Darkness was the only word to describe what "it" was experiencing. The dark void completely enveloped its consciousness as it float aimlessly within this space. It was a sensation similar to drowning, yet at the same time not. Sounds of flowing water enveloped its ears, yet it wasn't suffocating. Nor was it breathing.
The entire time it was simply drifting through this endless void, not even thinking. Only drifting in non-existence, creating surface-level thoughts that never went anywhere and simply got lost in the abyss such as its state of current consciousness or lack thereof.
The next thing it felt was a blinding light. Surrounded by the surreal feeling of gentleness and warmth. This warm, yet slightly prickly sensation could completely make one forget oneself. Forget oneself? Right, as if something was lost, but what was it? What was the thing that had been forgotten?
These thoughts eventually came to mind as it tried to reach towards the light.
But as it got closer, it started to tremble all of a sudden. After a short moment of delay, its mind began to comprehend the feeling of coldness; a coldness that could easily penetrate the skin. Just like a newborn baby feeling cold for the first time. However it didn’t have the luxury to experience it in full.
As if suddenly encountering the assault of a previously known yet forgotten sensation, it began to panic under the intense feeling of suffocation, and started to struggle.
Lungs, body, every single cell within the body screamed for oxygen, the pain was unbearable. Unable to remain calm and to think, the only thing it could do was to struggle.
Without being able to exercise any control of the body, the only thing it could do was to struggle painfully under duress. All of the pain and suffering had easily clouded its consciousness, and then, as if finally liberated from the human existence which had not cried for the longest of time, the body started to cry instinctively.
With the consciousness murky and the sense of self a mess, it opened its eyes to a gray sky. A blurry world… No, perhaps it was only its vision that was blurred? It was a twisted world seen through unfitting spectacles. The outlines were blurry and the colors chaotic, even it who had not felt as many emotions in all those years began to sense the unease.
After what felt objectively to be about three years, it finally started to gain back its consciousness and form, feeling only pure confusion.
Just what the heck is going on? What happened to me? It entered a vessel that was unable to maintain consciousness for long periods of time, and still couldn’t properly recall this information. Therefore, it was unable to understand why the sound of a baby’s cry that was barely audible each time its consciousness began to fade had made it feel so embarrassed.
Mature adults aside, a baby would normally cry. Given a fair chance and appropriate protection, by rights, a baby shouldn’t feel embarrassed at all. Therefore, with its senses and consciousness all jumbled it started to relax, and threw this unclear sense of shame deep into the recesses of its memories.
After that, although still confused, it had finally gained a general idea of the situation it was currently in, yet even then, it only further added to its confusion. It clearly remembered driving its way to work, however, after snapping back to reality, it found itself inside a thick, stone-built, western-style building with a nurse-like figure wiping its lips. If this was a hospital, it was understandable to infer that an accident had occurred. That could also explain why its vision was blurry due to having suffered an injury.
However, when its eyes could finally begin to see clearly of its surroundings, all that was in view under the dim lights were the same figures wearing maid-like attire. The reason for the dim light...if not mistaken, would be due to the gas lamps which clearly belonged to a different era. Both revelations only further impounded its confusion.
"Come on, Silver Spoon, ahhhhh—-"
At the same time, it discovered something else that was abnormal; all these figures in the room were quadrupedal, no they were horses, ponies? What the hell? Just where am I? Why am I in this place? Why are there talking horses!?
"Silver Spoon? Silver Spoooooon?"
An unexplainable situation. The multitude of questions and doubts kept piling on and on.
"Alrighty, be obedient and open your mouth, Silver Spoon."
The current question which needed to be answered was, "Just what is going on?" Thus, it shifted its vision to the spoon served in front of it, but even though it had noticed the existence of the spoon, the thought that the spoon was for itself had never occurred in its mind. All it felt was to question why that "Silver Spoon" person still hasn’t eaten yet.
However, the nurse that was in front of it (who was deeply in thought) must have reached the end of her patience. With a gentle smile that wouldn’t accept, "no," for an answer, she shoved the spoon in her hoof into its mouth.
"Don’t be picky now. Come. ahhhh——-"
It was a spoon of stewed vegetables, but at the same time as this spoon, without a doubt, it dragged "Silver Spoon" back to reality.
The over-stewed vegetables were the only thing that was stuffed into its mouth. But the one who was forced to eat this, this unexplainable situation only made its thoughts even more confused. In other words: that...was me. The one they called Silver Spoon.
And then "it" screamed from the bottom of his heart—"Why?"
Metempsychosis, Reincarnation, Rebirth, etc. All of these words relate to dying and being born once again as the same or different entity with a new life cycle on earth. Many religions, notably Buddhism takes this philosophy to guide them on their current life for a better afterlife. However none ever mentioned being reborn as a pony in a completely different world from a kid's cartoon show!
Yet that was the current reality. It took some time to accept it of course. There were many moments I slipped in and out of consciousness, taking forced naps at inopportune moments. Slowly but surely, I managed to rein in my consciousness long enough until it felt natural to me.
The last few moments I recalled in my previous life was that I was on my way driving late at night to work on an off-day due to an emergency that occurred within the company I'm working for. I was driving in the middle of heavy rain, winds were blowing stray leaves and debris on the highway. Then suddenly a large screeching sound occurred akin to skidding tires, and the scene even registered in my mind I felt an impact. In an instant, I was cut off in my previous life without any fair warning. There were no flashes of life right before my eyes, being shown the gates of heaven (or pits of hell), or even anything grandeur people seemed to believe. It was just only a vague period of complete and unfathomable darkness I couldn't even begin the describe. I was not able to recall anything beyond that semi-conscious purgatory. It was only after I was brought in to complete consciousness once more.
Having to wake up with all my memories and experiencing my life as an infant to a foal was an arduous process. I was forced to endure the humiliating experience of not being in full control of my body, always defecating and urinating in my own diapers no matter how much I tried to resist. All of it was like having an everlasting fever dream. Yet however much I denied reality, it wouldn't change that I was Silver Spoon; a pony from a show I watched five years ago.
I was Silver Spoon. The very concept felt still foreign to me. More than that, it frightened me. I could barely even remember the events of that show and was even more bewildered as to why I'm even here. In the past, multiple thoughts and theories invaded my mind. A coma? Divine punishment? A cruel whim by an eldritch god? I haven't had a clue. Over the years I've more or less come to accept these circumstances, however, some darker thoughts always stood out to me. What happened to the real Silver Spoon? Did I kill her by taking over her body? Did she even exist in the first place? Hell, I didn't even like Silver Spoon, much less still involved with the show that I stopped watching ages ago.
Years have passed since then. I sigh monotonously as I stared outside my window laying on the side of my head. The Silver Estate's stately mansion loomed out with a peculiar sense of vague familiarity. The garden and winding cobblestone path below her had an undeniable beauty and majesty. The immaculately tended estate gardens and the magnificent, architecturally stunning buildings beyond, all were being maintained by my father's housekeepers. This was less out of a sense of propriety than simply because most of the estates--this one included--were bordered by tall, imposing wrought-iron fences, beautifully crafted but obviously designed to keep undesired guests from traipsing idly across the lawn. The gates that closed off the path up to the Silver Estate were intricate and brilliant, burnished silver and decorated with delicate silver stars that glittered in the flickering light of the recently-extinguished streetlights. Even so, there was something distinctly foreboding about the estate, a clear sense that I was not particularly welcomed here. This was mostly due to the fact that I'm not supposed to be here. Combined with the fact that the weather had recently faced a fairly severe thunderstorm that had been announced last night, the clouds overhead gave off an overall sense of gloom.
I exhaled again, the glass collecting moisture as it fogged the clear surface. It cleared away in moments as I could then see my reflection. My eyes were a moderate violet two shades of light, my hair an azure-ish gray, and my coat a cornflower bluish gray. I was barely a filly now, the front of my nose occupied by my glasses for my newly found farsightedness, an eyesight defect I never had before. My eyes wander to my hoof resting against the bottom frame. I look at my hoof and reflexively grip. I can barely remember how my old self lines up with my current self as I used to be able to "feel" my fingers, but not anymore. My snout used to invade my vision, but now I barely notice it. Everything about this had felt surreal at one point, but now I’ve grown accustomed to it.
My attention turned back to the front yard where the gardeners were maintaining the various trees, bushes, and flowers aligned across from me. They all looked very similar, with barely two inches of height difference between the mean of the lot of them. Still, they weren’t cookie-cutter cutouts with different colors and manes. Nor did they look like cartoons either. Their eyes were still abnormally large compared to a normal equine. The color of their coats were extremely colorful, as if someone had taken a colored can of spray paint and sprayed it all over their bodies.
Their heads weren’t as oversized but were more than just an extension of the neck like a normal horse’s was. And rounder, a lot like a person’s really. Their muzzles were a bit more defined than seen on TV as well. Hooves were more than just the end of their legs, they stood apart from the hair of the legs the ponies possessed with their smoothness, and I could detect the shiny traces of lacquer on some of them. As for the coats themselves, they were far…fuzzier looking than what a normal horse had. Meanwhile, the legs looked much different than a normal horse. They weren’t bone-thin and showed off a varying degree of muscle for each of them. Still, the wings were the biggest difference. They looked like…actual wings. Still kind of small for something the size of a pony, but some of the gardeners had way more than just a handful of visible feathers. It was all the more proof that I didn't belong here.
My ears perked up at the sound of knocking, taking my attention away from the outside. I pushed open my bedroom door, and immediately came muzzle to muzzle with the family butler, a brilliant white unicorn stallion named Intricacy. "Good evening, madam," he intoned, his voice deep and commanding, but nonetheless welcoming.
"Good morning Cacy," I replied in earnest, "Is father waiting downstairs?" The prim and proper butler scrunched his nose slightly at the nickname I've gotten used to giving him. It was mostly due to the fact that it was easier to pronounce when I was still learning to use my new equine mouth to speak. It was also funny seeing the usually calm and collective unicorn become mildly annoyed at my small breach of protocol.
However this time Cacy hasn't bothered to try to correct me and only sighed. Resolving himself, he continued, "Yes, I assume you have everything prepared for your first day of school?"
"As ready as I'll ever be." I answer, picking up my saddlebag from across the room. It was filled with basic supplies expected for an elementary school. Papers, crayons, and among various other things to complete expected foalish activities with. If I were to be completely honest, I was nervous. Extremely so. This would be my first interaction with ponies outside of my family and the manor. Would I try to attempt to recreate the friend groups Silver Spoon had? Would I even get along with them? Actually... did she have any other friends than Diamond Tiara? Damn, I should have thought about this before the first day of school.
Soon enough, I was already trotting past the main entrance. Fancy lights and décor littered the room as I descended one of the staircases and onto the red carpet. This room had many pieces of art and intricate pottery laying on various marble pedestals. It was bizarre at first, for I never really lived in a high-class environment. At most I lived in the upper-middle class, but we still had to keep expenses in mind. Here my father spent his wealth on these tapestries and décor to show his status to those that first enter the Silver Manor. He wasn’t the type of stallion to spend on frivolous things. Everything here had a purpose.
Cacy eventually led me outside of the manor gate. There, lies a coach wagon with two stallions mounted at the front. The butler unicorn used his magic to unlock the door to reveal a velvet room with accompanying cushions on both sides. One of which was already occupied. There sat a handsome stallion with a short, slightly unruly black mane and lead-colored fur so smooth and well-kept that it glittered slightly whenever he moved. His eyes were a muted dark blue, the pupils nearly indistinguishable from the irises around them. He wore a nearly constant expression of general ennui, but his eyes were quick and sharp, and as I came into the coach wagon, they were darting across the page of a newspaper he had in his hooves. This stallion was my father, Silversmith.
Father is known for being the mind behind the world’s current metal industry. He’s responsible for supplying most of Equestria’s main infrastructures. Buildings, railroads, and even the fairly recent development of wires meant for electricity are overseen by this one stallion. As one of the world’s most brilliant minds, Silversmith keeps up appearances by buying or creating the necessities to show off his wealth, status, and power. The cushions I sat on were made with the softest feathers, the coach wagon was built out of mahogany, and that the doors had a small compartment for wine for guests of his. The fact that he built this all himself only further proves his capability as a stallion and how he puts those same standards onto the Silver family. He doesn’t bother speaking, nor does he even take a single glance at me. My father simply flips his newspaper, scanning his eyes back to the top of the page.
My eyes listlessly move from my father to the nearby window. The cart was already in motion by the time I collected my thoughts. The scene of the Silver Manor slowly changed from the high-class residences to the more rural areas of Ponyville. I’ve never been outside of the manor. The only times I’ve ever interacted with ponies other than my father’s servants were his acquaintances that often showed up to meet with him. Silversmith has introduced me to his social circles before, but his acquaintances only looked at me with the same eyes he had. The same cold, sharp gaze one used to appraise the worth of an item. That was all that I was to them, a symbol of father’s status. A thing to be quickly shown off and dismissed as a testament to father’s fortune.
Within those underlying moments, my maids usually provide me with an array of decorative clothing, along with grooming my fur and mane into pristine condition. Yet it was mother who taught me royal manners and etiquette. She even provided me with my designer's glasses to replace my original basic black frame. It was only when I recognized my mother’s pearl necklace from what Silver Spoon used to wear that I insisted on wearing it, all to "complete the look."
From what I could tell and what father’s servants told me, mother is a performer who gained attention and reverence in a place called Las Pegasus. Apparently it’s a recently built colorful cloud city located on the western end of Equestria. Often times mom has to travel and stay there for long periods of time for her widely desired performances. And since it was a cloud city, it frequently migrates from one area of the sky to another. Unless you’re a Pegasus, traveling in and out of that city is widely considered hectic, to say the least. Mother was a unicorn, but teleportation magic to such heights is naught but an impossible feat except for the most well-versed spell casters who take years of study and practice under their belt. Mother was just a simple performer using tricks and illusions to awe her audience, so she has to take the normal air balloon transportation like everypony else.
On the rarer occasions that I do see her, she would always have a faint, gentle smile on her face whenever she sees me. It was such a face that melted even father’s heart.
Alas, it seems mother didn’t come with me on this ride. My gaze slowly glances back at Silversmith, still reading that newspaper labeled "Equestria News." Sometimes, I find myself perplexed about some of his behavior. Out of the blue, he'd simply told me that I was going to start schooling in the fall, and that had been the end of it. He wasn’t all there for me, as he usually minded his own business and delved into his own studies. The only time I’ve seen him smile was when he was around mother, and even then it was a rare occurrence.
My thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the coach wagon coming to a stop. My side of the door opened to reveal one of our other butlers. "We have arrived Master Smith." The servant informed. Silversmith gave a curt nod, signaling me to get off. I heave my school saddlebag over my back and step off the wagon, shaking my thoughts away from my family to walk towards the school courtyard in front of me.
"Do well in school." I hear an adamant voice behind me. Taking a surprised glance behind me, I can see my father still sitting there, reading his newspaper. Yet my ears didn’t fool me, he did say those words, but the meaning behind those words eluded me. Did he just wish me luck in school? Or was that more of a command? Considering the tone he used and his overall personality, it was most probably the latter. As one of Equestria’s wealthy and powerful, father takes his family image very seriously. With the same dull voice, I nod and answer "Yes father." And that was the end of our conversation.
I stood on the edge of the schoolyard, staring blankly at the vast playground beyond the rough wooden fence. Somewhere in the background, I could hear the familiar crunch of my father's carriage receding into the general din of chatter and laughter coming from the collected ponies milling about in front of me.
Once or twice, one of the older ponies would glance at me, give me an appraising look, maybe a small smile that they probably thought would seem friendly and understanding, but then turn away again to continue their conversation or yell something at their foal.
Urgh... Elementary School. I can't believe I'm actually doing this again... I mentally grumbled. Having already graduated college, I can practically feel the incoming lethargy from my experience of being utterly sleep deprived and running only on caffeinated drinks to make it through the day. The years of balancing part-time jobs and exams weigh heavy in my mind. I was never legible for any scholarships, nor was I was resorting to selling myself to the dark abyss known as student loans. At the very least my human mother was able to afford me those college classes. My part-time job was simply an investment to earn experience and save up emergency cash on hand in the event my mother decides to blow all our family finances away. I struggled through it all and finally landed a decent job, but now as I look around the courtyard with all the fillies and colts giggling and playing, my heart sunk. I have to do it all over again. All that effort, wasted. Before that train of thought went even lower, I clasped both sides of my cheeks with the painful sting of my hooves. Shake out of it. I already had come to terms with this before.
On multiple occasions, I found that my memories growing up was often a burden to me rather than a benefit. The doctors immediately noticed my strange behavior as a foal, noticing that I was training my vocal cords and creating various sounds with my new mouth. I never cried when others were around out of a desire to hide my embarrassment and retain any dignity that I had. I also ended up being one of the last foals who figured out how to walk properly. All of these behaviors were red flags to my caretakers, as all of them were afraid that there was something very wrong with me. Silversmith quickly brushed off all their concerns, saying that there was nothing wrong with me and that I was perfect. I was a Silver after all.
Yet even still, rumors spread. I sometimes wondered that if I didn't have these damn memories, that everything would be fine. Ignorance is bliss after all. Alas, that wasn't the case. Instead, I was Silver Spoon, an aristocratic young filly with the memories of a former human. My sense of self has gotten muddled as of late, but I do know that I was put here for a reason. There has to be. Otherwise, I wouldn't have retained my sanity for so long.
Suddenly, as if to jerk me away from my own thoughts, the front door of the schoolhouse opened, and a brilliant magenta mare with bouncy pink curls dancing around a broadly grinning face appeared in the entrance, a large brass bell clamped in her mouth. She was shaking the bell with gusto, the clanging voice of the old-fashioned instrument easily cutting all conversation short and drawing the attention of everypony nearby. After a moment, she spat the bell out onto the front stoop and grinned broadly at her suddenly rapt audience. "Good morning, everypony! It is absolutely wonderful to see each and every one of you here today! I see a bunch of faces I already know--" she winked at a young yellow filly with a brilliant red mane standing near the stoop "--and a few I can't wait to meet!" As she said this, she smiled down at a few foals standing back from the rest of the crowd.
The fuchsia mare continued, her voice as clear and engaging as the bell. "We've got a long, exciting day ahead of us, so let's get inside and get started! Everypony follow me!" She snatched the bell and disappeared into the school, followed by a shrieking, laughing pack of students and their smiling guardians.
This was it. My first real interactions with other ponies, albeit children. I take a glance back at my saddlebag and sat down to take a look inside it. Good, it seems that I haven't forgotten or dropped anything. I have to make a good first impression after all-
"Hi!"
A voice suddenly cut across my attentiveness, lifting my head up from my bag and turning to face the speaker. A powder-pink filly with hair that looked like grape-and-vanilla pulled taffy cascading around her head and framing a broad grin was standing not two hooves away, smiling down at me. It was immediately apparent who this pony was and I instinctively reacted with- "Diamond Tiara?"
"Huh? Wait, how did you know my name?" the pink filly was startled at my response. Shit.
"Uh, I uh, heard about you from my father." I lied immediately.
"Oh me too! So you must be Silver Spoon then!" Diamond Tiara quickly switched expressions to one of joy. I was quickly puzzled by this, but she then held out a hoof. "I'm Diamond Tiara, but ah you already know that." She giggles. Without thinking, I unconsciously reached out and taking Diamond Tiara's hoof, allowing the other pony to pull me up off the ground.
"Well, Silver Spoon," she said, "you shouldn't sit on the ground like that. You'll get dirt in your fur, and your colors are too light for that." She giggled lightly and gestured towards her own body. "So are mine. Daddy says I pick up dirt like it's my special talent."
Despite my near-fatal first encounter with the filly, I manage to let out a small chuckle. "What would a 'getting dirty' cutie mark look like?"
"I don't know yet, but I'm pretty good at it, so we can find out someday."
"We?" My mind was instantly fixated on that word. Already multiple stray thoughts were popping up in my head.
Diamond Tiara nodded and opened her mouth to continue, but was suddenly interrupted by a tall brown stallion stepping out of the carriage parked on the road behind them. I haven't heard it approach, and haven't noticed it before now, but as soon as my eyes landed on it, I was surprised it could have snuck up on me. "Diamond Tiara," the stallion said, his voice deep and smooth and reassuring, "come along now, or you'll be late."
"Daddy, this is Silver Spoon," Diamond Tiara said, gesturing towards me, leaving me to smile meekly at the tall stallion. "She's my new friend."
Friend? The word echoed in my mind as the stallion turned his cool blue eyes to rest on her face. He smiled warmly. "Good morning, Silver Spoon. My name's Filthy Rich. Are you here with your parents?"
"Uh, n-no, sir," I again shook away my stray thoughts and completely taken by surprise, "m-my parents dropped me off, and..." my mind suddenly went blank, but the stallion simply smiled down at me and nodded towards the schoolhouse.
"No matter. Come with me, little one, we'll all go in together." I nodded warily and fell in step next to Diamond Tiara. Nothing was going in the way I expected. Father didn’t mention anything about this. I figured I'd have to be the one to create the first interaction, not the other way around. I haven’t interacted with another filly until five minutes ago. How should I have expected that Diamond Tiara was planned to be my playdate?
The stallion led the way, chatting amiably as we walked. "So, Silver Spoon, you must be Silversmith's youngest." I nodded. "I thought I'd seen you from time to time around the Silver Estate. I had mentioned to your father that perhaps you and my little Diamond here might like to get together for a playdate sometime, but I suppose we never found the opportunity. Good thing you're both starting school this season; it'll give you a chance to get to know one another. I'm certain you'll become fast friends. I think you'll find you have a great deal in common, in fact."
Really? I couldn't help but think. The only similarities I could draw were from our background, but that's it. I take a glance back at Diamond Tiara to see that she was also looking back at me. Well, it seems that even father didn’t plan for this. I forced down my skepticism and smiled lightly.
The little group reached the door of the schoolhouse and Mr. Rich led the way in, holding the door for the two little fillies. I followed Diamond Tiara into the building but paused inside as she kept walking towards the front of the room. The pink filly noticed immediately that she'd stopped, and looked back over her shoulder. "What's wrong?"
My face turned into a grimace. "Where...where are we supposed to sit?" Looking around, all I could see was a couple of foals already in their seats, but with no seating chart anywhere. "Is this free seating?"
Diamond Tiara shrugged. "I dunno. Let's find a couple seats together, though. Come on!" She smiled and waved a hoof at me to follow her. To think I would be following her already on the first day of school. But nevertheless, I did. I take another look at the room around me. None of the other foals seemed to really be paying any attention to us, negative or otherwise. Most of the little ponies were engaged in conversation with friends new and old, and all the adults were lining the walls of the room, chatting amongst themselves. I looked over my shoulder to see Filthy Rich standing in the back of the room. Two mares standing near him had already begun to engage him in conversation, and he was politely returning their interest, although he continued watching carefully as the two foals he'd chaperoned found their seats. When my gaze landed back on him, he smiled broadly and nodded his encouragement at me. I give a small smile back and attempt to find a seat.
Sliding into a seat next to Diamond Tiara, I took a moment to examine the rest of the class with a curious gaze. There were perhaps fifteen other foals in the room, all of various coloration and type, all roughly around my age. There were several other earth ponies, including the brilliant yellow filly I'd noticed earlier, sitting on the opposite side of the room from her, also in the front row. There were also a few unicorns sprinkled around the room, their shortish horns barely poking out from under their manes, and a smattering of pegasi, their small wings buzzing eagerly in excited anticipation of the new school season. I did my best to avoid eye contact with Applebloom, for if I did I'm afraid that I wouldn't be able to look away. Diamond Tiara noticed me appraising the class and said, "Do you know anypony here already?" Straightening my lips, I shook my head, "Nope!" Diamond Tiara gave me another look of skepticism before responding, "Yeah, me either. Oh well, we can just be friends with each other for now, right?"
I faced back to her with some skepticism of my own. "For now?"
"Yeah! I mean, until we find some other friends. Uh, not that I want to stop being friends with you. Just, I mean, I wanted to make new friends with you." The pink filly flubbed on her words, obviously trying to clear up the misunderstanding. Looking deep into her gaze, it seems that she really meant that she wanted to remain friends with me. I didn't see anything that would imply any sort of manipulation. In fact, her reaction seems genuine even.
Lowering my guard, I gave her an understanding nod. "Yeah, that would be nice."
"Alright fillies and colts," the teacher said, taking her place at the front of the room and smiling out at the group. "Welcome to your first day of school! My name is Miss Cheerilee, and I will be your teacher. I know you all must be very excited to be here, because I certainly am!" She tilted her head and beamed, her hair tumbling around her face in cascading pink waves. "Now, our first day is going to be mostly just getting to know one another, but tomorrow we start learning for real! Parents," she said, addressing the adult ponies ringing the room, "thank you for coming today and helping me get acquainted with all of you and your foals, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist on a parent-free classroom. You understand, I'm sure; it is somewhat more difficult for young ponies to exercise their own skills and speak freely if there are adults in the room." There were some nods among the older ponies, and they slowly filed back out of the room, pausing to give their foals one last reassuring smile and wave before they left.
I managed to catch Filthy Rich's eye before he disappeared through the exit, and the stallion smiled warmly and gave me a wink. I reacted puzzledly at him but didn't mind it. Turning back to the front of the classroom, I watched as Miss Cheerilee was patiently waiting for the elders to leave. Finally, the door closed behind them and she smiled down at the collected students. "Alright. Now, as I said before, my name is Miss Cheerilee. I love teaching and I love sunflowers, but more than anything, I love my students. I can't wait to get to know all of you, so let's go around the room and each say our name and something we like to do." She looked down at the bright yellow earth pony in the front row. "Apple Bloom, could you start for us, please?"
The red-maned filly rolled her eyes. "Miss Cheerilee, you already said mah name!" She had a thick country accent, and my highly conditioned proper sensibilities bristled involuntarily at the twang.
"Sorry, dear," Miss Cheerilee said, chuckling softly. "Could you say it again for us anyway?"
Apple Bloom grunted in irritation but stood up and faced the class anyway. "Hi. Mah name is Apple Bloom. Ah like buckin' apples."
I couldn't help but snicker at the response. Oh god, hahaha! It's really her. I didn't mean anything by it, but Applebloom gave me a weird look before she sat back at her desk.
I take a quick glance at Diamond Tiara curiously. She noticed my gaze and turned to me, mouthing the words 'bucking apples?' to her new friend. I simply shrugged and patiently waited. Two other ponies had spoken by the time Miss Cheerilee went down by the list of rows before Diamond Tiara was next in line.
Miss Cheerilee smiled broadly at them. "Oh, my, such pretty jewelry. And what is your name, dear?" she asked Diamond Tiara.
The pink filly stood up confidently and squeaked, "My name is Diamond Tiara, and I like going on balloon rides with my daddy."
There was a quiet snicker from the back of the class, and Diamond Tiara's face fell slightly. "What? It's fun."
"Yeah, if you're a daddy's girl." The comment was quiet, but just barely audible. Diamond Tiara frowned and scanned the back of the room, looking for the source. I looked over my shoulder to notice a bright orange pegasus filly smirking broadly as the pearl-colored unicorn next to her stifled a giggle.
Miss Cheerilee hadn't seemed to notice either the comment or the laughter. "Thank you, Diamond Tiara. And you, dear?" she continued, looking now at Silver Spoon.
Oh fuck. I was too distracted by what's going on in the back of the classroom to notice I was next on the list.
I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to slowly stand up out of my desk and turn to face the class. I took a moment to collect myself, as this was the moment I had been mentally preparing for back in my room in front of my mirror. "My...my name is Silver Spoon," my words which started as a mumble slowly formed into the confident and rehearsed set of lines I had practiced. "And I like reading books with my mother."
Nailed it. But the stifled snicker from the back of the room became an unguarded laugh, and several ponies around the orange pegasus sourcing it were giggling into their hooves as well. "Lame!" the little Pegasus squeaked, a confident smirk on her face. My mind froze at that moment, not foreseeing how that first-grade introduction I rehearsed had failed me.
"Excuse me!" Miss Cheerilee said, stomping towards the back of the classroom and glaring down at the pegasus. The young filly didn't flinch, meeting the older mare's gaze with cool indifference. "What is your name?"
"Scootaloo."
"I see. And did your parents bring you to school today, Scootaloo?"
The little pegasus shook her head sharply. "No, I'm only here 'cuz Miss Rarity said I'd have to try on dresses all day if I didn't."
"Well, Scootaloo, if you don't want to be sent back to Carousel Boutique for the rest of the day, I suggest you mind your manners. We do not make fun of other students in my classroom, understand?" Scootaloo shrugged nonchalantly. "Understand?" Miss Cheerilee repeated, narrowing her eyes at the filly.
Scootaloo paused for a long moment, not quite meeting the teacher's gaze. "Yeah."
"Good," Miss Cheerilee said darkly before stomping back to the front of the room. "Now, Silver Spoon, was it?" I was still stuck in my stupor by the time the magenta mare called on me, only to quickly shake off my stiff expression to save face. "I think it's wonderful that you enjoy reading with your mother. You needn't be ashamed of that at all."
That much was obvious. When I was younger I attempted to sneak into the family library to absorb all of Equestria's fantastical knowledge, because despite how it is Equestria is still a land of fantasy and magic. I always have digested fiction a lot easier than fact. Reading history textbooks could never amount to the sheer wonder fantasy could provide. It was when I got discovered that I left a lot of books under my bed, my mother decided that she should read to me at night whenever she came. It was embarrassing, but I have suffered worse fates. It was nice to sit curled in the crook of my mother's legs, listening to her soft, warm voice lilting as she read in the gentle light of her bedside table lamp, barely bright enough to illuminate her bed in the middle of her enormous bedroom. Many times I had fallen asleep cuddled up with her, drifting off to long, fantastic tales of princes and princesses, dragons and hydras, and evil monsters falling to the unassuming hero of the day. A little unimaginative, but at the time I was simply more invested in whatever common knowledge those books could provide. Sure some of it might be too outlandish to be true and I couldn't tell the difference between what was fiction or fact, but I didn't care. It was still far more entertaining than sitting idle on some soft cushion being bored out of my mind.
Surely these kids could understand that reading can be enjoyable too right? Why else would there be an abundance of poorly written fanfictions made by 9-year olds hosted on various reading sites? What made Scootaloo think reading was so funny.
"Don't worry." I looked up, tearing away from my thoughts as Diamond Tiara's whispers. "Reading is totally cool," the pink filly said, smiling confidently. "She's just a mule. I bet her thing will be totally lame." She smirked mischievously. "And I'm gonna tell her so."
I chewed my lip. "You're gonna get in trouble too you know that right?"
Diamond Tiara didn't respond but simply winked at me. Miss Cheerilee continued to go around the classroom asking each foal in turn for their name and their favorite activity. Some were obvious--"HimynameisZipporwhillandIliketoflyupanddownandbackandforthreallyreallyfast!"--while others were less so--"My name's Featherweight. I like to take pictures." A few were uniquely fascinating--"My name is Rumble, and I like flying storm tracking patterns with my brother Thunderlane."--and a few were distinctly not--"My name is Snips, and I like to hang out with my friend Snails."; "My name is Snails, and I like to hang out with my friend Snips."
Oh fucking hell. At least I put effort into it.
Eventually, Miss Cheerilee reached the orange pegasus and her unicorn friend. The unicorn went first.
"My name is Sweetie Belle, and I like making dresses and putting on makeup so I can look as pretty as my sister Rarity!"
Miss Cheerilee smiled warmly. "Thank you, Sweetie Belle." She turned a wary eye on the pegasus. "Scootaloo?"
The filly gave her a mulish look. "My name is Scootaloo. I like riding my scooter and doing awesome tricks."
"Thank you, Scootaloo, that was--"
"Why do you ride a scooter?" Diamond Tiara suddenly piped up from the front of the room. All eyes turned towards her, but the pink filly's face remained innocent and composed.
Scootaloo narrowed her eyes at her. "'Cuz it's cool. Why else?"
"Well," Diamond Tiara continued, maintaining an air of genuine curiosity, "I thought you could go way faster and do way better tricks if you just flew, instead of scooting."
I blinked momentarily at this, trying to register what was going on. A stray thought did rise among the others though. Wait, how did Diamond Tiara know Scootaloo couldn't fly? I glanced back to see what Scootaloo's response would be.
The little pegasus scowled at Diamond Tiara, her cheeks flushed. "So what? I can still ride if I want to."
"Yeah, but why?" Diamond Tiara asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "You can fly, can't you?"
"Of course I can!" Scootaloo said, blushing harder now. "I just like to ride my scooter, that's all! What's the big deal?"
"Girls!" Miss Cheerilee suddenly interrupted, glaring at both fillies in turn. "That's enough. Scootaloo, I think it's wonderful that you enjoy riding your scooter. Diamond Tiara, just because somepony prefers to do things one way doesn't mean they can't do it any other way. I'm sure Scootaloo can fly just fine. Now," she continued, walking back towards the front of the class, "today we're going to start learning about the alphabet, and to do that, I'm going to write all the letters here on the board, and then I'm going to write your names one by one, and together we can see how the letters make the sounds in your name."
I raised my hoof in the air so that Miss Cheerilee would notice.
The magenta mare looked at me. "Yes, Silver Spoon?"
"I can already write my name. My mother taught me how." I said confidently.
Miss Cheerilee smiled. "That's wonderful! Let me write the alphabet up on the board, and then maybe you can come up and write your name for us?" She turned to start writing the letters across the top of the chalkboard.
Normally being able to write my name down wouldn't be such a noteworthy achievement, but having to write with your mouth is something that should be properly recognized. However, my elation was suddenly doused at a hiss, "Show-off..." from the rear of the class. Stung, I looked over her shoulder to see Scootaloo miming leaping out of her seat and waving her hoof at the teacher. Sweetie Belle snickered next to her. I was dumbfounded. Why were these fillies being so mean? They were never this antagonistic when I watched the show. I gritted my teeth as I couldn't help but glare back at them.
Diamond Tiara nudged my shoulder. "Don't worry, Silver Spoon. She's just mad 'cuz she can't do it," she muttered under her breath. She gave me a reassuring smile. "I think it's pretty cool that you can."
"You do?" I asked, genuinely surprised at her comment. Diamond Tiara nodded, and I relaxed a bit. "Thanks. My mother has been teaching me. I can almost write the whole alphabet now." Thank god I can recognize the characters of equine speech as normal English. If I hadn't then my general knowledge of the world would have been much more limited. Writing was still a hurdle I had to overcome, however.
"Neat!" Diamond Tiara said. "I can write my initials, but I haven't quite gotten all the letters yet. Maybe you can help me?"
I raised an eyebrow, taking a moment to think about this. "Eh, sure. You wanna come over to my house later?"
"Totally. You live right next to us, I think."
"Really?" I said.
Diamond Tiara nodded. "Daddy's always talking about 'Mr. Smith who lives next door.' I think that's your dad."
"Yeah, Silversmith is my father. I didn't know any fillies lived near us. Never really get to go outside the Manor..."
"Really?" Diamond Tiara responded curiously.
As Miss Cheerilee finished writing on the board and turned to face the class again, Diamond Tiara smiled and said, "We'll talk more later."
"So you don't go out much?" Diamond Tiara was delicately arranging her lunch on a cream-colored hoofkerchief, placing a pasty stuffed with what looked like eggplant and zucchini in the center and surrounding it with smaller portions of braised carrots, julienned squash, and a hoofful of shelled pistachios.
I stared in disbelief at the bounty laid out in front of my new acquaintance. My eyes slid down to her comparatively meager parsnip-and-pumpkin sandwich and I answered. "Well... yeah basically. Father never has the time to take me out to go somewhere because he's always super busy with work. And mother is hardly ever around. I just kinda, stay in the manor and bother the staff at times."
Diamond Tiara has this look of bewilderment when she heard this. "Your mother isn’t home either? That sounds, kinda lonely..." she responded, deciding to slide the squash across the table and leaving it next to my sandwich as what I assume is an offering of pity.
I nonchalantly shrugged and immediately pushed the vegetable strips back in front of Diamond Tiara. "It’s not a big deal. I have Cacy, the family head butler. He's super nice, but also really skilled and professional. He's gotta be like, the best butler in all of Equestria."
Diamond Tiara stared in awe, before adding a dash of skepticism. "You're kidding, nopony is that great." The pink filly said.
"Well... maybe not the best in Equestria, but he's still pretty good at his job." I remarked.
"That’s nice," Diamond Tiara concedes, "so what kind of books do you like?"
"Um, well...my mother and I like to read old ponytales together. 'The Mare in the Moon', 'The Pony of Shadows', 'The Curse of the Castle...'"
Diamond Tiara nodded at each title. "Yeah, I like those, too. Which one's your favorite?" she asked, crunching on a carrot.
"It’s gotta be Mare in the Moon. It has so much of Equestria’s history in a short little story. A thousand years of history condensed into just a few pages! Plus the art is really nice too." I couldn’t help, but blurt out. That book was one of the few texts that I could recognize and it helped to give me a refresher of Equestria’s history since I came here.
"You really think any of it is real?" The pink filly asked earnestly, fully enraptured by my short speech.
"I don’t think so, I know so." I say confidently with a smirk on my face.
"How do you know?" Diamond Tiara again looked skeptical, tilting her head and puzzled at my complete confidence.
I pursed my lips to ponder momentarily. Looking around to make sure nopony is near, I motioned her forward. The pink filly leans in over the table, lending one of her ears so I could whisper. "I have dreams of the future."
Diamond Tiara gasped wholeheartedly, accidentally spilling over her carton of apple juice. "No way, I don’t believe you."
"It’s true. Last night I dreamt that we were both friends."
"So that’s how you knew what I looked like!" She said as it clicked for her.
"But that’s not all," I say with a hushed tone, "we even had our cutie marks." I spoke, leading her on.
Diamond Tiara gasped once again, putting her hoof onto her mouth as her eyes sparkled mesmerizingly. "What was it?! What did it look like?"
I put my own hoof under my chin. "Hmm... should I really tell you?"
"Tell me! Tell me!" The pink filly was practically almost on top of the table, begging ecstatically.
"Hmm....." I pretend to ponder seriously.
"Pleaaassseee...?" Diamond Tiara was giving me serious puppy dog eyes. An expression that I could tell was practiced on multiple occasions, presumably on her father.
Nevertheless, I continued pondering. "Hmm, only if you promise to tell nopony about my secret."
"I promise!"
"Pinkie promise it." I demanded.
"Huh? Pinkie promise?" Diamond Tiara tilted her head with a puzzled expression.
"It's a special kind of promise. Nopony breaks a Pinkie Promise, ever." I hissed with a dead-serious expression, looking her directly in her eyes.
With a dry gulp, the pink filly nodded in understanding. After teaching her how to Pinkie promise with my own example, I got her to do it.
"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Diamond Tiara proceeded to chant while crossing her heart, mimicking the flapping of wings with her carpus, and finally imitating sticking a pastry into her eye. This effect seemed to cause the pink filly to grin, giddily basking in the joy of sharing secret knowledge.
Confident now that she wouldn’t break such a secret, I lean in to whisper. "Our Cutie Marks are a Diamond Tiara and a Silver Spoon."
"What!?" My friend exclaimed. "No way our cutie marks are just our names! I don’t believe you one bit." She giggled in disbelief.
"We’ll see~" I say in a playful, teasing tone.
"If you end up being right, then I’ll take you out for the Piaffe Parlor my Daddy always takes me to." Diamond Tiara bet.
"Oh, I look forward to it."