oh, wait, Derpy! Can you hold on for just one second?”

“Of course. You got a letter for your friends back in Ponyville?”

“As a matter of fact, I do.” she raced over to the receptionist desk. “Can I have my letters back, please?”

“Sure thing, Ms. Silver.” He pulled them out.

“Thank you.” she raced back to Derpy with the letters, and a few bits. “Could you deliver these when you get back to Ponyville?”

“Sure thing, dear.” Derpy took the letters, but rejected the bits. “It’s no problem, it’s on me.”

“Oh, okay. But at least take a tip.” She tried to push some bits into Derpy’s saddlebag. Derpy tried to block Silver Spoon’s bits with her wings, but Silver Spoon won in the end when she said, “Please, Derpy, it’s the least I can do. You know, it’s still early in the morning? The bakeries are probably just pulling out fresh batches of warm, moist, muffins”

Derpy’s eyes widened. “Well...” she smiled ear-to-ear as she took the bits.“Who am I to turn down a gift from a friend.” She flapped her wings and rose into the air.  “See you around, Silver Spoon.”

“Goodbye!” Silver Spoon waved back to the long gone pegasus.  

With that settled, she opened up her letter;

Silver Spoon,

How are you? I hope you’re settling in well. Anyways, I hope this letter gets to you as soon as possible. Right after you left, I got a letter from Babs saying that, once you settled in, she would like to introduce you to the Cutie Mark Crusaders Manehattan branch before school starts at Playset Memorial Park, anywhere between 10 and 1 o'clock before school starts.

I hope things work out well for you,

Apple Bloom.


A short letter, but one she was glad to have read. She looked up at the lobby clock, 9:45. “Oh um, excuse me,” she asked the counter pony, “are there any letters for The Silver residence, condo 39?”

“Hang on one second,” he disappeared for a second, leaving silver Spoon to clap her heels together. “I’m sorry, but there’s nothing in your mailbox.”

Silver Spoon shrugged not that surprised. They had only been living in Manehattan for less than a day.  “Thank you though. Oh, and if anypony asks, let them know I’m heading out to central park’s Playset Memorial Playground for the afternoon to hang out with a friend.”

The counter pony nodded. “Of course, Ms. Silver.”

She thanked him and headed out into the city.

*****

She was not lost, because lost would imply that you didn’t know where you were. She knew that she was in central park, so she wasn’t lost. She was only lost in the sense of not knowing where Memorial Playset Park was, that was all.

“I swear, they need to label this place or something.” Looking up at one of the city clocks. she saw that it was nearly eleven and decided to ask the nearest pony for directions.

That pony, was a young adult pegasus in a trenchcoat leaning against a tree smoking a cigarette. 

Carefully, she walked up to him. “Excuse me,” she asked, “do you know how to get to Playset Memorial Playground?”

The yellow stallion looked down at her, blowing smoke rings out of his mouth. “That depends, kid, can you help me out?” 

Silver Spoon took a step back.

He chuckled. “Relax, I won’t ask for much,” he opened up the left side of his coat, “just a small sale and then you get your directions.” Silver Spoon got ready to bolt as she looked up at all of the drugs inside his coat.

“Well, I—”

“She’s not a customer, Drug, so back off.” With a sigh of relief, Silver Spoon turned around to see a familiar brown filly advancing upon the colt.

“Ah,” he said as he blew a smoke ring at her, “Babs Seed, trying to take my business are ya?”

She blew his next smoke ring right back at him. “Yeah, no, I didn’t join then, I ani’t doing anything for ya now. I’ve moved on.”

Drug laughed. “Oh yeah, moved on to helping retarded foals get their cutie marks. I bet that’s bringing in the bits.”

“I’d beat you up,” Babs threatened and then looked upon Silver Spoon, “but I don’t want to make a bad impression in front of my friend.”

Drug eyed Silver Spoon as she felt a shiver run down her spin. “Her? Yeah, I guess I can see you hanging out with her kind now.” 

“That’s enough,” Babs said as she reached into her saddle bag. Silver Spoon tensed while Drug reached into his own coat. Babs pulled out a bag of money and threw it at him. “Why don’t yah just give me the best ya got that these bits can buy and we just walk away before one of us does something he’ll regret.”

Drug shrugged as he examined the bag of bits. After a moment of counting he shrugged and threw one of the paper bags labeled, coke. 

“I know you too well, Babs, you’ll come back one day.”

“Fuck off,” she said as she placed the bag into her saddle bag. “Come on, Silver, let’s go.”

Without saying a word, she followed in step behind Babs, but not before taking one last look at the drug dealer named Drug.

“You know, kid,” he said to her, “we can always—”

“Think about it again, and I scream for the police.” Babs threatened.

Drug straightened himself up from the tree. “Whatever.” With that, he disappeared into the trees. 

“Sorry about that.” Babs said to her once he was gone. “Now, how about a hello or somethin,” she threw her hooves around. “Good ta see ya join the light side.”

“That what now?”

“You don’t…” babs blinked, “movie reference, I’ll explain later.”

“No I, I…” Silver Spoon wanted to say something nice to her for saving her life. Yet all that she could think of was; “Wait, you’re in a gang, you do drugs?”

To her relief, Babs laughed off her comment off. “of course not. Besides, even if I did anything to even help um, that was ancient history. Yet if your refering to my purchase,” she reached into her saddle bag and pulled out a paper bag.and proceeded to fling the bag and its content a good seven yards into the park. “Good throw.” She said to herself. “Nah,” she said to Silver Spoon, “I just buy once or twice to keep them on my good side. Don’t worry, they’re ancient history from my old school. Don’t you worry about it and lets focus on the present, okay?

Silver Spoon lowered her ears. “Okay. I’m Sorry, but thanks again for coming to my rescue.”

“Hey, it’s my fault. I guess I just assumed you wouldn't run into any trouble on your way to Playset park. This ain’t Ponyville yah know.”

She thought back to Drug. “I’m beginning to find out.”

“Relax,” Babs said as she placed a hoof over her. “Just stick with me, and you’ll never have a problem with one of them again. Now, how about we forget about that, and I show ya to the Cutie Mark Crusaders Manehattan summer clubhouse.”

“Summer clubhouse?”

“I’ll explain later. Come on, girl, times a wastin!”
> Chapter 4. The CMC of Manehatan
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So, here it is,” Babs said as she inflated her chest, “our summer headquarters.”

In the middle of Playset Park, sat a brightly colored, elevated, wooden clubhouse surrounded by three playgrounds, six individual slides, four swing sets, and a kid playing on-top of a monkey cage. This was the home of the Manehattan Cutie Mark Crusaders summer headquarters.

“It’s great,” Silver Spoon said with a raised eyebrow, “but why do you call it your summer headquarters?”

“Well, we actually have a real clubhouse that we can store our stuff in at school. But since this place is public property, we can only meet in it. On the bright side; we use it when we’re not in school.” They walked up to the clubhouse. “Hey, Lucky, Switch, we got a new member for ya ta meet.” 

Out of the clubhouse, popped a pair of foals’ heads, followed by their bodies.

“Hey, Babs,” the youngest of the two, a green colored filly with a yellow mane said. “Where have you been?”

"Staying out of trouble?” a red colt with a black mane asked.

“Course,” Babs said as she rubbed her neck. “I was just looking for Silver Spoon.”

“I thought your letter said she could show up on any day, so why would you be out looking for her?”

”Anyways, guys, I’d like ya ta meet her. This, is Silver Spoon.”

Silver Spoon waved. “Nice to meet you.” 

Babs walked up to the other ponies. “This here is Lucky,” she said as she patted the yellow filly on the back. “And this is Switch.” She said as she moved over to the red colt.

Before Silver Spoon could say anything, she noticed that Lucky was staring at her. And by stare, she meant Lucky looked at her in a way that made her rather uneasy. It didn’t help her nerves when Lucky walked up to her and began to ‘inspect her’ up close.. “Um... do I have something on my coat?”

“Just let her do her thing.” Babs whispered.

Silver Spoon shrugged, rather uncomfortably, and allowed Lucky to examine her. “Hum,” she finally said as she scratched her chin. “Yes, yes, a bit bruised up, but at least she’s not a Zorcgon.”

Silver Spoon’s eyes shot towards her. “A what now?”

“Hey,” Babs said, “a Zorcgon is nothing to write home about.” While she spoke, Silver Spoon could tell that Babs was having problems holding in her laughter. Still, she was pleased when Babs at least whispered to her that she would explain later.

“Yeah,” Switch said. Although the way he said it almost made her feel gloomy. Distracting herself from Lucky’s inspection, she began to take notice of switch’s lack of interest. “She does things that way.”

“Ah come on, Switch,” Lucky beamed, “let’s smile today.”

He shrugged and kept his head down. “Okay.”

As Silver Spoon’s skin crawled, Babs stepped in. “So, yeah, them my friends. Don’t worry, Silver, you’ll grow to love them.” The three friends put their hooves in, even Switch seemed to brighten up for a moment. “Cutie Mark Crusaders Manehattan.” They looked up towards Silver Spoon.

Silver Spoon scratched her chin, but then grinned and placed her hoof in. “So,” she asked as she placed her hoof down, “what exactly are we going to do today?”

“Today,” Babs explained, “seeing as you are our only member among us who has a cutie mark at the moment, we thought you could tell us what ta do ta get one.”

Silver Spoon took a step back. “Oh, well,” she said as she took another step back, “I, well… I’m not sure what to do really. I’m still getting the hang of this. Um… okay, um… how about we just have fun today and I’ll figure it out as we go, okay?”

Bab’s head lowered as she let out a toothy grin. “That sounds fine. So why don’t we head into the clubhouse and relax, guys? We can be Cutie Mark Crusader board game champions today.”

“Alright,” Lucky said with a smile.

“Yay,” Switch said without lifting up his head.

They made their way into the clubhouse, while Babs held Silver Spoon back with her hoof.

“I suppose you’ll want ta know what’s up with them?”

“... I wasn’t—”

Babs held her hoof up. “I know ya wouldn’t say that, but I know you would  think that, even uninitially. So it’s probably better if I told ya now.” Babs took in a deep breath. “To sum it up, Switch has something called, bipolar disorder. One day he can be gloomy like he is now, the next he’ll be bouncing all over the place. Just wait until he comes somewhere in between, that’s when he’s at his best.”

“And then there’s Lucky. She has something, not sure what, but it’s where she believes aliens from a fantasy world are invading and can have trouble telling fact from fiction. However, like Switch, she’s the best friend a pony could ask for. So just give them a chance and you'll come ta love um.”

“I’ll be honest,” Silver Spoon said as Babs lead her into the clubhouse, “last year, I would have thought they were weird. Today, after everything that has happened and learning that my cousin is autistic, they’re alright with me.” Which was true, even though she didn’t have a lot of other friend options at the moment, she felt loyal to this group of ponies that had taken her in. They weren't Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo or, Diamond Tiara, but she seemed to fit in quite well.

“Alright, crusaders,” Babs said as she placed herself in the center of the room. “Now, we’s only got's a week left before school starts up again. In that time, we need to come up with new ways to get our cutie marks. Now, with that being said, any suggestions?” The room remained quiet save for Silver Spoon’s tapping hooves.

“You got sumthin, Spoony?”

“What, no, I mean…” her eyes circled the three starring foals. “Well, I was thinking we could start with doing something you like to do.” She adjusted her glasses and straightened her posture. “I mean, my other friends’ cutie marks were of things they already liked to do, like scooter riding and singing. So, what do you guys like to do?” A lack of response sent chills down her spine.

“I don’t know,” Switch grumbled.

“Well,” Lucky placed a hoof to her chin, “is there anything Zorcgan related I can do.”

“Okay, yes,” Silver Spoon said snatching up her hoof at being given something to work with. “Yes, but, oh, are Zorcgon’s in some sort of book, or did you just make them up?”

Lucky glared and marched right up to her. “What, you think a Zorcgon invasion is some sort of joke?”

“Um, well… no. I was just wondering where you came up with the idea for them.” A second later and the punch just might of hit her square in the eyes. As it was, she was able to dodge Lucky’s blow and have Babs rush over to calm Lucky down.

“Hey, none of that now, either of you. We’s got enough enemies without us fighting among one another.” 

“But I wasn’t—” Silver Spoon was cut off by a quick glance from Babs. “Right. Sorry, Lucky, how foolish of me to think you just made Zorcgon’s up.”

Lucky switched from pissed to happy faster than a light bulb. “It’s okay. I mean, a lot of adults don’t believe me either.” Silver Spoon wondered why. “But it’s good that you do.” Before she could react, Lucky rushed up and hugged her.

For a moment, Silver Spoon wanted to run for it and make up some excuse as to why she didn’t want to hang out with Babs and her friends anymore because. There was no other way for her to put it; These ponies were weirdo's.

However, another part of her, a part that emerged when she glanced upon her cutie mark, and thought about her own problems—while not as extreme as these ponies—made her understand what it was like for a pony to reject her. Babs said that they were the best friends a pony could ask for, and she was going to trust her in that regard.

“Alright,” Silver Spoon said as she hugged Lucky back, “so when did you first learn about Zorcgons?”

“From the Star Tracking movies of course,” Lucky explained, “they’re so good, they must be real.” She then leaned into Silver Spoon. “I bet the creator has really been sent here to create these movies to warn us of the incoming invasion.”

“Star… Oh, those movies,” she said as she realized what Lucky was talking about. 

Star Tracking was a series of movies about ponies in space exploring other worlds beyond. Or it could have been the Star Wars movies. She never thought keeping track would have been important until today. She knew Decimal had quite to collection of toys from the movies, but she knew nothing else about it. She’d never bothered to go see one, but knew enough from living in Equestria to not seem stupid. Although now she was starting to wonder if she wouldn’t be drawn into seeing a few of them soon.

That gave her an idea of how to get through this day. “Say, how about we go see one of these Star Tracking movies?” If she had to see one sooner or later, might as well be sooner. “It can even be my treat.”

For the first time all day, Switch grinned. “You sure know how to pick them, Babs, I like her already.”

Babs blew a string of hair out of her face. “I’d still take her over a Bowtie any day.”

Silver Spoon lifted up her head. “A what?”

“Nopony,” Babs said walking past her, “now, don’t we have a movie to catch?”

“Yay, movie!” Lucky said as she bolted out of the clubhouse.”

“Movie,” Switch said with uninterest.

“Yeah,” Silver Spoon said as she nodded her head, “let’s go see what’s the big deal with these Star movies.”

*****

“That was pretty good movie,” Silver Spoon admitted to Babs as they walked through the streets. “I mean, I don’t see it as great as Lucky sees it to believe, but it wasn’t bad. I did like those costumes of those villains. Klingons where they?”

“Zorcgons, and yeah, it ain’t my thing neither. I just put up with it for Lucky. Still, it’s popular with the nerdy crowd, so who am I to complain if it makes money?”

“I suppose not,” they laughed as they reached her condo complex.

“So, ya up for same time tomorrow?” Babs asked as Silver Spoon walked up the the doors of her apartment complex.

Silver Spoon shrugged. “I can’t, I got to take my cousin to a therapist appointment tomorrow.”

“Therapist? Is he okay?”

“If autism is okay, then I suppose so.”

“Hey,” Babs said as she pressed her face to her own, “autism ain’t nothin ta laugh at.”

“I wasn’t but… wait, how do you know what autism is? I didn’t even know about it until yesterday.”

“Eh, it’s pretty common around our school.”

“Yeah,” Silver Spoon nodded, “new school, I can’t wait. I still can’t believe we go to the same school.”

Babs smiled. “You can thank Apple Bloom’s and mine aunt Orange for that. Still, I’m sure he would make a great crusader. He is a blank flank, right?”

“Yeah, although I’m not sure if he’d be interested in joining.”

“You never know, but I’ll see you around, maybe at least one more day this week at our summer headquarters?”

“I think I can squeeze in one more visit, just don’t be stressed if I don’t.”

“Alright, see ya,” Babs waved off as she walked in the direction of her home as Silver Spoon made her way up to her mother.

*****

“Silver Spoon” her mother said the second she walked into the condo “where have you been?” 

“I was hanging out with a friend.” she said, ready for anything her mother might say; she shouldn’t be hanging out with ruffians, she shouldn’t wander the streets of the city by herself, she should be more responsible, stuff like that. “Her name is Bab Seed, and we are going to school together.” she threw in as if that would help.

Instead, her mother seemed rather cool with it, all things considered.. “Oh, well, good for you. You want to talk about how it went, or maybe let me introduce you to some other friends you’d like?”

And there it was. “Um, if it’s alright, mom,” she let out a fake yawn, “I’ll tell you about it in a bit. right now, I want to write a letter to my sister and Diamond.”

That seemed to do the trick. “Alright,” Silver Platter said as she picked up a book she was reading as a servant was giving her a hoof-rub, “but you better make sure either your aunt or I know where you’re going from now on. It’s a dangerous city out there.”

“Yah, Mom,” Silver Spoon nodded as she made her way to her room, ready to make true to her excuse and write those letters.

The trouble was, she couldn’t bring herself to write anything for another hour.

> chapter 5. Bright Mind
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You’re kidding, right?” Silver Spoon asked her aunt as she eyed the foal-leash on her hoof and back to Decimal. He seemed to think the same thing as he backed into the room’s corner.

Silver Lining shook her head. “Afraid not, dear, he just can’t be trusted. If he wanders off he can go into a meltdown.” Silver Spoon winced at the thought of Decimal’s meltdown from their first encounter. “Besides,” Silver Lining said as she walked towards her son with the foal-leash, “he likes it.” As soon as her hoof reached out towards him, the colt snapped his teeth at her and tried to make a run for it.

As he did, he was cornered by the staff and held as the collar went around his neck in one fluid motion. “You see?” Her aunt said as she patted him on the back. Decimal responded by shivering. “He actually relaxes once you get it on him.”

Silver Spoon didn’t know a lot about body language, but relaxed certainly wasn’t what Decimal seemed to display. 

If she knew the word, she would have described his mood with the collar on as pony who didn’t want to venture out of the apartment, but felt more secure with a collar around his neck than without it.

“Now then,” Silver Lining said as she handed her the leash, “you will be escorted to a cab by Sweeper here.” she nodded toward the muscular yellow stallion who nodded his head. “If anything goes awry, just give him the leash and he’ll take care of it. Though, once you get to the doctor’s office everything will be fine until he picks you two up later. Do you understand everything?”

“Yes, auntie,” Silver Spoon nodded, eager to get going.


“Alright,” her aunt sighed, “and thank you so much for doing this again.” she looked over to her son. “How about a hug for your mommy before you go?”

Decimal turned his head. Despite this, Silver Lining quickly wrapped a hoof around him and released before he could react. 

“See you later,” she smiled as Silver Spoon simply shook her head and lead her cousin out the door.

*****

A short ride later, they reached the therapist building. A thirty or so story building marked as 366 Eastway, with an awkward gap between the two sixes.

To her relief, the cab ride over to the office had been rather uneventful, for the most part. On the way, she couldn’t help but stare as Decimal threw his hooves over his ears when a police car ran by with its siren blazing.

She tried to calm him down, only to have him snap his teeth at her. The servant, and even cab driver, explained that it wasn’t anything to worry about with him. It happened on every trip and it would just have to be something that she would get used too.

“216.” Silver Spoon jumped at her cousin’s voice.

“What was that, Decimal?” 

“Trees are green because they absorb green sunlight.”

Silver Spoon took a step towards the door. “Okay,” she said with a nod. He seemed to know things, and hated loud noises. So she didn’t have a lot to go on to figure him out yet, but she would be patient. She would observe, spend as much time as she could with him and find out what she could do for him.

“Finally feel like chatting?” she turned towards him to ask. When he didn’t say anything else she shrugged and said, “Oh well, I guess that’s why we’re here.”

He moaned, but didn’t resist as she lead him inside. They made their way up  the stairs as she read the directions her aunt had given her to the therapist’s room.

Once they entered, Silver Spoon whistled at the scenery. It was a rather large waiting room, with foals running around everywhere either painting on a multicoloured wall or playing on the indoor playset.

Actually, it was more of a playground. It came complete with two slides, a rope bridge and a tunnel underneath, even a sandbox was somehow squeezed in there. On the wall adjacent to it, rested a sign labeled, Playset Inc.

“Alright, Decimal,” Silver Spoon said as she unhooked him from his collar, “here we are.”

As she did so, her cousin took off towards the playground's tunnel. He went in, but didn’t come out. 

She was tempted to go talk to him, but held back for today. She still wanted to help him, but had another excuse to keep her mind occupied on this visit; a colt.

It wasn’t the colt himself that caught her attention. He was a light blue colt with a black mane and a green book for a cutie mark who looked to be a few years older than herself. Which wouldn’t have stood out to her, if he hadn’t used his horn to post something on the lobby’s bulletin board.

Thinking about it, she hadn’t seen a unicorn since she arrived in the city. Which to be fair, was an earthpony city. There were the occasional unicorn servants for rich ponies (none of whom work for her mother or aunt) but a unicorn colt posting up a flyer in a Manehattan waiting room was something to stare at.

And stare she did until he looked her way, clearly aware of what she had been doing for the past several minutes. She turned a beet red as she turned around to try and act like she hadn’t noticed him When she turned around, she saw him advancing towards her.

“Something on my horn?” he said as he looked up at it. 

“Um…” Silver Spoon found herself lost for words.

“Oh, right, it’s because I’m a unicorn in an earth pony city.” He shrugged. “I know, weird, isn’t it?”

“No,” Silver Spoon protested, “I was just wondering what you were posting.”

“Oh, well in that case,” he said with a smile as he levitated one of his flyers towards her. 

Written in bold she read; Interested in Teaching Young Colts and Fillies with Special Needs?

“Interested in becoming an aid?”

“Aid?” She re-read the bold, fearing that she had read it wrong and would look stupid if she said so.

“I know it says teacher in bold, but teacher isn’t a lie and I thought that it would be a lot more attracting than aid.” She carefully let out a sigh of relief before he went on.  “Yeah, I was promised some extra bits to put these up wherever I could.”

“Oh,” she asked suddenly interested in him, “where do you work?”

Before he could reply one of the nurses shouted, “Decimal, Decimal Silver?”

“Ah!” he said as he rubbed his ear that faced towards the direction of the office along with serval of the other foals in the room.

"Sorry," the nurse apologized in a hushed voice.

Silver Spoon’s ears shot up. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” he said as he rubbed his ear, “I think it was that bug bite from earlier.” he nervously chuckled, “you gotta love the summer.”

She tilted her head and then shrugged her shoulder with other things on her mind. “Alright then, but if you would excuse me for a second.” She raced over to her cousin’s tunnel and found him curled up into a ball. “Come on, cousin, it’s time to come out.” 

He gave out a moan and stayed where he was.

Silver Spoon Lowered her eyelids. “I get it, you don’t want to be here. Who would, right?” His ears perked up as he seemed surprised by her approach.  “So what do you say we get this done so you can go home and play with all your Star toys?”

With that he began to make his way out. Once he did, she smiled at him and lead her cousin towards the door to the therapy room.

“My my,” the nurse beamed, “you sure are being a good patient today.”

Decimal began to back up, but Silver Spoon gently held his hoof. It  seemed to relax him. “Go on, I’ll be right here when you’re done.”

The door opened to reveal another doctor who lead him in, leaving Silver Spoon to spend the next hour all by herself. Fun times for sure, at least the place has some up to date magazines for all her trouble.

With those expectations set in mind, she was pleasantly surprised that the colt from before hadn’t left. “Oh,” she blushed, “you’re still here? I mean, you don’t have to stay I just...” she took a deep breath. “Sorry, I guess I’m still jittery that things haven’t fallen apart yet.” A good enough story, she figured.

“Lucky you then,” he chuckled, “then I wouldn’t have had a chance to compliment on how well you handled Decimal. Most of the time he has to be dragged out of that tunnel.”

“Well that sounds awful. I… Wait, you know my cousin?”

“Oh," he said as he lowered his eyes, “we went to the same school together and I frequent here to post flyers up.” Before she could point out an problems with that explanation, he asked. “So you're his cousin? I didn’t know he had any.”

“Well,” Silver Spoon explained, “his mother had a sister, her sister had me, hence, cousin.”

It seemed to take him a moment to realize that she was trying to be funny, but then laughed along  in a pleasant laugh that Silver Spoon couldn’t help but believe he was manipulating. 

“That’s cool,” he said right after he finished laughing. “Although, do you want some company? These things can take a while.”

"Well… You’re not busy are you?”

He smiled, and she swore she felt her cheeks heat up again. “Nah, this is my lunch break. I can stick around to help a damsel in distress.” She was flattered. “Too much? I didn’t say it wrong did I?” And there that feeling went.

“It wasn’t,” she admitted, “until you asked, Mr...” 

“Bright Mind, “he said as he extended his hoof. “Although you can just call me Bright.

“Silver Spoon,” she said as she bumped his hoof with her own. “but you can call me Silver, or Spoon if your around my family.”

“A pleasure to meet you.” he said as he walked over to the chair. Silver Spoon followed and sat down beside him.

“So, you new to the city, Silver Spoon?”

“Oh no,” she shook her head. “I mean, I’ve visited this city many times. It’s like my second home. Sure made my choice much easier when my parents split up.”

Bright straightened himself up. “Your parents are divorced? I’m sorry to hear that?”

“It’s not a big deal.” she said matter of factly, which surprised herself a moment later. It  hadn’t even been a month, and she already felt cool about the whole thing.

“I mean,” she rubbed her hoof to her chin. “Ah! I mean, it’s still a big deal, I just haven't let the whole thing bother me.” She decided that was true enough. It wasn’t the divorce she hated, she hated how her parents couldn’t have waited until she graduated and moved out in two more years to do it.

Bright Mind twitched his lips. “By whole thing, do you just mean you’re not bothered by it, but by how your parents are putting your though all of it?”

Her eyes widened. “How did you…”

“I was five,” he said. “What’s worse, I don’t even remember a time when they could stand being in the same room with each other. I just remember them yelling at each other, and the next thing I know, I’m traveling between one house to the next every week as I hear each of them trying to win me over with toys and tales of how awful their ex was.”

Silver Spoon shuddered. “Sounds like I’m in for a fun two years.”

“Oh it wasn’t all bad,” he defended, “I mean, they always tried to make me happy. Maybe now that I’m older I can see that they aren't doing what’s best, but still.”

A few words in his last sentence caught her attention. “Wait, do you still live with them.”

“Of course not,” he grinned as he turned to look at the clock and back to her. “That’d be weird; a colt a year out of school with his cutie mark still living with his parents. I’d never get a date.” She held up a hoof to her muzzle as she laughed. “I just mean that they can get along in the same room without killing each other.”

“Oh,” she nodded. “well then, you don’t happen to have any advice to a new girl in this game of divorce do you?”

“Just one,” he said as he got up, “learn from their mistakes, and don’t sink to any of their levels. Hey, I got to get going now,” he said as he levitated one of his flyers out towards her, “think you would be interested?”

She didn’t even look at the flyer as it landed in her hooves. “You bet!”

“Great, just don’t forget to get your parent’s signature before our first meet up since you're under 13.”

Her mouth dropped as she looked down at the dotted line at the bottom of the page as her pupils shrank. 

The corner of Bright’s lip raised up. “That’s not going to be a problem for you, is it?”

“Oh, no, I’m sure if I promise.”

“You can always just play the divorce to whatever parent you need to sign it if that’s the problem. Works for me all the time.” If he was joking, she didn’t notice because—truthfully—she knew that if she played that card right, she could get anything she wanted.

Not that she hadn’t always gotten what she wanted, just that she always felt bad about it even then. This time however, it would be a good reason for her, other than getting some new earrings… 

She shook her head. “I’ll think about it, but I’ll do whatever I can to get there, I promise.”

“Alright then,” he said as he used his magic to open the door, “I’ll see you around, Silver Spoon.”

“You too, Bright Mind.” She waved as he glanced at her with one last smile as he closed the door behind him.

She then leaned back into her chair, realizing she had that funny feeling in her tummy she had only ever felt three times before.

She thought it just meant that she was very close friends with a pony, but now she wasn’t sure. Of course, that would mean that she believed in love at first sight. She might still be a filly, but she wasn’t stupid.

Still, even if she just meet him and knew nothing more about him other than he knew her cousin and was going through a similar experience she was, she thought he was a nice colt. Maybe she wouldn’t have said yes if he asked her out on a date right then and there, but that was enough to let her imagine what it would be like to have a coltfriend. 

To have a colt she could hold and kiss, was she really thinking that? Apparently, she was lost in a fantasy of having a coltfriend that a whole hour had ticked by without her noticing as she heard her cousin and his therapist enter the waiting room

“You take care, Decimal,” the brown stallion said, “and I’ll see you next week.”

He didn't respond as the door closed behind him, but as soon as it did he walked up to her and asked, “Home now?”

She nodded her head. “Yeah, we can go home now.” She hooked him up to his leash and lead him out into the hallway. “Did you have a good time?” He didn’t respond. “What did you do?” He kept his head down. “alright, you don’t want to talk, I guess it was boring then. did you even enjoy it?”

She actually jumped when he spoke. “I.. I ah, just, just do, do, gah!” He said as he slammed a hoof to his head.

“Hey,” she said said as she pulled him to the side. “There is no need to get upset.”

“No need.”

“That’s right, no need.”

“Right, no need.”

It was at that point that she realized that he had just repeated what she said. “You are something, cousin, I’ll give you that.” She guided him to the building’s exit. “I just wish there was a way to get inside your head to see what’s up.”

Before they exited the building, he muttered again, “216.”

As before, she looked around, but the only number she saw where the clock numbers and the spaced apart address numbers on the lobby window 366 with that awkward gap between the sixes.

Silver Spoon shook her head. “Well now,” she said as she lead him out the door to their waiting cab, “I think I ought to take you to therapy sessions more often.”

> chapter 6 Baxton
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

To Silver Spoon’s relief, the school year eventually came. The only thing she did worth mentioning was the times she escorted Decimal to the therapist office—though it could be said she had other, brighter, thoughts on her mind when she went.
 
Oddly enough, despite Bright Minds claims to stop by often, she never saw him again in that time. Though, there was always that teacher class form she still had laying on her dresser standing next to a hoofful of letters she had received from her friends in Ponyville. Though, the one she was always anxious for never came.
 
She had also been too busy to hang out with her new friends since her mother had 
“insisted” she spend time getting settled in and meeting other friends. Though, silver Spoon was able to keep Babs on her mother’s somewhat good side when she said that Bab’s aunt and uncle were the Oranges.
 
As much as Silver Spoon tried, she just couldn't get over how horrible the upper class were, and too an effect, how she used to be, and what she wanted to be them.
 
Then of course, there was a certain permission slip, for a certain teaching class she had. It was still unsigned, and taunted her whenever she saw it. Aside from worrying what her mother would think. She was more upset that she just couldn't bring herself to guilt trip her mother with the whole divorce thing to sign it, which may not have been a problem before… She stared at her new three-spoon cutie mark.

It only felt like yesterday when she earned it. She still could never get Diamond Tiara’s sour face out of her mind when she sides with Apple Bloom instead of herself. Maybe she would write Diamond another letter today.
 
She looked up at the clock and sighed. It would have would have to wait. What was she supposed to do? She really wanted to go and try to be a teacher, even though she knew her parents would never be behind it since there were other “opportunities” as they’d both put it.
 
“Silver Spoon!” her mother cried, “you’re going to be late, hurry up!”
 
Silver Spoon mumbled in annoyance, “Okay, mom.”
 
Not sure what else to do with it, she decided to take the permission slip with her and worry about what to tell her mother later.
 
Silver Spoon then made her way downstairs where her mother was anxiously tapping her hooves with a smile. No matter what happened, Silver Plater always made time to see her off on the first day of school.
 
“Well now,” she said in a firm, but gentle manner, “do you have all of your supplies? How about your lunch money? Do you like the new saddlebag I've gotten for you? Of course, if you don’t like the color I could always—”
 
“I’m fine, mom!” While it wasn't a shout, the loud volume of her voice caused Silver Platter to wince as Silver Spoon took a step back. “Oh, sorry, I mean—”
 
Silver Platter grinned. “Oh think nothing of it! A proper lady must know when to tell someone no. Just like with your… Well anyways, I’m glad to see you’re all set up. Your aunt and cousin are waiting to take you to  school, to which I trust you will act your best.”
 
Silver Spoon rolled her eyes.
 
“Now then,” her mother stringed the diamond necklace she was wearing, “let us be off then. And are you sure you’d rather not join your aunt and I for the polo match? There’s going to be quite the crowd of kids your age that I know you’d fit right into.”
 
Silver Spoon stood in place and bite her lip. “Um, I’m sure. After all, my close friends from school wanted to try some shops in town.” She licked her lip. “After all, we've been having such a good time as they helped get my mind off  Ponyville, dad, my old life, and how much I enjoy this city and, you know.” She added that last bit by nuzzling up to her mother’s leg.
 
Her mother smiled warmly. “Well, I guess as long as you're having fun.”
 
Silver Spoon looked down. “Yeah, you’re the best mom ever.” She then noticed a corner of the permission slip was visible from the bag. “Oh, and—”
 
“Yes?” Her mother’s eyes widened.
 
Silver Spoon flinched. “Um… Nothing.”
 
*****
 
 
One short cab ride later, Silver Spoon and Decimal made their way into their new school: Baxston.
 
For a more upper class school of Manehatten, it was rather small. However, it had a lot to offer with a brand new playground, top of the line books, and anything else an expensive private school would have.
 
The only problems was, it came with the problems a fancy private school would have.
 
“Hey, blankie, still looking for a cutie mark with the baby classes?” Silver Spoon heard someone say as she and Decimal walked into the schoolyard.
 
She prayed she hadn't sounded that clichéd with Diamond Tiara.
 
“Ya better knock it off!”
 
Silver Spoon’s eyes expanded when she heard a familiar v voice.
 
“Hey look,” another filly said, “the country girl is getting a hot head. Isn't that cute.”
 
Babs, steamed at this point, raised her hoof. “I’ll show you—”
 
“Teacher, teacher!” someone called out.
 
Silver Spoon turned to the side, to see Switch shouting at a teacher. “They’re picking on my friend!”
 
The teacher looked at the girls, who froze in place at the mention. With one last glare at Switch, they walked off and tried to act like nothing happened.
 
With a sigh, Switch walked up to Babs.
 
“I didn't need ya’s help,” Babs grunted.
 
Switch grinned and shook his head. “You’d do the same for me. Oh hey, Silver!”
 
Silver jumped when he called her name. She then relaxed. “Oh, hey, guys.” She then walked up to them as Decimal followed in tow. “You okay, Babs?”
 
Babs blew a strain of mane out of her face. “Yeah, just some upper ups who think it’s amusing to pick on kids. Rich spoiled brats.” Her eyes shot open and winced as she looked to Silver Spoon. “Um… no offense?”
 
Silver Spoon shook her head. “None taken.”
 
“It really is fine.” Babs explained. “It happens, but least not as much as in my old school.”
 
“School, school is a place where we all go.” Decimal began to hum.
 
Babs and Switch looked to him.
 
“Who’s ya friend?”
 
Silver Spoon walked next to Decimal. “This is my cousin, Decimal. Decimal, you want to say hello?”
 
At the mention of his name, he hushed up.
 
Silver Spoon winced at her friends. “He’s… a bit shy.”
 
“Hello, everypony!” Lucky shouted, causing them all to jump as she raced towards them. “Boy, do I got a good feeling about this year. I— hey, who’s the new guy?” She reached out a hoof to the younger colt. “I’m Lucky.”
 
Decimal backed away.
 
Lucky raised an eyebrow. “What’s the matter with him?” She looked at her hoof. “Am I contaminated with some kind of foreign bacteria?!” She began to circle around herself.
 
“Lucky,” Switch said through his teeth, “it’s just Silver Spoon’s cousin.”
 
Lucky stopped and began to beam. “Oh, that’s nice.” She then raced forward and pressed her face to his. “So, do you like comic books too?”
 
Decimal began to tear up.
 
Silver Spoon grabbed Lucky and pulled her back. “Lucky, take it easy. He’s a bit… sensitive.”
 
Lucky shrank. “Oh. Okay.”
 
“It’s nothing you did,” Silver Spoon assured, though she had to convince herself that. “He’s just—”
 
The school bell rang.
 
“Come on, I’ll explain on the way.”
 
Lucky nodded, and picked herself up. They then all walked into the schoolhouse, but not before Decimal looked up to Lucky and said, “Hi.”
 
***** 
 
 
“So, autism they’re calling it?” Lucky asked as she stared deeply at him.
 
They had all gathered and took one of the many round tables near the front of the classroom so Silver Spoon could read the board better.
 
“Yeah, and no, he’s not an alien robot if that’s what you were thinking.”
 
Lucky huffed at Silver Spoon. “Oh that’s just silly. Though, you sure he’s not a cyborg?”
 
Further up, they heard Switch chuckle. “Isn't that just so cute?”
 
Lucky raised an eyebrow. “What?”
 
Switch blushed bright red. “Nothing!” He sharply turned forward. 
 
Lucky shook her head. “I swear, they need to really examine him or something. Switch’s been really having trouble making sense around me.”
 
Silver Spoon dropped her chin.
 
“Morning, class,” the teacher said.
 
They all turned their attention towards her and said good morning to their teacher, a yellow coat earth pony named Ms. Chalk.
 
“Welcome to another wonderful year, class,” she said with a small smile as she picked up the chalk. “Now, I know we have a lot to do, and I even see some new faces. So why don’t—”
 
From outside, a firepony ran by making a siren cry.
 
Suddenly, Decimal—along with a few other students to every other pony’s surprise—started to wail right in tune.
 
Ms. Chalk face paled. “Now… class, settle down. Settle down!”
 
It soon became apparent that Decimal wasn't the only autistic student at the school. As more students similar to him began to act up, some of the other students began to either snicker or ask what was wrong with them—in a less than polite way.
 
“No, no!” He continued to moan even after the siren ponies had passed.
 
“Alright, class,” Ms. Chalk said very distressed. “Let’s um… let’s—”
 
The door flew open.
 
“Hey, aunt,” a familiar voice said that made Silver Spoon’s hair stand on end. “Sorry I’m,” Bright Mind said as he looked into the room. “Whoa, hang on,” he said as he trotted forward.
 
Bab Seed leaned  into Silver Spoon’s ear and whispered “Isn't the student aid this year a looker?”
 
Silver Spoon’s eyes widened. “What?” She looked up to Bright Mind, who had brought along a guitar. Holding it in his magic, he began to pick out a calm, yet, energetic tune. It didn't really have a song to it at first, just something that seemed to get the crying students to lighten up.
 
“Alright now,” he said as the tempo began to pick up, “you all ready for a new year?”
 
Some of the students looked at him in disbelief whiles others —Sliver Spoon and friends in particular—watched him in fascination, waiting to see where it went.

Then, he began to play.,
 
Come on ev’rybody, just gather around,
I can tell you that there’s no need to pout
Just listen very closely, don’t be scared
And I will tell you all that School can be the best!
 
Instantly, the class began to settle down, and turned their attention towards him. A few even began to hum with him.
 
We’ve come in from vacation, just today
And now we have to chase that vacay fog away
It’s early in the morning, The sun shines bright
And I just know that everything’s gonna be alright!
 
After he played and the last of the restless students was handled, everypony clapped
 
Ms. Chalk let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Bright. I’m so glad you decided to help out this year.”
 
Bright Mind smiled. “Anything for my favorite aunt.” He turned towards Silver Spoon. “And anything for my favorite school. I myself actually attended—” His eyes went wide when he saw her.
 
“Um… yes,” he puffed out his chest. “I have a cross between ADHD and autism, and use to go to this school just like you. However, despite my difficulties, I am doing very well, and I am very happy to have a chance to be Ms. Chalk’s aid this year.” He narrowed his eyes. “So don’t you  think of causing any mischief?” He then grinned. “So how about you give auntie some respect, and we can make this a good year.”
 
Seemed like a plan to Silver Spoon.
 
***** 
 
“Ya coming, Silver?” Babs pestered as they were dismissed for recess.
 
“Just a second,” Silver Spoon said as she looked towards Bright Mind and Ms. Chalk talking .
 
“Oh,” Switch teased, “somepony got a crush on the new colt.”
 
Silver Spoon’s tail shot up. “What? No, no I don’t.”
 
Lucky titled her head. “Crush, huh?” She scratched her chin. “Nah, doesn’t seem like a guy she’d want to hurt. Definitely not an alien.”
 
Silver Spoons eyes narrowed, until they all figured out what she had meant and began to snicker.
 
Lucky’s mane dropped. “What, what did I say?” Her eyes started to tear up
 
Switch snapped to attention. “Oh, it’s nothing, Lucky!” he walked to her side. “It’s just, um… How about we head out, and I’ll explain it to you while you tell me what enemy Kilngons you’ve identified last week, and why?”
 
Lucky’s mane poofed back up. “Okay, because I think my garbage man is one. He kept looking through our trash, like he was looking for something.”
 
Switch happily nodded as he wrapped a hoof around her shoulder and lead her out. “Do tell.”
 
They then walked off, and Silver Spoon would have continued to stare, if she hadn’t felt a bump to her side.
 
She looked to see a devilish smirk on Babs face.
 
“What?”
 
“Ah, nothing, just thought I’d wish you luck with that stallion.” She blew a puff of hair out of her mane. “Dang hair, anyways, don’t you think bout lyin ta me. I knowz when I see a pony in love.”
 
Silver Spoon’s face burned bright red.
 
“Alright,” she sighed. “But—”
 
“And don’t ya worry bout that comment I had about him being cute. He is, but I wouldn’t even think bout it.” She lifted her hoof and put it to her chest. “Friend’s honor.” She then put that hoof to Silver Spoon’s shoulder, patted it, and walked off. “Though, don’t think I may not if you don’t try to ask him  soon.” She gave her a playful wink, and headed out.
 
Not sure what to make of that last comment, but without any excuse now, Silver Spoon inhaled deeply, and approached the colt.
 
Bright Mind and Ms. Chalk had just finished up a conversation when the blue unicorn noticed Silver Spoon walking up to him.
 
He turned to smile at her. “Oh, hey there. Silver Spoon, right?”
 
“Um…” she mentally slapped herself and gained some composure. “Yeah. So, you used to go here, and that’s how you know my cousin?” she blinked. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”
 
“Oh no,” Ms. Chalk said in a bad acting voice, “I think I had to do… Something with the students upstairs, see you later.” She trotted upstairs, but not before giving him a hard to miss wink for either of them.
 
Left alone, Silver Spoon quickly picked up the conversation to avoid an awkward silence. “So, um, ADHD, huh? And were you the rich type, or just scholarship?” She widened her eyes when she realized that comment might have come off as rude.
 
Bright Mind shrugged his shoulders. “Oh you know, just a colt with a good family, I guess.” He lightened up when Silver Spoon chuckled. “Still, I wasn’t aware you might have something.” He stammered his hooves. “If I may, what you got? Since we don’t need to hide it anymore I suppose?”
 
Silver Spoon twitched her lips.
 
She had thought about not telling him, since she was still getting use to other ponies knowing. “Well… I…” She put a hoof behind her neck.
 
“It’s fine, I don’t need to know if you’re uncomfortable about it.”
 
“Dyslexia!”
 
They both stared at one another, silent. Then, Bright began to chuckle, and Silver Spoon grinned.
 
“Well, I guess that’s that.” He gave his head a little shake and asked. “So, how you’ve been? You get your mom to sign that slip to attend the class?”
 
Silver Spoon clicked her tongue. “Well, I wanted to, but… I just couldn’t. It’s a long story”
 
Bright Mind looked around the room. “I’ve got some time, want to talk about it?”
 
“Um…” She closed her eyes and raised her shoulder. “I guess.”
 
So for the next half hour and the rest of that recess, Silver Spoon told him everything there was to know about herself. What started off as just a way to tell him why she couldn’t guilt trip her mother,  ended up as a talk about her life story. She told him about her earlier days, before she got her cutie mark—along with that, even though he knew already. She told him about how she was the bully type, quite a bit about her past friendship with Diamond Tiara and how she hoped to still be friends with her, down to her tales with the Ponyville and Manehatten CMC.
 
She had just gotten to her parents’ divorce when the light bell range.
 
Bright Mind shook his head. “Grr, just as it was getting to the good part.”
 
Silver Spoon grumbled. “Huh, well, I guess it was a long story.” She looked at him apologetically. “Well long story short I should have told you,” she said as students began to file in, “I don’t want to be a rich brat who can get whatever she wants now. And despite suddenly wanting to be a teacher, my mom would rather I’d find a higher prestigious career.”
 
Bright Mind chuckled. “I can respect.” He picked himself up from the chair he was sitting in. “Though, I suppose your biggest issues is to stand up to her.” He scratched his chin. “If you want, I can help with that.”
 
She raised an eyebrow at him. “What, you have some ‘confidence’ superpowers?”
 
Bright scratched his chin. “Huh, sounds better than something like log powers?”
 
“What?”
 
“Nothing, just a little inside joke with some frineds of mine. Anyways, yeah, you got a week before the first class. I could get you confident enough for the job. Just… Um, you free anytime this week after school… Maybe we could… Well anyways, just when  would you be free next to chat?”
 
Not sure if this was his idea to try and ask her on a date, she said, “Um, maybe next recess, or… No, I promised I’d check out some clubhouse on theirs next meeting, and we had plans after school… Maybe soon. I’d love to hear about your ‘self-motivation’ and how you got them.”
 
His hoof began to tap. “Yes, it’s quite the story. Anyways, back to being an aid. Have a good day, Silver Spoon.”
 
With that, Silver Spoon made her way back to her desk. Where all three of her friends—even Lukey—smirked at her


everypony (if you want)

> Chapter 7: A leash and a bag
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Ya okay?” Babs asked.

Silver Spoon shot up. “Huh?” She then looked down at her ice-cream to see it had already melted into a milky soup.

Switch shrugged. “Maybe she doesn't have a lot to say." he said in a gloomy tone.

Lucky facehooved. “Oh no, Switch, the aliens messing with your mind again?”

She frowned and continued to stare at her empty dish. “Yeah, the aliens did it.”

Silver Spoon's eyes dropped, and she turned to Babs. “Eh, it’s nothing.”

“You mean how you went all sunshine and rainbows when you met your future coltfriend?”

Silver spoon grinned. “Well, aside from… That! I guess I’m still thinking about what happened with Decimal, and why he can’t be here with us.”

Babs snorted. “Wasn’t right if you ask me.”

*****  

Halfway through the day, the class had split up. The students like Decimal, who had more difficult learning handicaps, were sent upstairs, while the other half were left to be taught in the regular style down below.

Throughout most of the day, Silver Spoon had done nothing but avoid the topic of Bright Mind—who went upstairs with the other foals—as her friends kept teasing her about him.

“Well, I mean, he’s only two years older than me,” Silver Spoon defended when the subject of age was brought up.

“Though I doubt it will go well if you told your ma.” Babs pointed out.

Silver Spoon choked. “Hey! We haven’t even started to date yet.”

Lucky chuckled. “So you two are going to date?” 

“Is everything going well overhear?” their teacher asked.

They all shot up and grinned nervously at Ms. Chalk.

“Yes, mama,” Silver Spoon nodded, “we were just getting to the part about…” She squinted at the paper. “Las Vegas history.”
“Pegasus!” Switch snapped in a whisper. “Las, Pegasus, history.”
A few students chuckled at Silver Spoon’s slip up.

“Oh,” Ms. Chalk said with a raised eyebrow. “If you all have time to talk, maybe some extra homework may be in order?”

Everypony hushed up and went back to their assignments.

With that said, class had returned to normal. Although, for Silver Spoon, her mind continued to buzz with thoughts of her mother. She still had no idea how to even get herself into the one class Bright Mind was going to help teach, let alone if she even considered going into a relationship with him.

Which, for some reason or another, made her think back to Diamond Tiara by chance. Most of all, to the letter Apple Bloom sent a week ago saying she hadn’t gotten a lot better. While Diamond Tiara hadn’t gone back to bullying, but she had gone to started to only go to school and straight home, and rarely said a word to anypony at school.

As much as she wanted to dwell on it, Silver Spoon forced her mind too focused on her work. Which proved to be difficult as the next part was comprised of a lot of lower case B’s and D’s.

“Pss, Babs,” she whispered, “dose the lower case B face to the left, or right?”

Before she could answer, a loud cry pierced the school.

Ms. Chalk looked up to the second floor, sighed, and tried to get the class back to the lesson. However, a half hour later, the howl continued on. A few times, guitar started to play, only to be abruptly stopped by the shouts of what sounded like a series of numbers.

Eventually, Silver Spoon’s aunt, Silver Lining, looking very distressed and beaten, walking into the classroom with the familiar child leash in hoof.

She didn’t say a word, didn’t change an expression, but simply headed upstairs.

A moment later, the howls, while they continued to echo throughout the building, had died down.

A moment later, Silver Linning, with decimal in tow on the leash, walked—to them—a mile from one end of the building, to the exit while most of the class stared.

****  

Babs swirled her straw around. “I still don’ think it was right putting him on a leash.”

“Neither do it,” Silver Spoon said between sips, “but he’ll just get himself into trouble. But…”

Her friends looked at her.

“But, what?”

Silver Spoon but her lip. “I… I guess a part of me is just, worried how we would look if we had to carry my cousin around in a leash if we wanted him to hang out with us.” They all stared at her. 

“Sorry, I’m a horrible pony aren’t I?”

Babs’es hoof slammed on the table. “I mean, what kind a ponies think it’s a right? Deponizes ponies like that!” Babs eye began to twitched. She then looked at all of her staring friends. “If y’all excuse me. She then stood up and made her way to the bathroom.

Once she was gone, Lucky twirled her straw. “What are you up to?”

Silver Spoon raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”

Switched rolled his eyes, then addressed Silver Spoon. “She’ll do that. Get upset, go to the bathroom, and will be okay. It’s like she takes some magical pill, and comes out feeling much better.” He sipped on his drink. 

Silver Spoon stared forward. “You don’t say?”

Switch’s eyes lowered. “I’m sure she just likes to… Hold it in for us, and then gets upset until she goes.”

Lucky patted his shoulder. “Sure it is, buddy.” 

Switch grumbled something unintelligible, while Silver Spoon was left to her thoughts.

While Ponyville had never seen someone who would take the stuff that drug guy offered, Silver Spoon was aware of addicts and drugs, but… Could Bab’s have been one?

“Sorry 'bout that.” Babs said returning to the table, sure enough, looking more relaxed. “Now, where were we?”

Silver Spoon nervously looked around. “Well… Um, so what are we going to do today for crusading?”

After giving it some though, and not sure where else to go, they decided to head to central park for a walk, where they hoped to come up with some ideas on the way.

Oh the way, the only thing Silver Spoon could think about was the possibility of Babs being on drugs. As much as she tried to deny it, a few parts of it made sense to her. The only good thing out of it was how it distracted her from thoughts of her mother and cousin.

Silver Spoon rubbed her head.

“Ya okay?” Babs said as Silver spoon realized that they were somewhere in the park.

“Oh, um,” silver Spoon blinked. “Yeah, just a lot on my mind.”

“I’d imagine,” Switch said. “First day of school could have gone better.”

“I sure hope Decimal is okay,” Lucky said as she kicked a pebble. “He seemed like he may have had something on his mind.” She rubbed her chin. “I wonder.”

Switch bit his lips.

Silver Spoon, meanwhile, realized—out of all places—where they were, and where the supposed bag of drugs Babs had obtained where thrown away.

Looking into the shrubbery, Silver Spoon wondered…

Silver Spoon crept to the side. “Excuse me for a moment.”  

“Sure,” Babs said as if it was nothing.

With their nod, Silver Spoon trotted off into the clearing.

She hadn’t expected to find anything. After all, it had been a bag full of drugs. How would it still be there?

And what is it going to mean if you find it? Silver Spoon asked herself. It wasn’t like she was—
She stopped when she stepped on something. Looking down, she saw that it was a rather damp bag paper bag. For a moment, Silver Spoon though to just leave it alone. Another part of her, forced her to lift the bag up with her hooves.

Inside, was a rock. Which alone, couldn’t have meant anything. However, it also had words on it. They were too small for her to read, and a shout of where she went forced Silver Spoon to rip the words off the paper bag, and stuff it inside her own bag.

“Sorry,” Silver Spoon sheepishly said as she rejoined the group.

Switch and Lucky simply nodded, while Babs raised an eyebrow. “So what did you find?”

Silver Spoon’s fur began to rise. “Wh… What? I… I just thought I saw a shiny bit in the distance.”

“Oh cool,” Lucky beamed, “did it lead to a buried treasure? Hey, maybe we can get our cutie marks in treasure hunting!”

Silver Spoon quickly nodded. “Yeah, that’s a great idea.” She raised up a hoof. “While I didn’t find a bit, I’m sure there’s more rare coins hidden around this park. What do you say crusaders?”

“Yeah!” Lucky and Switch nodded and rushed off.

Silver Spoon breathed a sigh of relief, until Babs put a hoof up in front of her. When she looked up to Babs, she was given a nasty glare.

“Ya sure you didn’t find anything worth mentioning, did ya?”

Silver Spoon felt a bead a sweet run down her neck. “Um… no, no, of course not. I, mean, I thought I saw a bit, but that was all.” Not wanting to seem weak, she stood up straight and stared down Babs. “Why, what you think I’d find?”

It was Babs turn to shrink. “Oh, um, I wouldn’t say—”

“Hey,” Lucky found out, “I found a bag with a rock in it.” She came out holding the bag in question. “Maybe it’s a space rock. Think we can take it to someone.”

Even from a distance, they could both see where Silver Spoon had ripped the wording off. Before Silver Spoon could say anything, she felt herself get pushed to the ground. When she looked up, she saw Babs huffing as her pupil’s dilated as she stood over her.

“Ya don’t know anything!” Babs stomped her hoof in the ground. “And I suggest ya keep it that way.” She then took off.

“Hey,” Switch said as he exited the groove, “I heard shouting, is everything okay?”

Lucky raised an eyebrow. “What? I just found a bag with a rock on it. Then I showed it to silver and Babs when she attacked Silver?”

Switch sighed and walked over to Silver Spoon. “What happened?”

“I…” she said as Switch helped her up. “Well,” she pulled out a torn off scrap. “What does this say?”

Taking the paper himself, switch read over it, and said, “Rock.”

If it weren't for Bab’s actions, that might have been all. However, in an intense, Silver Spoon had figure it all out. “No, no, no, no, no!” she moaned as she began to pace around. “Oh, why, why, why?”

The two other foals simply stared at her for a long moment, before Lucky asked, “What’s going on.”

“I… I… well, it doesn’t matter. Right now, I need to find Babs. Do you guys know where she lives?”

Lucky nodded. “Yeah, we can show you.”

“Just the address, you two should just head home.” Silver Spoon rubbed her head. “I’m sorry I ruined our day, I’ll explain later.”

“Hey!” Lucky snapped. “She’s our friend too. Longer than she’s been with you.” She narrowed her eyes. As she advanced, Silver Spoon saw her eyes water up. “If something is wrong, we want to be there to help her.”

Silver Spoon sighed. “Alright,” she pushed up her glasses, “I’ll tell you on the way. Though, this is only what I think is going on. So… hope I’m wrong.”

“Nothing is wrong,” Switch snapped.

His reaction caused silver Spoon to jump. “Huh?”

He shook his head. “It’s… Never mind, come on.”

With one last concerned glance, Silver Spoon shook her head and raced off after them.