//------------------------------// // In Search of Silver // Story: The Element of Concord // by Loyal Defender //------------------------------// As I strolled down a long, peaceful path, I began searching for any signs of another lesson to be learned. I felt ready. I felt eager. My first stop was the park. Hopefully, I'd find something. So, as I was walking through, I kept looking around. But no signs of any problems. But as I kept looking, I nearly ran into Diamond, but skidded to a stop at the last second. "Oh, hi there, Diamond! Good to see ya, as always!" I greeted. "Oh! Hi, Loyal! It's good to see you too! It feels like it's been FOREVER since we last saw each other!" "So, how've you been doing?" I asked, kneeling down. Something about being a little above her height just worked. "Pretty good, actually. Things have been going pretty swell over on Sweet Apple Acres." "Oh? What's been happening lately?" "Well, me and Apple Bloom have been hanging out a lot more. I've been helping out on the farm, too! It's a lot more fun than I used to think it looked!" "And I assume you two formed an ultra strong friendship from that?" "Yes! She's like my second best friend! After Silver Spoon... Although, I haven't heard from her in a while..." "Hmmm....you know, I'm actually searching for friendship problems to help resolve. Perhaps we can find out why Silver hasn't contacted you in some time?" "Well... I guess it's worth a shot, huh...?" "Great! So, where should we start?" I replied, hoping that we'd have a good lead. "You do have a good lead as to where to begin, don't you, Diamond?" "...Actually... I don't really know..." "Oh...well, uhh....hmm. Wait, I've got it! We could ask Pinkie Pie! If Pinkie remembers everything about everyone, maybe she'll know where Silver is! Tha was the next stop on my daily stroll, anyhow." "Well.... sounds good to me, I guess!" "Alrighty, then! Off we go! I'm sure we'll get lucky! I just hope Silver's okay." I said, as we began heading off towards Sugarcube Corner. "By the way, if you've seen Starlight recently, was she acting...weird?" "I actually haven't seen her. But, like, weird how?" "She's been acting secretive, and kind of odd, like something's worrying her or stressing her out. And I think it's something to do with me." "I just don't know if asking her what's wrong is the right choice. But I really hope I didn't do anything to freak her out. So, I gotta ask, should I just ask her what's wrong, or let it slide?" "I dunno... I'm not sure how to respond to things like that, really..." "Hmm. Well, I'm sure a time will come when I must make the choice." I replied. We continued onward through town, and it didn't take very long to reach Sugarcube Corner. Mostly because the beautiful smell of sweets filling the air led me to it like a GPS to a treasure. Pinkie was busy repainting the front wall.....with brown frosting. "Heya, Pinks!" I greeted cheerfully. "Oh! Hiya, Loyal! What's up~?" "Well, Diamond and I came over to ask you if you happened to know where Silver Spoon would be. We're kind of trying to figure out where she was last, since she hasn't contacted Diamond in some time." "Hmm... She came in earlier to pick up an order of cupcakes, but I'm not sure where she went after that... Oooh, maybe see if she left a trail of crumbs? CHOCOLATE crumbs?! Although they might've been vanilla cupcakes. Oh well!" "Actually....that's a smart idea, Pinkie! There could have been a trail left behind. How long ago did she arrive?" "Hmmm.... About a couple hours ago I think! Maybe sooner? I dunno, I've been busy out here!" "Hmm...okay, did you at least see which direction she went?" "I... THINK she went towards the schoolhouse? I could be wrong though..." "Hmm...okay, we'll check there. Thanks, Pinkie!" I replied. "Glad I could help! Good luck! Ooh, and if you need any sweets you know where to find me!" "Well, that's our next stop." I said, as we both began heading towards the schoolhouse. Today was a Sunday, I believe, but it was likely Cheerilee was still in the school, cleaning the blackboards, or just sitting at her desk, reading. It didn't really take long to get to the school either. "So, kind of an odd question, but what kinds of things are you learning in school?" I asked Diamond. "Oh, you know. Same as always. History, grammar, math... That kind of stuff." "You're honestly lucky the math isn't too complicated. I had to deal with trigonometry and geography and algrebra. Very confusing stuff. None of it's hard for you, is it?" "Not too hard, no. We're still young. But things are getting more complex too." "Mm." It didn't take very long for us to reach the schoolhouse. Somehow it looked weird being so vacant on a Sunday. "Wait out here, okay? I'm gonna have a look inside, see if there's anything that'll help us find Silver." I said to Diamond. "Alright," she said, nodding. "Wait...is there something you should tell me to look for in here so I don't end up wandering around aimlessly like an idiot?" "Not really, no. It's a small place. It'd be very hard to miss Ms. Cheerilee." I shrugged and just said, 'Well, alright, then.' I approached the schoolhouse, and it seemed to shrink the closer I got. But I knew it was just my vision playing tricks on me. I peeked into the window of the door, and sure enough, a deep purple-pink coated pony was in there. And of course, she was reading. 'Teachers..' I thought, as I took a deep breath, and knocked on the door. "Oh, hang on! I'll be right there!" She placed a bookmark in her book and quickly stood up to answer the door. It was going to be kind of awkward talking to a teacher on a weekend. That's the one thing I'd never wanted to do on a weekend. Scary thought... "Is it just me or is talking to Ms. Cheerilee on the weekend really weird?" "Kinda." "Oh, hello there! Is there something I can help you with?" Cheerilee asked, as she opened the door. "Hello, Ms. Cheerilee. We came over to see if we could find any leads as to where Silver Spoon is. Apparently, Diamond hadn't her from her in a while. And considering how those two are usually together, it IS kind of concerning. You wouldn't happen to have any clues as to where she is, would you?" Cheerilee tapped her hoof to her snout. "Hmm... Well, she did drop off a cupcake earlier today... But I'm not sure where she went after that... Maybe check in with Sweetie Belle's folks or Rarity? Maybe Scootaloo?" "Hmm...it's worth a shot. If anything, if she's having trouble, they're the ones she'd go to." This was falling into place PERFECTLY. I felt like we were getting closer and closer to knowing where Silver was. Nothing could have stopped us now. "That could work! Hah! Many thanks, Ms. Cheerilee!" I said, walking back towards Diamond. "It's no trouble! If you need anything, you know where to find me!" As short a stop as that was at the schoolhouse, at least we were provided with incredibly useful information. "She seemed really nice." I said to Diamond. "I'm betting a lot of the students in the school vote her as their favorite teacher." "Well, I'm not actually sure if there's any other teachers there, but you'd be right! So what'd she say?" Diamond tilted her head quizzically. "She thinks maybe Silver went to see Sweetie Belle's friend, or perhaps Rarity, or even Scootaloo." "Hmm.... I... I dunno.... maybe Rarity? She and Sweetie Belle have been spending more time together lately..." "Fair enough, then! If we're lucky, someone there will know what happened to Silver, right?" I replied, turning around and starting to head back onto the path. "Well, hopefully!" Diamond said, with a smile. So, off we went. It was kind of nice being able to traverse around Ponyville without worry or stress. Or getting lost. "You know, it is kind of nice when it's just us. We'd hardly spent any time together recently, but now we might end up spending the afternoon trying to find a friend. Pretty great, huh? Not the 'lost friend' part, I mean." "Well, yeah." Diamond let out a light chuckle. "When was the last time we spent this much time together anyway?" "When we, uhh....visited AJ's farm for the first time when I first got here? Maybe that time?" "Still, it's always nice to spend nice time together. Be it helping me settle in, or finding a lost friend, it's so lovely. And I get the feeling that this adventure will bring us so much closer." It only took about 10 minutes to reach the Boutique. I tried knocking on the door, but it seemed like Rarity was not home. It wasn't really surprsing, though, considering how busy she tended to be. I noticed a note on the doormat. When I read it, it said: "To whomever may visit the boutique, I'd gone out of town for a while to search for more gems with Spike for more of my fabulous dresses. I won't be back until around tomorrow, so please come back by then. Sincerest apologies in advance to anypony. Sincerely, Rarity." Well, it seemed like the only other option was either Sweetie Belle's parents, or.....hmm... Who could we talk to..? Not Rainbow, because she probably didn't pay attention to where ponies went...not Fluttershy, because I'd visited her shortly ago. Not Rarity, either...we'd just talked to Pinkie. So that left Twilight and Applejack. I'd have to tell Diamond Rarity wasn't home, and then...we could stop for a bite to eat before continuing. I went back towards Diamond, and just shrugged. "Rarity isn't home, and won't be until tomorrow. Really, the only other ponies to talk to about Silver are AJ and Twilight. But I figured....do you just wanna grab a bite to eat first before we continue? We can't adventure on empty stomachs. Diamond shrugged and nodded. "I suppose so." We decided to head back to Sugarcube Corner, since it was the closest place. Their sweets were really delectable, anyway. Pinkie was still outside, repainting the walls with frosting. "I'd recommend using a trowel in some points." I suggested, as we walked up the steps. "Oh! It's you again! Did you find Silver Spoon~?" Pinkie asked, as she looked up. "Oh, did you follow a trail of crumbs?" "No, we're still searching. We decided to just get some lunch here before carrying on." "Oh! Okay! Can I help you?" Pinkie said, as she stood up and, in the blink of an eye, she was behind the register. Inside the building, the smell of cinnamon buns, doughnuts, and cupcakes filled the air with their sweet fragrance. It was like walking into a flower shop filled with honey. A few ponies gave a friendly wave towards me, possibly recognizing me as their hero from last year. I would never forget that day....and how quickly it all happened. "Oh, sure. Heh, I almost thought I'd end up seeing one Pinkie painting, and another behind the counter. But I get the feeling you've dealt with a lot of yourself before...right?" I joked, chuckling a bit. "Actually I HAVE thank you very much!" Pinkie said with a smile. "So, what can I get you then?" I looked up at the menu, and the first thing that caught my eye was something called... "A cunnimon bun? Do you know the name is misspelled...?" "Yep!" Pinkie smiled proudly. "I spelled it that way on purpose!" "I'll take one. Diamond, anything you'd like to order?" I asked. "Ah... I dunno, I guess I'll take one of those, too?" "Alright, then. Two cunnimon buns, please." I said, getting out my small bit pouch and placing four bits onto the counter, like the price said. "Wait, did you say you actually did have a lot of yourself before..?" "Yep~!" "What exactly....happened?" I asked Pink, getting a slightly bad feeling. "With the many versions of yourself?" "Well, see, I was having a BIIIIIT of an overloaded schedule that day... So I remembered a legend of a pool that can duplicate somepony and I went there and duplicated myself about a hundred times so I could do ALLLLLL the fun things I wanted to do at once!" "And how'd that work out?" I replied. "Did things go the way they planned?" Pinkie burst into a fit of laughter, but after a moment, it seemed to immediately stop as she said, without even a hint of humor in her voice, "No." 'Okay, that was....creepy.' I thought, as we recieved our cinnamon--oh, sorry--CUNNIMON buns. 'So, how'd you fix the issue?" "Oh, I didn't!" "So...they're still out there..?" "Oh, no no no! I just meant I didn't fix the issue. Twilight did!" "Oh. I'm assuming she had them put on some sort of test which had a method of getting rid of them then, knowing her." "Watching paint dry." "Hmm....oh, I get it! Considering how much you enjoy fun, having them all do the most boring thing possible would eventually bore them out, so whoever didn't pay as much attention would be removed." "Well! Good to see that it all worked out." I replied. "Well, here's to hoping nothing any worse could happen! Which it won't." With that, I gave a small wave, and sat at a booth table. "You know, this search is giving us a lot of opportunities. Such as talking to our good friends, getting to explore quite a bit, and us especially spending plenty of time together to make up for the lost time...it's all kind of fun, don't you think?" I asked Diamond. Honestly, I was glad we were able to spend this time together. She was nice to be around, and I wanted to do anything and everything to make up for lost time. "Definitely! Although I do kind of hope we find Silver Spoon soon..." "Don't worry, we will! You forget, you have Equestria's biggest hero on your side!" I remarked. "When he's around, anything can get done!" "Heheh, yeah!" Diamond gave a smile. "We'll find her in no time I bet!" "But first, let's enjoy our....cunnimon buns!" I proclaimed, as I bit into mine. If pure delectability could exist, it definitely existed in my bun. It was the most delicious thing I'd ever bitten into. This was nice....being on an adventure, helping out a friend, and spending good quality time with Diamond Tiara, the one I'd enjoyed being around so much. This was what a kind of paradise was like for me. Everything was going so right. I just enjoyed spending time with my friends so much. It made me feel so happy. "I'm glad I met you, Diamond." I said after swallowing. "If not for you, I wouldn't have been feeling as happy as I could have been. Spending time with my friends, being on an adventure, and helping out others....it just makes me feel so joyous, and you're part of why that's happening. It makes me feel special, like I contribute to the daily lives here." "Well of course you do! Look at me, I wouldn't have had the courage to escape my mother if it wasn't for you!" "Oh, yeah, I remember that. I inspired you to avoid trying to be like your mother, and helped you live your own free life, doing the things you wanted to do. And it was because of me. And look how far we got from that! We both accomplished plenty ever since then, and we even achieved a form of greatness! I'd say we're both pretty lucky, aren't we?" I said to Diamond, as I took another bite out of my bun. We WERE pretty lucky, to be honest. If I hadn't stood up to her mother, we wouldn't even be as close as we were before. "Well, my friends sort of helped me want to not be like my mother. But it was you who gave me the courage to run away from her. I'm doing so much better for myself now that I'm out of that house." "And now you're hanging out with Equestria's biggest hero. It can't get any better than that. I'm just lucky I don't have a paparazzi following me around. Come to think...was there ever any kind of dream you had? While we're at it, once we finish finding Silver, perhaps we could attempt that, too." "I... don't think there's really much of anything I've ever dreamed of that much...." "Really? That's honestly surprising. Considering how rich you'd seem, I figured you'd have some dreams." "Let's see...have you had dreams of forming a completely unbreakable bond between your friends?" "Well.... I mean, yeah, I guess so.... I don't want to lose them...." "Well, that's one! And you know, finding Silver would be a huge boost in doing that. Come to think....when was the last time you hung out with her?" I asked, hoping that it wouldn't have been too long ago. After all, contact was important. "Come to think....had I even MET Silver when I was here all this time?" I added. I tried to rack my brain, but I could not recall if I'd met her. "Actually.... I don't think you did. I think she was busy somewhere else at the time...." "Hmm. Well...what's she like?" "Well, she's kinda like me sort of... except... she gets along with her mom." "Hmm. When we do find her, should we leave out the 'running away from home', thing, or should we tell her, in case she asks?" I asked, feeling like it would result in a 'I'll tell you everything' kind of situation. "I... don't know.... I don't get the feeling she'd tell someone or try to get me sent back home, 'cuz I mean.... she knows how awful my mom is...." "You have a point there. A good friend wouldn't go against you." I replied, finishing off my cunnamon bun. "Excuse me, did you mention something about trying to find a pony?" A sweet voice asked. I turned to see a gray, blond-maned mare standing next to our table. "Silver Spoon, was it?" "Oh, hello! Yeah, we're looking for my friend Silver Spoon. Have you seen her?" Diamond asked. "Sure!" The mare replied. "You can call me Derpy. Everypony does." She took out a small bag, and opened it up, she reached her head into it, and pulled out an envelope with her mouth. It was kind of cute. She placed the envelope onto a table next to us, then closed her bag. "Silver hasn't been seen anywhere for a few hours, actually. But one pony did report that the last place she was seen was heading into the Everfree, trying to find a special flower for a friend of hers. But she hasn't been seen since." "So, my guess is, Silver's somewhere in the Everfree, either lost or trying to find the flower." Derpy finished. "Do you, uhh, want the letter that was written so you know what to look for?" "Uh.... yes, please. I'm actually... really interested in what's going on here...." Derpy pulled out another envelope, and opened it up. How, you ask? I don't even know. She placed it on the table for us to read. I picked it up and read it aloud, but not too much aloud. "To (no alias known) I've finally worked up the courage to head out into the Everfree, and get that special flora you and I had wanted to find. I understand you're a bit under the weather and all, but I'm gonna find it for both of us. I'll be sure to bring it to you, and I am not leaving the forest until I find it. As little sense as that would make, I can be a very determined pony. And a very brave one at times. So, at precisely noon tomorrow, I'm going to head into the forest, and search everywhere for that flower. I even remember what it looks likeA lovely lilac-pink, with seven indigo petals, and a cobalt-blue stem. Wish me luck on this search, as it's gonna be tough. See you soon, Silver Spoon (PSDon't show this to anyone else. This is our little plan, just between us.) "I had to show it to you both, since it was an emergency." Derpy explained. "Oh, no..." This was bad. This was VERY BAD. I knew how dangerous the Everfree could have been, and I knew how easy it was to get lost in there. "Okay....we're gonna have to go in there to find Silver." I said. "This isn't gonna be easy, though..it's easy to get lost in there..." After thinking about it a bit, I turned to Diamond. "Di, I'm going to need you to stay here. Having one lost filly is bad enough, but I don't need two." "Do you understand? This could be incredibly dangerous." "What? No, I have to come with you. This is my FRIEND we're talking about here! I'm brave! I can be strong!" "What if you get hurt? Or fall down a fissure..?" "I'll be fine. I promise." I was about to respond, until I saw a touch of determination in Diamond's eyes. And determination was something I supported. 'Ah, I'm such a sucker..' I thought. "Well....all right...you can come. But promise me you'll be careful. I don't want to have a hurt AND lost filly..." "I'll be careful, I promise!" Well....there was no going back on any of this. I had to make sure I protected Diamond. Considering this was the Everfree, and it was dangerous, I'd need the help of an old friend. "In that case, I'll need to get a certain suit of armor. But it's either way in Canterlot, or I might have left it with Rarity in the Boutique, considering she knows everything to do with fashion and clothing. "Not to worry!" Derpy exclaimed. "I'll find the armor and bring it to you! I happen to have a special sense of where items are that must be delivered!" And with that, she bolted out the door, and off into the sky. "So, any last stops we should make before heading off into the forest?" I asked. "Maybe let some ponies know we're heading off?" "It... might be a good idea to let Twilight know... She's typically the first to head off to respond to emergencies. She and her friends. But if she knows, it won't be long before her friends do, so we should definitely let her know." "Hmm....good point! We'll go once you finish. Can't go adventuring on an empty stomach of course. Or...an unsatisfied one." Diamond looked to her cunnimon bun - which she had hardly touched. "Oops... I almost forgot about this!" She giggled sheepishly and began eating. 'I have to protect her.' I thought. 'Diamond means a lot to me, just like I mean a lot to her. If I let anything happen to her, I'll never forgive myself. Diamond's a little filly, but she's smart. She's pretty brave, too. I mean, she's going into a damn forest that she could possibly get killed in! And she's not showing a single sweat! She's almost as brave as me! And that's pretty impressive for somepony like her. Even I couldn't be as brave as a small filly like Diamond. And that takes a lotta guts. I must protect Diamond. It is my duty. It is my job. It is my talent.' I looked at my arm. My Cutie Mark shone with brilliance. I had to protect Diamond, even if it killed me. "I promise, I'll do anything and everything I can to protect her....that's a promise I'll never break.." I said, not realizing it was loud enough for Diamond to hear me. I hate it when that happens." Diamond gave a giggle. "I don't know if I'll need protecting or not, but it's nice to know you'll be there if I need you." "Uhh, you weren't supposed to hear that out loud...was I thinking aloud?" "Well, anyways, it's my job to protect everypony. And that especially includes you. You really don't know how much you mean to me. But it's more than a lot." "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even BE a hero. I'd still be lost, wandering around Equestria, with nothing to accomplish." "Oh, I'm sure that's not true. I'm sure you'd have found your way eventually..." "You're the one who told me some things about Equestria I wouldn't have easily known. If not for that, I wouldn't have known what to do. You're a bit of a hero to me." "Believe me, our friendship is special because you not only helped me, but you trusted me." "Aww... That... That actually makes me feel really special..." "You should feel special. You were one of the first and best friends I'd met. And your name hits at it allYou shine brightly for others, guiding them." Diamond offered Loyal a bright smile. "Thank you! That means a lot. I guess I am a good pony inside after all!" "You know, I'm sure eventually, your mother will see that there's more than being rich, being powerful, and being a jerk. Nopony's that heartless." "Oh, I don't know... I get the feeling she only married my dad for his money..." "That's not her talent, is it?" "I.... don't know, actually." "God, that'd be sad if it was. Your dad's more...understanding, right? And less of a jerk?" "Well, yeah, he understands a lot. He donated money to the school so we could fix up our playground just because I asked him to, and that's not somethign mom would do..." "....Umm....." "...Oh, God, do I even want to know what she said..?" "Actually, the way she treated me the first time we met gave me a good idea.." "But aside from that, I'm just glad that we're both living happier lives. Now....how did Silver get her own Cutie mark, while on the subject of riches and such?" "I'm... not actually sure. I think she's like a cook or something...?" "Hmm. Well, I'm sure that's something she's proud of." I replied. "Being a cook can be a good thing at times. Has she ever made anything for you? Like, any desserts or the like?" "Well, she made a pie once at cooking class. It came out really good, but I wouldn't say that was just for me. She shared it with another friend of ours, too." "It's always nice to make friends everywhere you go. And believe me, nopony could live by those words more than Pinkie Pie." "Anyways, you should hurry. We've no time to lose in finding Silver." I replied. "Right!" Diamond said, taking another bite of her cunnimon bun. Once Diamond finished her bun, I left a small extra tip for Pinkie. I just...felt like it was necessary. Before we headed out the door, I turned ot Diamond. "You ready for the most dangerous adventure yet? One that will probably be a memorable one, as well?" "Bring on the death defying stunts," Diamond said, with an air that clearly communicated that she was ready but was joking about the 'death defying stunts' part. I took a deep breath, and stepped out the door, leaving several steps away from our destination, and our goal. Silver Spoon, here we come.