//------------------------------// // Chapter Four - Be seen and not heard // Story: All the Queen's Horses // by Bluespectre //------------------------------// CHAPTER FOUR BE SEEN AND NOT HEARD The cacophony of countless hooves rumbled though the building, the sound amplified by the wooden floors and adding a bass note to the shrieks and giggles of dozens of children as they charged out into the playground and fields surround the colourfully painted schoolhouse. “I said no Running!” Miss Cheerilee’s voice was lost in the din of excited fillies and colts, all of whom were determined to enjoy the fifteen minutes of freedom afforded to them for breaktime to the fullest. Diamond Tiara, as usual, brought up the rear to avoid the ‘riff raff’ as she called the other students and, just as usual, she was wearing her namesake, a delicate tiara in her hair that she had taken to wearing ever since transferring to Ponyville school. Silver had asked her about it once, but the subject had fallen flat almost immediately; Di didn’t like to be questioned. “Have you got yours?” the pink filly asked with a twinkle in her eye, “I’ve brought mine!” Silver nodded, her plaits swinging in tandem. They tickled her neck a little when she moved but she’d already noticed the jealous looks of the others and, perhaps a little guiltily, she’d positively beamed with pride. Producing a cloth bag from her pannier, she placed it on the smooth hard surface of the playground, “Are we going to play with the others?” Di huffed, “Well, I suppose it would make more sense to do that, but do you really want to mix with them? She flicked her head, motioning towards the three fillies who were sat around a nearby chalk circle and quite obviously enjoying each others company. “We…could?” Silver said tentatively. “Huh!” Diamond Tiara snorted, “Well, I-” “Diamond Tiara?” Miss Cheerilee’s voice called out over the playground, “Diamond Tiara?” “Here, Miss!” the pink filly trotted over to the colourfully coated mare. “Ah, there you are” Cheerilee said pleasantly, “Come with me please, your mother’s here to speak to you.” Di furrowed her brow, “My mother?” “Yes, your mother. I do know who she is you know.” Cheerilee rolled her eyes, “Come along, Diamond Tiara, don’t be tardy now.” Di followed the teacher through the rear entrance to the school and along the now deserted hallways. Her hoof steps sounded unnaturally loud in the near silence, although her mind was positively buzzing with questions. Why was she here? Had something happened? Mother didn’t normally attend the school during the day like this, in fact she never had! Now that she thought about it, where was Randolph? Oh, no…had something happened to him? He was pretty old after all, but he seemed to be physically fit still despite the odd wobble. She’d grown up with him since the day she’d been born and- “Ah, Diamond Tiara, at last; I’ve been stood here for hours!” Di’s mother stared down her muzzle at her daughter, “Well?” Di hung her head, “Sorry, mother.” “And so you should be, I didn’t raise you to be tardy like the rest of the riff-raff at this school. Honestly, I don’t know what possessed me to allow your father to pressure me into agreeing to have you transferred here. Wheat Halls Grammar School was the place for real learning, for progression, not…not…” her face screwed up in distate, “this.” Miss Cheerilee, apparently completely overlooked by the pompous creature, cleared her throat, “Mrs Rich, may I remind you that school is still in session and your daughter will need to return to her lessons shortly?” Spoiled Rich shot her a look which she met with one of her own. Diamond Tiara’s mother, a larger, older, near carbon copy of her daughter save for her purple mane and tail, had a well deserved reputation amongst the school board for being arrogant and pushy. Cheerilee knew all too well how easily such a creature could have her ‘removed’ from the school and her career turned to ashes. But even so, to stand here and have her beloved school, the school she had worked so hard to improve and bring up to modern standards, was something she simply wouldn’t tolerate. “Yes…I’m sure she does” Spoiled Rich said levelly. “Where’s Randolph?” Diamond asked, peering past her mother’s legs, “Is he…?” “Never mind him, Diamond Tiara, I’m here to tell you that your father and I are going away on a business trip this afternoon and you’ll have to stay with your grandfather for a few days.” “Wh…What?!” Di’s eyes went wide in surprise, “Not old Midas!” Spoiled Rich’s eyes narrowed, her chest puffing out in indignant fury. Di closed her eyes and cringed back; she’d gone too far… “HOW DARE YOU ANSWER BACK!” her mother roared, “You ungrateful girl! After everything we’ve done for you, after everything we’ve given you, you have the audacity to question me?!” Di took a step back, her ears drooping submissively, “I…I’m sorry…” Her mother wasn’t finished, “Don’t you even think of walking away when I’m speaking to you, Diamond Tiara, STAND STILL!” Cheerilee lifted a hoof, “Mrs Rich, please, you’re frightening Diamond Ti-” The pink mare rounded on her in a blind fury, “Don’t you dare tell me how to raise my children! Who do you think you are? You’re nothing! NOTHING! You’re a back woods teacher, teaching back woods foals how to count beads and I expect you can’t even do that right!” “Mrs Rich!” Cheerilee gasped, “May I remind you that you are on school property that-” “That my husband owns!” Mrs Rich sneered, “And if you wish to continue to stay here playing with your imbeciles, Miss Cheerilee, then I suggest you watch your tone.” She turned back to her daughter, “Pick yourself up, Diamond Tiara, we didn’t raise you to act like a simpering weakling. Lift that head high, girl!” Di did so, fighting back the tears that threatened to erupt at any moment. Spoiled Rich sniffed imperiously, “Now, Randolph will be here to collect you after school and take you straight to Midas’ manor. Be sure to be on your best behaviour, as I will not want to hear of anything but glowing reports when we return, do you understand?” “Yes, mother” Di said quietly. “What was that?” Diamond Tiara lifted her head, “Yes, mother!” “Humph!” Spoiled Rich turned to leave, pausing for a moment to cast a look at Cheerilee, “I will let your attitude slide this time, Miss Cheerilee, but don’t think my patience has no limits. I can assure you, it does.” Di glanced up at her teacher. Cheerilee said nothing, but to her credit she didn’t back down nor did her eyes show anything other than a cold contempt for the older pink mare. She felt a shudder run through her spine, barely noticing the sound of the carriage heading off back down the lane from the school. She tried to take a breath to calm herself, but instead found herself nearly choking. Celestia’s feathers, her hooves wouldn’t stop trembling! “Diamond? Are you alright?” The magenta mare’s pale green eyes looked right into Di’s, her voice calming and full of genuine concern. The little filly nodded, “Of course, Miss Cheerilee.” She didn’t seem convinced, “Are you sure? You can go and lie down in the nurses office for a while if you like.” “No thank you,” Di said quietly, “I’m perfectly fine.” Cheerilee closed her eyes and nodded, “Diamond, if anything is troubling you, you can always come and speak to me any time you like. Right?” Diamond took a breath, “Yes, Miss. Can I go now?” “Of course” Cheerilee turned slowly to watch the pink filly dash off along the corridor towards the freedom of the playground and her friends before letting out the pent up breath she’d been holding in. She was a teacher, a guiding light for young minds and hearts on their way to adulthood, and yet…and yet she could only do so much, couldn’t she? Spoiled Rich was an obnoxious creature, and one who was quite content to spread that bitter and poisonous attitude of hers wherever and whenever she could. And yet despite that, her husband doted on their daughter and gave her anything she asked for, which did little to help Diamond Tiara’s own attitude towards the other children. Cheerilee sighed and walked into the staff room; money didn’t buy everything, although a little more of it could certainly be put to good use buying new furniture and repairing the leaking roof, but at least she had a home to go to that was warm and cosy. It was far more than little Diamond Tiara had. In her home there were no cruel words to wound her heart, no cold stares or unrealistic expectations from a mother who treated her as an inconvenience in her life. No, money couldn’t buy everything, but perhaps that was why Spoiled was the way she was; perhaps it was the way her husband happily gave in to their daughter’s every whim that had tainted Spoiled’s heart to create the empty creature she was today. Then again, maybe she’d always been that way. Cheerilee looked up at the clock; a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt. She sighed and put down her pen, staring at the words on the notepad. Somehow, without even realising it, she’d written her unspoken thoughts: Money can’t buy a mother’s love. She quickly ripped out the page and threw it in the bin. Nopony needed to see that, least of all… Cheerilee gave herself a shake; she was meeting Big Mac tonight, she didn’t want to be in a state when she saw him. No, she had something to look forward to, and there was no sense in dwelling on things she had no control over. No matter how much they hurt… ******************** “Silv?” Diamond raised herself up on her hind legs, trying to find her friend. Where in Equestria was she? “SILVER? Si-” her eyes fell upon a sight she never thought she’d see… “Silver Spoon?” She couldn’t believe it; the silver-grey filly was sat with three others: an orange filly with magenta hair, a white one with lavender and pink hair, and the third one of the troop, the yellow one with the red hair and that ridiculously large bow in her mane. Silver was…she was… “Di?” Silver Spoon looked up to see her friend’s wide eyed expression, “Apple Bloom asked if we wanted to play marbles with them and-” “You…you’re playing marbles? With them?!” Diamond Tiara’s eye twitched in indignation, her voice failing her as she tried to come to grips with what she was seeing right in front of her. “Silver Spoon, I…I thought…” She swallowed and took a breath, “No, I do NOT want to play marbles with these three…imbeciles!” Di closed her eyes and lifted her muzzle, “I thought you had more decorum, Silver Spoon, than to lower yourself to the level of the gutter, playing in the dirt with these…blank flanks.” “Hey!” The orange one, Scootaloo, dared to face her with a look of outrage…outrage! “Who do you think you are, Miss Perfect? We asked Silver to come and play with us because you’d run off and left her on her own!” “I had important matters to attend to, chicken wings, and that’s a lot more important than rolling little glass balls around in the filth.” Diamond Tiara’s expression changed to a cruel leer, “A place I’m sure you’d feel right at home. If you had one.” Scootaloo sat upright, her mouth opening in shock. “That’s mean, Diamond Tiara! You apologise now!” It was Apple Bloom, the country bumpkin now. Di had anticipated this, “Ah yes, the mud grubber. Tired of snuffling for worms on that sess pit you call a farm, Apple Boob? Decided to try and better yourself by stealing the friends of your betters?” The white filly jumped up now, her bi-coloured mane bristling, “You take that back! I thought better of you Diamond Tiara. Your mother and mine have been friends for years. I thought she’d have brought you up better than this!” How…how DARE she! Diamond Tiara’s teeth bared, her tail lashing wildly, making Silver cringe back in fright, “You little freak!” Diamond screeched, “You think you’re so special do you? You think you’re something because your family happened to get lucky and make enough bits to buy their daughters a cattle shed you laughingly call a boutique? I wouldn’t put those rags on pigs!” “Di…Please.” A pair of blue eyes filled Diamond Tiara’s vision, “Please, don’t do this, they didn’t mean any harm.” “YES THEY DID!” Di howled. Her eyes were beginning to sting in the corners, her heart hammering in her chest, “They’re trying to steal my friend from me, and you…you betrayed me! You’ve turned your back on me, after everything we’ve been through together, you stab me in the back!” “I haven’t Di…” Silver tried. “Hey you!” Scootaloo growled, pushing Silver to one side, “If this is how you speak to your friend, it’s no wonder nopony likes you.” The orange filly nodded her head as if affirming her own words, “We asked her to play with us, that’s all.” Apple Bloom stepped up, “Yeah! If you can’t deal with your friend having other friends, then you’re just a big dummy.” “Girls, please…” Silver tried to intervene, but was pushed away by a slender pink leg, “Oh, I’m sorry” Di said in a menacingly low voice, “I should have remembered, you three are always right aren’t you? I mean, we all know that, don’t we? The, what is it you call yourselves? The ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders’ wasn’t it?” Di tossed her mane and smirked, “Three babies trying to act all grown up. It’s no wonder the teachers treat you all as if you’re something special. You’re ‘special’ alright…very ‘special’.” “Diamond Tiara!” Sweetie Belle squeaked. Apple Bloom looked confused as she tried to work out what the pink pony was referring to, and even Scootaloo was glancing at her friends for help. It was all the gap Diamond Tiara needed, “Oh, forgive me, girls, a little over your head was it? I can understand poor Apple Boob feeling a bit lost lost with words of more than one syllable, of course. After all, being a country bumpkin does come with some more ‘innate’ difficulties, doesn’t it? I mean, what with all those ‘close’ family members.” Di tapped her chin thoughtfully, “All with the same name too…makes you wonder, doesn’t it?” She turned on Scootaloo before she could open her mouth, “As for dear Scoota-poo here, I mean, what can you expect from a pony who doesn’t even know who her own parents are?” She held up a hoof in exaggerated mock sympathy, “Poor thing, it must be so difficult for you at the orphanage every night.” “SHUT UP!” Scootaloo yelled, “I’m sick of you! We all are, you’re nasty, mean ,and twisted!” “Am I? So many names you have for me, Scoota-poo.” Diamond Tiara shook her head sadly, “And yet there is one name to describe you that you never hear, do you? And yet, it’s so apt.” Di smiled, “Do you know what they call foals with no parents, you flightless dodo?” Her eyes narrowed… “DI!” Silver Spoon shook her head furiously, upsetting her glasses, “Don’t! You’re going too-” “Bastard.” Silver tried to stop her, she really did, but it was far, far too late. Scootaloo span around in a whirl of orange fur and buzzing wings, her hind hooves shooting out like lightning, straight towards Diamond Tiara’s face. It all happened in the blink of an eye and yet at the same time, Silver felt as though she were dragging her hooves through treacle. The silver-grey foal pushed forward, trying to shove her friend out of the way, trying to stop the fight that was already off the starting blocks and heading unstoppably towards its conclusion. There was a sickening crack that made everypony in the school yard look round. All they saw was the figure of a small pony on the hard ground…and four fillies staring at her in horror. “S…Silv…?” Diamond Tiara leaned down slowly, her hooves trembling, “Silver? Silver, I…are you…?” The little grey filly opened on eye, wincing in pain as darkness began to press in on her, “Di? Are you…alright? You’re not hurt are you?” She lifted her hoof weakly up to her friend. Diamond Tiara caught her friend’s hoof, “Am I alright?” She couldn’t fathom what she was seeing, let alone hearing. Di’s heart was in her throat, tears pouring down her cheeks, “Oh, Silv! Silver!” “I’m…I’m sorry, Di, I didn’t want you to…” Silver closed her eyes, “I’m so tired, I…” “SILVER!” Diamond Tiara squeezed her friend’s hoof to her chest as the silver-grey filly collapsed, “Somepony get a teacher! For Celestia’s sake, hurry!” Everypony began running around in a blind panic, shouting and yelling all at once. It was a storm of emotion, a tempest of sound with only Silver Spoon and her friend at the centre of it - a centre where time seemed to slow to a virtual stop. Di hugged her friend’s head to her chest and cried, her tears soaking into the warm fur of the only one who had ever treated her with kindness, and as a…a friend. Where was Miss? Where was the teacher? Why was this taking so long?! She rubbed the salty tears away from her muzzle and looked up into the wide eyes of the orange monster that had…that had… “YOU!” Di shrieked, her face contorting in horror and despair, “This is all your fault! You did this! You killed her! YOU MONSTER, YOU KILLED MY FRIEND!” “I…I didn’t…” Scootaloo began to babble. “Get out of here!” Di screeched, “Get your stinking foulness out of here! I don’t want to breath the same air as a beast like you!” “I…” “Diamond Tiara? Who’s…” The familiar magenta mare appeared like a goddess from the throng of children all pressing in to get a view of what was happening, “Silver Spoon? Oh, no…” Cheerilee quickly began checking the prostate form before her, “What happened to her?” “Scootaloo bucked her!” Diamond Tiara choked, “Right…right in her head!” Cheerilee glowered at Diamond Tiara, then looked round at Scootaloo who was just standing there like a statue with tears dropping from her cheeks like rain. She took a breath and motioned to Diamond Tiara, “Go to Mister Cellar’s room, and tell him to call for an ambulance. Quickly!” Diamond Tiara didn’t say another word. She ran like the wind, pushing the others out of the way and dodging past more who were pressing in to try and see what all the commotion was about. Normally she would have berated them for such mob like behaviour, but now she could only focus on her goal: Mister Cellar, the school bursar. Rounding the corner into the staff room corridor, she nearly collided with him coming out of his office with a coffee floating in the glow of his magic. “Sir!” Diamond Tiara slammed to a halt, “Miss…Miss…Miss Cheerilee said…” “Calm down, girl!” The cherry red teacher adjusted his small round glasses and put his cup down as he tried to calm the panicked student, “Take a deep breath…that’s a good girl. Now, tell me what’s up.” The pink filly closed her eyes, took a breath, and began… Outside the trees went by in a blur, the polished brass bell on the carriage’s roof ringing out its urgent warning to others to move out of the way as the driver’s hooves thundered along the cobbled streets, hurtling the ambulance around corners and taking them ever closer to their destination. Di stared out of the window, her mouth dry with fear; she’d seen Silver like this before, like when she’d collapsed during their ballet practice. She hadn’t known what to do then and she didn’t know now either; but in reality, what could she do? She was just a child, a child lost in a world where adults controlled everything and she was incessantly pulled along this way and that like a paper boat on a raging river. Miss Cheerilee sat opposite her, talking to the white coated nurse. The nurse’s eyes were a piercing blue, her pink mane tied up in a bun beneath her small white cap adorned with a red cross. She must know what she was doing; even her cutie mark was a red cross - the sign of medicine…wasn’t it? She didn’t know! Oh…Oh, Silver…! Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as she clenched her teeth and hung on to the straps for dear life as the ambulance took another corner. “Her breathing’s back to normal and I’ve done what I can to stabilize her.” The nurse lifted one of Silver’s eyelids and, with a small torch in her mouth, peered into the grey filly’s eyes. She clucked her tongue and made a note on the clipboard, “Has this happened before?” Cheerilee shook her head but turned to the pink filly across from her, “Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon is your friend. Has this ever happened to her before?” Di nodded, “Yes.” “Do you know who her family doctor is?” The nurse asked. Di nodded again, “Doctor Sartorius. He’s our family doctor too.” “Do you know him, Nurse Redheart?” Cheerilee asked. The nurse thought for a moment and nodded, “Yes, he’s a consultant from Quilon Crossroads, to the east of Ponyville.” “That’s miles away!” Cheerilee exclaimed. Nurse Redheart lifted the thermometer in her hoof and shook her head, “It is, but we can send a pegasus messenger to bring him to the hospital. It won’t be long by sky chariot.” “Is it that serious?” the teacher asked, staring down at the unconscious filly, “I know a buck can break a jaw, but the girl who did it is only little.” She rubbed her muzzle in disbelief at what had happened, “I can understand bruising and some swelling, maybe even a chipped tooth, but this?” The white coated nurse shrugged as she continued to make notes, “A buck can cause concussion, broken bones, or worse.” She steadied herself as the ambulance leaned around a corner, “I had to deal with a stallion who took a buck to the throat last summer after a drunken brawl.” She gave Cheerilee a hard look, “There’s a reason we teach children not to do this.” Cheerilee swallowed, her heart sinking. Of course they knew not to do this, and as a rule ponies didn’t buck each other unless they were in a serious fight because of the horrible injuries they could cause. Certainly she’d caught children play fighting from time to time, it was just another part of growing and learning, but without fail either herself or one the other teachers had ensured they’d had stern words with them afterwards. But this? This was no play fighting that had got out of hoof. She looked up at Diamond Tiara, but her face was as unreadable as it had been since she’d pushed her way into the ambulance with them. What had happened in the playground? What had caused a normally pleasant, if rather boisterous filly, to kick another girl in the head? She decided against speaking to Diamond Tiara about it now; the poor girl was distraught about her friend without worrying her any more than she already was. Instead, she leaned over and patted her on the leg, “She’ll be alright.” Di nodded in reply. She wasn’t so sure. Silver had told her about these ‘faints’ of hers, and the way her family reacted the other day when it had happened, had been a lot more than she would have expected for a mere faint. Pony feathers! She’d fainted before, and her mother had just come along and rubbed her face with a damp cloth and told her to get up! Or got Randolph to do it of course – that was more like something she’d do. Perish the thought mother would sully her hooves with a damp rag! The ambulance barely slowed before it abruptly came to a halt. Moments later the driver pulled the rear doors open with a thump as other uniformed medical staff brought up a trolley which Silver was quickly slid onto. Di couldn’t believe the speed everything was happening at – it was all she could do to just keep up. Nurse Redheart had already dashed off to speak to another doctor while her friend was whisked away down corridor after corridor, the large brass lanterns overhead making everything seem so bright and dazzlingly white it was like being inside an enormous cube of ice. Silver was wheeled through a set of double doors and Di followed, only to be stopped by a white overcoated stallion, “Sorry, Miss, you can’t come in here.” “What?!” Di gasped, “That’s my friend!” “I understand,” the pony said, “but the doctors need to look at her now, and visitors, even friends, have to wait out here.” He turned to leave but looked back over his shoulder, trying a smile, “We’ll let you know when you can see her.” “But…!” The doors swung shut, an unlocked and unpassable barrier between the pink filly and her lifelong friend. The friend she couldn’t help. “Diamond Tiara? Here, come and sit down for a moment will you?” Miss Cheerilee motioned towards a seat and produced two bottles of chilled carrot juice, “Thirsty?” Di nodded and gratefully took the bottle, all but downing it in one go and making herself cough. Cheerilee was straight there, rubbing the filly’s back and cooing at her soothingly. It felt…strange. She wasn’t used to being touched, and as a rule she hated anypony even attempting it. Mother didn’t do it, neither did father much, so why should anypony else think they had the right to encroach upon her personal space? But…it still felt…nice. A warm sensation began to fill her: a peculiar, unexpected sense of ‘closeness’ that she couldn’t explain, yet one that turned the key to her heart as surely as night follows day. “Shhh…it’s alright, it’s alright…” Di didn’t reply. Instead, she just pushed her muzzle into the magenta mare’s fur and let the barriers, those long built walls, crumble as her pent up anguish burst forth. Tears welled in her eyes and spilled over, rolling down her cheeks and soaking into her fur before dropping away to the cold unforgiving tiled floor. Some dripped onto Miss Cheerilee, but she didn’t seem to mind though, rather she held her all the more, speaking softly and gently as she stroked her now bedraggled mane. Diamond Tiara didn’t care who looked, she wasn’t bothered about the curious glances of passing ponies. No…none of them mattered, none of them, only her friend. Pain and heartache filled her being while the warm comforting softness of Miss Cheerilee held her in a gentle embrace that said that it was alright to feel sad, it was fine to feel afraid and helpless, because deep down, right at the very core of our being, we are always alone. It was here, now, in this life that a pony could find a friend and find comfort, until that far off day you left to take your place in the eternal herd and be with your loved ones once again. She knew the stories, the words of comfort and kindness from the temple of the two sisters; her family went there every Sunday to pray to the goddesses. And still, as much as she sang the hymns, as much as her parents would sing as loud as possible to try and be ‘the’ voice above all others, the words had never seemed to carry much meaning. They were hollow, devoid of substance, and the ponies there were only really there because it was the ‘done thing’ to go and be seen. Did it give her family a sense of moral superiority somehow? Is that why they did it? But if it did, and their words truly meant nothing, then…then that would anger the goddesses, wouldn’t it? To pray to such beings and not mean the words you spoke in your heart, then they would know, wouldn’t they? Di squeezed into Cheerilee, burying her muzzle into her fur. All those years repeating the mantras, mouthing the boring words and only wishing for it to end as quickly as possible so she could go home, and now…now she needed the goddesses, really needed them, and…and… She suddenly pushed herself away and climbed down onto the floor. “Diamond?” Cheerilee asked in surprise. The filly shook her head, “I’m going for a walk.” “No, Diamond don’t, please. I know you’re upset but I don’t want you wandering off on your own. What if Silver wakes up? She’ll want to see you” Cheerilee reasoned. “She’ll need a friend to be here for her.” “I…” Di closed her eyes, “I don’t…” She paused and lifted her muzzle to ceiling, sniffing back a tear, “I’m going to the bathroom.” Cheerilee sighed and gave a reluctant nod, “Straight back, now. We don’t want to be sending out ponies to look for you, alright?” Di said nothing and merely walked away, half looking at the numerous signs and posters that felt far too colourful for how she felt inside. Words she couldn’t read, let alone pronounce, pointed to places she’d never seen, nor cared about. She kept walking, a hollow emptiness overwhelming her and making her feel numb and...alone. Goddesses help her, she was so alone… She looked up and one of the signs registered in her mind, thankfully displaying the familiar picture of a prancing mare beside a rearing stallion. Bodily needs pushed their way through her clouded mind; that juice had gone right through her and she was genuinely beginning to feel distinctly uncomfortable, as well as already being sticky and warm from all the crying. She pushed open the door to the bathroom and paused, glancing back along the corridor as if at any moment the familiar silver-grey filly would simply appear with those ridiculous glasses and her shy smile. Di closed her eyes and gave herself a shake; none of this was fair, was it? None of it… She smiled grimly to herself and entered the porcelain world of the bathroom. In the hallway, sat upon one of the cold hard chairs, Cheerilee sat and waited. She’d had years of dealing with the usual day to day playground bumps and bruises children got. There’d been the normal plethora of black eyes, grazes, and even that awful incident when one of the children had climbed the outside stairs to the first floor and slid back down the wooden banister rail. She shuddered; she could still hear the scream even now. The poor colt’s parents were beyond livid, and rightly so. Why in Equestria had the wood been left to deteriorate to the point it was in such poor condition? That large splinter had been reported several times and yet nothing had been done about it until it was too late: far too late for their poor boy. Good grief, that splinter had probably ruined his chances of ever having foals of his own. Cheerilee felt a shiver run down her spine; she had different anatomy, but by Celestia her knees still went weak at the mere thought of what he’d gone through. Still, at least if one good thing came out of that dreadful incident, it was that the stairs had been altered to prevent any chance of a re-occurance – not that they actually needed to do it, as there was probably nopony in Ponyville who hadn’t heard the story of young ‘Nutless’. Poor ‘Bill Fold’, his family had moved to Manehattan after that and Bill Fold was apparently now working in the banking sector. She smiled; hopefully, he was doing all right… Her train of thought was disturbed by a tan coated unicorn who had dashed through the main doors and turned to stare at her, “Are you here with Silver Spoon?” he asked. Cheerilee nodded, “I’m her teacher. Silver’s in the theatre there.” She motioned towards the double doors with the red light overhead still glowing, “Doctor Sartorius, isn’t it?” The stallion bobbed his head, “Correct, Miss. Now, if you’ll excuse me?” Cheerilee gave a dry smile as the doctor hurried through the doors and was lost from sight. This was always the worst part of visiting hospital – the waiting. No matter what you did you always seemed to be waiting. You got there early, you waited, you got there on time, you waited, when you were waiting for somepony else, you waited even longer. Great galloping alicorns, couldn’t these ponies tell the time?! She looked up at the sound of hooves walking slowly towards her and the distressingly lost expression of Diamond Tiara. Her face was damp from where she’d rinsed it and her eyes were puffy and red from crying. Cheerilee sighed; she couldn’t even begin to imagine what sort of home life the little filly had with that awful mare Spoiled Rich, and it didn’t help her at all the way she seemed to go out of her way to alienate herself from the rest of the class. She had her own theories as to why she did it of course, and most of those were centred around Diamond’s home life. All she could hope was that one day this young lady would find her own place in the world and choose a path that didn’t follow in the hoofsteps of her mother. Equestria had no place for the sort of obnoxious behaviour she’d witnessed today. Di climbed up onto the chair beside her teacher without a word. She felt a little a better after splashing her face, but it did nothing to ease the heaviness in her heart. “Doctor Sartorius is here” Cheerilee said gently, “He’s in there with her now.” “Mmm.” Cheerilee gave her a reassuring hug, “Come on now, I know its hard for you, but she’s getting the best of care in there. I used to go to school with Nurse Redheart and she’s wonderful with young ones like Silver.” “Mmm.” Cheerilee didn’t know what to say. Perhaps bringing Diamond Tiara here was a mistake; the child had enough to contend with as it was without being laboured with having to sit in a hospital wondering what was happening to her friend. She nodded to herself; if she didn’t hear anything soon, then she’d arrange to have her sent to her grandparents and wait for Silver Spoon’s family who should already be on their way to the hospital. As much as she hated to admit it she couldn’t stand these places, irrespective of the necessity of them or the bright light and flower arrangements that had been placed here and there to try and lighten the oppressive atmosphere. Still, if it wasn’t for ponies like Nurse Redheart and Doctor Sartorius….well, it didn’t even bear thinking about, did it? The door opened to the theatre; it was the doctor. “Miss Cheerilee? Do you have Silver Spoon’s school panniers?” The magenta mare furrowed her brown in surprise, but caught herself and nodded, “Why…yes, they’re here.” She lifted up a pair of pink matching bags embroidered with a representation of Silver’s cutie mark, “I brought them in case her parents arrived and-” Cheerilee squeaked in surprise as the tan unicorn stallion suddenly leaned forward, grabbed the panniers in his magic and vanished back into the theatre without another word. “Well!” She sputtered, “That was rude!” Di chuckled despite herself. She’d have to tell Silver about this when she was better! If nothing else it might cheer her up a little. Come to think of it though, why did the doctor need her panniers? Hmm…very curious indeed. Unfortunately however, it was obvious she’d have a lot of time to think about – a lot of time. Ponies came and went as the minutes turned to hours with still no sign nor word of Silver. Occasionally Nurse Redheart would dash out of the room only to go back in carrying more equipment without so much as a word. To the hospital staff, the mare and filly sat outside in the corridor were a secondary concern to the fragile life lying on the bed in the brightly lit operating theatre. Once it was over, when they had done all they could, then it would be time to speak to them, but for now, Silver was the centre of a whirlwind of attention... She floated in a sea of…nothing. Calm and quiet surrounded her like a blanket; it was so quiet here, so peaceful, with only the faint hush of what sounded like waves lapping against the shores to disturb the tranquillity – yet even that was making her sleepy. A sense of calm and peace held her in its gentle embrace, caressing her mane and singing a song her father had sung to her as a foal, Hush now, quiet now, time to lay your sleepy head… “Papa?” Shhh. Time to sleep my little angel, time to rest. “I…I don’t want to, I…” There’s no need to be afraid Silver, it’s alright. There is nothing to fear here… “But I want to go home, Papa, I want to be with you and Mama.” A gentle warmth rustled her mane, a tickle that made her fears melt away. Shhh. Sleep now, you will be with your loved ones soon, very soon… Silver Spoon opened her eyes and looked around in the darkness, “You’re not my papa.” She rubbed her muzzle and gave herself a shake, “Who…who are you?” The darkness remained silent. Silver turned around, staring into the nothingness. Part of her was screaming at her not to, to just remain quiet and rest, while another part began to burn with indignation and…defiance? She wasn’t used to this! What was this? She had no idea where she was or what was happening, but deep down inside something stirred…something she hadn’t felt very often and had kept suppressed since she was a foal. Now, afraid and alone, the little filly locked onto the feeling for comfort, fanning the flame, teasing it up and out until it was blazing like a white hot inferno. She closed her eyes and gave herself over to it completely. Silver huffed and lowered her front legs, dropping into a fighting stance, “Who are you?” she snorted, “Show yourself.” Ah! Now there is a sight I have not seen in some time. The voice sounded different now; no longer the kindly, gentle sound of a comforting parent, but one that radiated power which could shake the heavens. Silver swallowed, waiting for something to happen, glancing to her left and right, checking behind her in case anything was trying to- “And so we meet…” The voice made her spin around to face…a colt: a small, grey coated colt. Silver blinked in surprise, but didn’t let her guard down. “Who are you?” she asked. The colt laughed, “Me? I am you! Or more specifically, a memory that lives within you.” Silver’s mind was reeling as she watched the grey coated colt smiling at her. His big yellow eyes glinted in the darkness the same colour as his mane, but as much as he frightened her, she didn’t feel afraid…and that didn’t make any sense at all! None of this did! Although…although, he didn’t seem to mean any harm to her. She gave herself a shake, “So…’Memory’, do you have a name?” The colt screwed up his face, “Do I?” He appeared to think for a moment, “If I did, I no longer recall what it was.” He shrugged, “Does it trouble you?” “No.” Silver raised herself back up, keeping a safe distance in case he tried to surprise her, “But I need to call you something.” She scratched her chin in thought, “A memory that can’t remember…” She cast her mind back to her language studies; ancient Equestrian she absolutely hated, Llamalian was all squawks and honks, Yakistani sound like somepony being sick into a bucket, but there was one word she liked in Germane that seemed particularly ‘relevant’, and came to her almost immediately. Still, it was a little long and would need abbreviating. Silver nodded to herself, her decision made, “I’ll call you ‘Erin’.” “As you wish” The colt said dismissively. Silver felt like face hoofing, but instead kept her voice calm and level, “Where are we?” “Where are you, you mean” the colt corrected. He tapped his temple with a hoof, “You are inside your own head.” “So I’m inside my own head talking to myself, and I’m also a grey colt who can’t remember his own name?” Silver sat down on her haunches and groaned, “I’ve gone mad, haven’t I.” The colt shrugged, “Maybe. Do you think you have?” “How should I know!” Silver barked angrily, “I don’t normally speak to myself like this, do I?!” The fire within her began to burn brighter, “You’d better start explaining what’s going on here, Erin, or I’m going to get really, really angry!” “Well I’m sure doing that will solve everything” the grey colt chuckled, “Going to start yelling at yourself are you? Ponies really will think you’ve gone mad then!” “You’re infuriating!” Silver snorted, tossing her mane. “Do I annoy you?” Erin asked with a smirk, “Do I rankle and irritate? Do I infuriate you and send you spiralling into a rage of snarling teeth and bone cracking hooves?” “You’ll find out in a moment, boy!” Silver roared, “Answer my damned question!” Erin raised an eyebrow at the snarling creature before him and nodded to himself, “Yes…” He sat back on his haunches and closed his eyes, “It has been so long…so, so long…” “What has?” Silver asked. The colt just nodded, “You are her child, aren’t you…” Silver watched him for a moment, her anger still simmering, “Who?” “Her name, was Golden Spoon” Erin said with a hint of bitterness but also a tinge of...pride? “I can see her light within you, and her spirit.” A shiver ran through Silver’s body, “Golden Spoon died a thousand years ago” she said emphatically, “I’m not her daughter.” Erin lifted his head and stared up into the non existent sky, “A thousand years…” He took a breath, “Has it been that long?” Giving himself a shake he watched Silver and smiled, “I am a part of you, but this…” He waved a hoof around himself indicating the dark emptiness that surrounded them, “This should not be.” “Erin, can you please stop talking in riddles?” Silver asked resignedly, “I don’t understand any of this!” Erin’s big yellow eyes, like two pools of molten gold, watched Silver as if he could read her soul. Eventually, he nodded to himself, “You are not of the tribe” he said, “You have our colouring in your coat, but your eyes and hair are different. You are not a unicorn either.” He scratched his mane, “Your eyes are as one who has seen the other world, but for one so young, I cannot be certain.” Erin shook his head, “I must think on this more.” “What?” Silver’s ire was up, “What do you mean I’m ‘not of the tribe’? And what other world?” “As I said, I must think on this more” Erin replied. Silver neighed, her tail lashing, “Well why not?” she growled, “Take all the time in the world, it’s not like I’m going anywhere!” The grey colt watched her quietly and then let out a loud bark of laughter, “I was right about you!” He lifted a hoof and stomped it back down, making the world shake, “You are the daughter of that mare! A thousand years or no, you are her daughter.” Erin looked up and bared his teeth, “YES! Soon, oh, so soon!” He span around in a circle and abruptly jumped in the air, landing right in front of Silver’s muzzle, “Do you feel it, girl? Do you feel the fire inside your heart?” “F…Fire?” Silver’s mane bristled as the huge yellow eyes bore into hers, “What are you blathering about?” “The Fire!” Erin growled, “The ice that burns within you, that’s sings in the night and longs for the clouds and to soar through the cloud seas of winter’s bitterest eve.” He nodded to himself, “You may not understand, being one so young, but it is there…I see it within you.” Erin pushed forward, his mouth inches from her ear, “It calls to you. The children of the goddess call to their own, to sing the songs of the northern snows.” He breathed into her ear, “Silver Spoon…” “GET AWAY FROM ME!” Silver reached out and shoved the colt back roughly, “How dare you! Who do you think you are!” Erin laughed, “I already told you: I am you, or at least a part of you. And if you cannot accept yourself for who you are, then there is nothing anypony can do to help you.” “So who am I then, Erin.” Silver snorted, “Tell me, who am I really?” “Why, you’re Silver Spoon of course” Erin laughed, “daughter of Golden Spoon.” He suddenly grinned, “Child of the moon.” “I am not a child of the moon!” Silver shrieked, “I…I’m not!” “You can shout to the heavens and scream at the Gods,” Erin said with a sly smirk on his face, “but what is, is. A tree may wish to be a bird, young Silver, but it is what it is.” He jabbed a hoof at her, “You cannot change what fate has given you.” He laughed, “Let us see what the future brings us, and rejoice - whatever our fate may be.” Silver didn’t know what to say. She just stood and stared wide eyed at the colt and felt a wash of cold flow over her. “See!” Erin called, “The moon shines down upon it’s children and shows us the way to the goddess’s light!” He sounded excited, almost ranting. Silver looked up to where he was pointing and sure enough… “The moon…” Silver whispered. Erin stood on his hind legs, reaching out towards the celestial orb, “She is calling to you, Silver. Go to her, go to our goddess and bask in her eternal light!” Numb, Silver stood on her hind legs, reaching up as Erin was: reaching, stretching for the moon. Why, she didn’t know. It felt ridiculous, foolish even, and yet deep inside her there was that tiny element of her soul that seemed to resonate with it. Was she a child of the moon? Was Luna her goddess? She closed her eyes, took a breath, and threw herself to the mercy of the night and plunged into the ice cold waters of- “Silver?” “Di?” Silver Spoon blinked her dry eyes and gradually began to focus on the large blood shot blue eyes of the pink foal staring at her. She took a breath and winced slightly, “You’ve been crying.” “I’ve been…I’ve been crying?!” Diamond Tiara shook her mane, “You…you loony! Why do you think I’ve been crying?” She reached forward and gently put her forelegs around her friend, “Why do you think?” Di began to shake, “Oh, Silver, I thought…I thought you’d…” She couldn’t finish and just clung to the little silver grey filly and wept as her friend stroked her mane. “It’s alright, Di, I’m fine, really!” Silver tried a laugh, but she was so tired all she wanted was to sleep. She smacked her lips and despite her dry mouth, she could detect an oddly familiar taste – a sort of minty cool, yet metallic, almost salty taste. Whatever it was, she had no idea. Doctor Sartorius walked up to her and, after checking her eyes, nodded to the others sat around the bed with a relieved smile, “Well, Silver, there’s little more we can do for you here. I’d suggest we get you home for a couple of days rest before you go back to school. I’m sure Miss Cheerilee here will have plenty of homework for you to catch up on.” Silver groaned as the magenta pony laughed. “I can help!” Diamond Tiara said animatedly, “Your mother said I could stay with you instead of my Grandpa!” “She did?” Silver scrunched up her face in thought and took a mouthful of the water Cheerilee passed her. It almost hurt swallowing, but it was worth it to get rid of the weird taste in her mouth, “Where is she?” “She’s…” Cheerilee began, but Di chimed in instead, “She’s outside talking to Randolph. He’s been to see Grandpa and he said I can ‘do what I bloody well like’. So there!” “Diamond Tiara!” Cheerilee said in an admonishing tone, “Don’t use language like that!” The pink filly shrugged, “Grandpa said it.” “I know, but he’s an adult. Young ones shouldn’t use horrible words like that!” Cheerilee shook her head, “What would your father say?” “Father would…” Di frowned, “He…” She took a breath and sighed loudly, “Yes, Miss Cheerilee.” The magenta mare looked up at the doctor, “Are you sure she can go so soon?” Doctor Sartorius nodded, “Absolutely. She just needs to rest now, so there’s no point in keeping her here. Being at home in familiar surrounding will do her the world of good, but I’ll call round and check on her in a few days anyway. Just, please make sure this doesn’t happen again, eh?” Cheerilee groaned inwardly; keeping children out of scrapes, bumps, fights and who knew what else youngsters got into during their formative years, was about as practical as yelling at the wind to stop blowing. It was easy for the doctor to ask something like this, but she couldn’t treat Silver like some special snowflake or else the other children would end up paying undue attention to her. She’d seen it before, and it hadn’t ended well despite the best intentions of the teachers. Instead, she’d have a word with Diamond Tiara and ask her to take care of her friend and to keep out of fights while she herself watched discreetly from a distance. Come to think of it, what had started the fight in the first place? Scootaloo was fiery little thing of course and that was probably down to her pegasi nature, but to actually buck another pony in the face? No, something had pushed her to do that. She scratched her ear in thought and looked up at the sound of Lady Spoon running into the room and hugging her daughter in a flood of emotional tears. Beside them, Diamond Tiara looked indignant at having been replaced in the attention stakes, but…Cheerilee sighed; she already knew what, or rather who the catalyst had been to the whole dreadful experience didn’t she. And it was pink with blue eyes. ********************* Lady Spoon finished dealing with the girls and closed the door to the playroom behind her to face the magenta mare. In the large building, the door latch sounded unnaturally loud making the younger one flinch. Lark closed her eyes and took a breath to calm her heart; as angry and as frightened as she’d been at first, the overwhelming feeling of relief at having Silver home and well again overrode any other concerns she may have. Children got into fights of course, it was unfortunately a part of growing up, but to have her precious daughter – she winced – actually bucked! She shook her head, adjusted her dress and descended the stairs with Miss Cheerilee in tow. The younger mare looked exhausted and it was no surprise, she’d been with her daughter all day and even accompanied them to their home despite having herself and Sebastian collect them in the family carriage. It was just as well too; she hadn’t envisaged they’d be bringing Diamond Tiara back with them, but old Randolph had been surprisingly supportive of his young charges suggestion and a pegasus courier had swiftly returned with the message from the girl’s grandfather giving his particularly uniquely worded assent – The miserable old goat! “Lady Spoon, has anything like this happened to Silver before?” Cheerilee asked. Lark raised an eyebrow, “She hasn’t been bucked in the face before, no.” A moment later she caught herself and sighed, “I…Miss Cheerilee, forgive me, today has been rather taxing for me and I shouldn’t be taking it out on you.” She gave Cheerilee a gentle smile, “I’m sure you understand.” Cheerilee nodded, “I don’t have children of my own, but I can understand how frightening it must be for a parent when something like this happens. I can assure you though, I will be looking into finding out exactly what happened when I return to the school.” Lark held out a hoof, “Please, join me for a cup of tea, won’t you?” The grandfather clock in the lobby chimed and Cheerilee looked up at the time. It was getting late, and already past the time she was supposed to be meeting with a certain large red stallion for an evening at the theatre. Even if she ran, even if Sebastian took her home, it was far too late. She’d have to make it up to him somehow, but the big lug was so gentle and kind he’d probably already forgiven her. Hopefully. Still, it was something she wished she could have avoided, and now thoughts of what she should have done, or could have done, began to race through her mind. Cheerilee fought them down and nodded politely to Lady Spoon, “I’d be delighted.” The maid brought in the tea, placing a magnificent selection of triangular cut sandwiches and dainty pastries beside the silver pot. Cheerilee stared at the beautifully glazed bone china cups and swallowed – sometimes she wasn’t the most careful mare with fragile things and these looked like they could shatter with even a slight breeze! She’d have to be extra careful. “Mrs Cream’s sandwiches are superb” Lark said, motioning towards the mouth watering selection, “and the cakes come from a specialist bakery in Ponyville.” Cheerilee nodded; she knew Mr and Mrs Cake well, and also how good their products were, but these? She marvelled at the tiny creations that were all sorts of colours, shapes, and filled with who knew what deliciously mysterious contents. Oh, and the smell! Simply…divine… She selected a sandwich and a cake before accepting the tea poured out by the maid. “Thank you Rinse, that will be all.” The maid curtsied, “Yes, milady.” Cheerilee stared in amazement; she’d heard about how the upper classes lived, but…but this! Good grief, if she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes… She gazed at the sandwich on her plate and thought back to the massive slabs of bread, cheese and haybacon she enjoyed. The way the sauce spurted out of the overloaded creations and a stoneware mug of ginger ale suddenly seemed painfully crude. The door closed. “You are obviously aware that our Silver’s ‘injury’ was not the sole cause of her…fainting.” Lark closed her eyes and breathed in the steam from her tea before taking a delicate sip, “What I tell you now, Miss Cheerilee, is not under any circumstances to be discussed beyond these four walls. If you cannot agree to this, then I shall understand.” Cheerilee nodded, “I understand, Lady Spoon. I promise I’ll keep your confidence close to my heart and not divulge anything you tell me to anypony else.” Lark smiled, “Good, that’s what I like to hear.” She adjusted her bright blue gown and put down her tea, “Silver has…an affliction.” She shrugged, “I don’t know what else to call it, really. Oh, I’m sure Doctor Sartorius or one of his learned friends would have some sort of ambiguous name for it, but if the truth be known they know as much about it as I do – which is very little indeed.” Lark turned to look up at the picture on the wall of her family and smiled sadly, “All descendants of the Spoon line have inherited this affliction. It doesn’t manifest itself every time of course, my husband was one of the lucky ones, but every so many generations it reappears and…well, you saw for yourself what happens.” “Is it triggered by something?” Cheerilee asked, “Injury, stress or similar?” Lark shook her head, “We don’t know. It just happens. I suspect there are triggers, but the Spoons have been hampered by years of denial that it even exists and so nopony has ever really bothered to have it properly looked into.” She sighed, “The only reason the Spoon family exists today is because they used to produce as many foals as possible to try and ‘outpace’ the affliction whenever it struck.” Lark looked Cheerilee in the eye, “A matter of numbers, you see. You have four foals, three have the affliction, one survives to carry on.” Cheerilee froze, “You mean…” She swallowed, “This is…?” “Fatal?” Lark smiled grimly, “Eventually. Silver doesn’t know it, but Runcy and I know.” She took a shuddering breath, “One day, maybe soon, maybe years in the future, Silver will…” her words faded away. Lark gave herself a shake, “Runcy and I have tried for years to have foals, but Silver is the only one the goddesses graced us with.” “I’m…I’m sorry” Cheerilee said in a near whisper, “I didn’t know.” “There’s no need for you to know” Lark replied, placing her cup down on the saucer, “Why would you? When our time comes, our times comes.” She reached up to adjust her mane, “This family has lived with the spectre of death hanging over it for generations, Miss Cheerilee, and one day that spectre may very well take the last of us. All we can hope for is that Silver will be able to survive long enough to bear foals of her own and pray that some survive without this…curse.” “But…but what about magic? Have you thought about seeing any of the wizards for help?” Cheerile asked. Lark nodded slowly, “Even the princesses…” She smiled, “Not even they could help: not Luna, not even Celestia herself. Nopony can help us, Miss Cheerilee.” Lark looked the magenta mare squarely in the eyes, “You understand now, why I ask you not to tell anypony this?” Cheerilee nodded and looked down at her hooves – they were trembling, “I…I don’t know what to say.” “There’s nothing to say.” Lark said calmly, “Fate has made her decision.” Cheerilee swallowed, “But surely, surely there must be some hope…” “If there is, then I don’t know what it is” Lark replied. “But why tell me this?” “Because you cared for Silver, because you deserve to know the truth. And because, I just needed to talk to another mare.” Lark gave an ironic laugh, “I’m sorry, but I can be really quite selfish at times.” She sniffed, tears leaking from her eyes, “…quite selfish…” Cheerilee stared at the cake in on her plate; somehow it didn’t seem so appealing any more. Her words sounded hollow, even to her, “She doesn’t know, does she.” Lark shook her head slowly, “No, but she’s no fool and we didn’t raise her to be one either. It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if she didn’t at least suspect there was something we weren’t telling her. But Miss Cheerilee, how could any parent tell their own child, their only child, they were…dying?” She sighed, “No…no, I couldn’t do that.” “She seems to be so healthy though,” Cheerilee said quietly, “And this just happens? There’s no warning?” The yellow mare shook her head, “No, not usually. Sometimes it could be something as simple as her feeling tired in the middle of the day, but whether it progresses into a full blown ‘episode’ or not we don’t know until she collapses. Either way, it still sets us off in a real tizzy I can tell you. But more often than not, there are now warning signs and that is precisely why we ‘permit’ her friendship with Diamond Tiara.” Cheerilee looked up and stifled a groan; it was all so obvious now that she thought about it. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were inseparable, but she’d also seen the way the little pink foal would lead and Silver would follow, and she was also aware of the borderline bullying the two engaged in with the three girls who sat behind them in class. Where Diamond Tiara lead, Silver inevitably followed, but there had always been something indefinable about the silver-grey filly that made her think there was something ‘more’ about her than met the eye. There was a hidden depth to her, and as foolish as it may sound, a sort of timeless air of wisdom that gave the impression of a much older mind in a younger body. She hadn’t thought about it that much until now, putting it down to her occasionally overactive imagination, but…yes, she could see it quite clearly. “I take it yourself and Lord Spoon have concerns about Diamond Tiara?” Cheerilee asked. Lady Spoon closed her eyes and was silent was a moment, gathering her thoughts. “I think,” she said slowly, “that the least said about Spoiled Rich’s daughter, the better. For all our sakes.” The pastel yellow mare reached down for another pastry, “It’s very easy, Miss Cheerilee, for a parent to fall into the trap of comparing their offspring to those of others and judging them by standards we perhaps do not even hold for ourselves.” Lady Spoon raised an eyebrow, “I’m sure that Diamond’s mother has particularly high standards which her daughter is doing her best to live up to, wouldn’t you agree?” Cheerilee nodded, adding “Lady Spoon, may I ask, does Silver carry any form of medication with her?” “Medication?” Lark asked raising an eyebrow. Cheerilee took a sip of her tea to wash the crumbs down from her last delicious pastry, “Doctor Sartorius came out of the theatre to collect Silver’s panniers. He seemed quite flustered so I wondered if she had something with her that she carried in case of emergencies. If she does, it may help if I was aware of it in case anything like this…” she took a breath, “in case she is taken poorly again.” Lady Spoon froze and then gave the oddest smile that Cheerilee had ever seen. The yellow mare in the long dress looked up at the teacher through a haze of steam from her cup and watched her carefully, “Silver has…medication of a sort, yes. It’s a very rare and precious medicine that we keep for emergencies.” She smoothed out her dress and continued, “Silver stores some in a little keepsake she wears or puts in her pannier when she is out playing.” She motioned to her throat, “A necklace her great grandmother left us. It has a small compartment in the central pearl which holds a single dose of the medicine. Silver knows to take it if she feels one of her ‘attacks’ coming on, but sometimes it happens so quickly and...well, you know how foals can be.” She smiled, “She hates the taste of it.” “Her necklace was in the bag” Cheerilee said, “I put it in there with her glasses for safekeeping.” “Very observant fellow, old Sartorius” Lady Spoon chuckled, “eyes like an outhouse rat as my father used to say.” “So this medication helps?” Cheerilee asked, “I didn’t think anything-” “-It won’t cure it,” Lark cut in, “but…it brings her round.” She grimaced, “By rights we should have told you, Miss Cheerilee, however…” Lark sighed, “I don’t like to think about it you see. To acknowledge that my daughter could suddenly pass away at any moment is hard for me to admit, yet my own foolishness and intransigence could have lead to her being taken away from us today.” She shook her head, “I can only give thanks to Celestia that we still have her, and that she has a most excellent teacher.” Cheerilee blushed, “Oh! Thank you, Lady Spoon.” “Lark, please.” The yellow mare held up a hoof, “May I call you Cheerilee?” The teacher beamed, “Of course, I’d be honoured.” Lark clopped her hooves together, her familiar smile back, “Good! Now, what do you know about needlepoint? I have finally received a signed copy of Café Faucet’s latest book! You really need to see the designs in this edition, they’re simply exquisite!” ******************** An owl hooted in the trees, curious of the carriage heading up the driveway at such a late hour. Waving from the doorway, Lark Wing watched her daughter’s teacher heading home for a well deserved nights sleep, as indeed she should herself. Lark yawned, covering her mouth with her hoof; she was worn out, both physically and mentally from the roller-coaster of emotions and panic that today had brought her, but at least Silver was safe. “Is there anything I can get you, milady?” Lark shook her head, “No thank you, Sebastian, I shall be retiring for the evening now I think.” She paused, “Thank you for your help today.” The unicorn stallion’s expression never changed, “You are very welcome, milady.” “Yes…” Lark gazed up the stairs, “very welcome…” “Milady?” Sebastian asked. Lark shook her head, “Oh! Sorry, Sebastian, I’m miles away! Absolutely worn out don’t you know.” She gave him a strained smile, “Good night.” “Good night, milady.” Lark climbed the stairs; her legs felt a lot heavier than usual tonight. She was no longer the youthful filly she had once been, full of energy and wonder at the world around her. These days she focussed more on her hobbies than gallivanting about, and her needlepoint of course. They were much more ‘sedately’ paced pastimes than most, but it still didn’t stop her enjoying a good gallop every now and again. The staff were used to it and didn’t say anything about it to Runcy. And in case why should they? They were all ponies, and a damned good run was an excellent way to keep the old flanks in trim! She was very proud of her figure and as much as she may have put a few pounds on over winter, her dresses still fit very well indeed – mostly. There was still the matter of that little blue fountain dress she liked that she’d had trouble getting into since last spring, of course. The blasted thing must have shrunk in the wash; she’d found several like that too. She’d have to have a word with Rinse and see if the girl was using a different soap. She couldn’t afford to keep replacing dresses like this or before long they’d be small enough to fit young Silver! Lark chuckled to herself and walked up to Silver’s bedroom. It was silent. Carefully, she pushed the door open and slipped inside. The lamp was turned right down, but there was just enough light to make out the shapes of the two foals snuggled up under the covers. Lark smiled to herself; they may look it, but they weren’t really foals any more were they? They were fillies now, and one day they’d be mares ready to go out into the world and develop into the wonderful ladies that she knew deep down inside they had the potential to be. Diamond Tiara may be a little monster right now of course, but maybe one day, if the goddesses were willing, she would turn out to be so much more than her cold hearted mother. But Silver…Silver was her foal, and always would be, not matter how big she grew. Carefully, Lark tucked the two girls in and put Silver’s spectacles back in their protective case – she’d fallen asleep with them on, again! She picked up the small red book she’d been reading and placed it on the bedside table before kissing her silver-grey filly on the forehead, “Good night, my beautiful girl.” Silver moved slightly, pulling the covers up in her sleep and let out a little moan. Her mother watched her: she was so small, so fragile, and… Lark brushed the tear from her eye and turned to leave, “I love you, Silver” she said in a whisper, and left the room. Just as she was closing it she thought she heard something, but couldn’t make it out. She took a shuddering breath and leaned against the wall, smiling as the tears flowed down her muzzle. In the darkness of the room, Silver stirred in her sleep, turned over, and dreamed…