//------------------------------// // Silver Spoon // Story: Eltirion's Chaotic Collection // by Eltirions //------------------------------// ‘’Miss Spoon, this is your new foster parent, Mr Star Tower,’’ the woman said. Silver looked up at the man. He was tall, with blue skin and dark blue hair that had golden streaks in it. He looked somewhere in his thirties, and he was wearing a light blue t-shirt with a golden rim around the neckline, black jeans and blue and white sneakers. ‘’Good morning Miss Spoon, Mrs Jewel,’’ he said, offering his hand to Silver, who shyly shook it. ‘’It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir,’’ Silver softly said. He smiled at her. ‘’Call me Star, please.’’ Then he looked to Mrs Jewel. ‘’Is there anything else that needs to be done?’’ The woman shook her head. ‘’You’re free to go, sir. Have a nice day.’’ ‘’And you as well, madam,’’ Star replied with a slight nod, then looked back at Silver. ‘’Do you have everything?’’ Silver nodded. ‘’Good. Come on, let’s go.’’ Together, they walked out of the office. Diamond and her father were waiting in the reception area. ‘’Filthy! Good to see you again,’’ Star greeted them. Filthy stood up and the two men shook hands. ‘’It’s good to see you as well, Star. And good on you for taking care of Silver. We would have it done ourselves, but we just don’t have the time, sadly.’’ Star nodded. ‘’Understandable. I’ve got to go; Crystal’s waiting.’’ Filthy chuckled. ‘’I know what you mean.’’ Meanwhile, Silver and Diamond were talking. ‘’Your father knows him?’’ Silver asked. Diamond nodded. ‘’They went to Crystal Prep together, and stayed in contact ever since.’’ ‘’I didn’t know your dad went to Crystal Prep,’’ Silver said. ‘’How come you’re going to CHS then?’’ Diamond shrugged. ‘’Mother wanted me to go to Crystal, but dad refused. I don’t know why, but here I am.’’ Silver nodded. ‘’Do you know what he does for work?’’ ‘’He’s the Prep’s History Teacher,’’ Diamond replied. ‘’and also a tutor. He gave me a few tips and pointers for that test we had after my birthday.’’ Silver frowned. She couldn’t remember seeing him at the party, but she hadn’t really been looking around, so she could have missed him. ‘’Silver? I’m sorry to interrupt, but we’ve got to go. My sister’s waiting on us at home,’’ Star said as he walked over to them. ‘’Give me a call after dinner, okay?’’ Diamond asked. Silver nodded, and the two girls shared a quick hug, before separating. ‘’Until next time, Filthy! Say hi to Spoiled for me!’’ Star said to the man. Filthy nodded. ‘’And tell Crystal the same as well.’’  ‘’Will do!’’ Star replied, before turning around. Silver followed behind him. They strolled across the parking lot, before stopping in front of a dark blue sports car.  Star fished a set of keys out of his pocket, and with a click he unlocked the car. ‘’Make yourself comfortable. You can sit in front, if you want to,’’ he said as he opened the door. Silver gently put her coffer in the back seat, then sat down in the shotgun seat, storing her backpack on the floor in front of her legs. She clicked on the seatbelt and sat back. With a vroom, the engine started, and Star pulled out of the parking spot. ‘’So, Silver. Do you want to tell me about yourself, or do you want to wait until we’ve arrived?’’ Star asked. Silver shook her head. ‘’I’ll wait. I wouldn’t want to distract you from driving, sir.’’ ‘’As you wish,’’ Star said. ‘’Do you want to listen to the radio? If not, I have a collection of CD’s in the storage there, or we can just enjoy the silence.’’ ‘’Silence is alright,’’ Silver softly replied, almost whispering.  Star nodded. ‘’As you wish,’’ he said again. The rest of the trip continued in silence. With nothing better to do, Silver began to look outside. She saw they were moving away from the city centre, where the foster office had been, to one of the suburbs. Indeed, slowly the concrete and steel skyscrapers were replaced by long lawns and large, stately homes. These could easily be called small mansions, and they had all been built around the same time in the late 1800’s, though every building was distinct, to set it apart from the rest. Eventually, Star slowed down, and pulled up to a drive-way. He pulled another key out of his pocket and pressed a button, which opened the garage door. Once inside, he closed the door again, before shutting down the car. ‘’Welcome to my home,’’ he said as he stepped out.  There was the sound of a door opening, and then a white-blue blur tackling Star. ‘’Brother, you’re back!’’ Star chuckled. ‘’That I am, Crystal,’’ he said. ‘’I wasn’t gone that long, was I?” The girl - for it was a girl, about twelve years old - looked at him with a raised eyebrow. ‘’You went straight to the foster office after getting out of school. I haven’t seen you since third period in the morning.’’ Star chuckled again. ‘’Fine, fine.’’ He turned to Silver, who was staring at them. ‘’Silver, meet Crystal Star, my sister. Crystal, this is Silver Spoon.’’ ‘’Hi! Call me Crystal!’’ the girl said with a bright smile. ‘’It’s nice to meet you!’’ Silver was a bit taken aback, both by the large age difference between the two and Crystal’s excitedness. ‘’Pleasure,’’ she replied. ‘’Crystal, could you please show Silver the house? I have to call the company responsible for moving Silver’s items here,’’ Star said. ‘’No problem, big bro!’’ Crystal said with a mock-salute and a wink. Silver smiled slightly at the display, while Star’s smile was wider. ‘’Great!’’ he said. ‘’Oh, and dinner’s at seven-thirty. Pasta with sauce.’’ He looked at Silver. ‘’Do you have any allergies or dislikes I should know about?” Silver shook her head. Star gave a nod, then left the room, dialling up a number on his phone. Crystal turned to Silver and offered her hand. ‘’Come on!’’ Silver took it, then was almost dragged away. One tour of the mansion later, they were sitting in the dining room. ‘’So, any questions?’’ Crystal asked, before taking a sip of her drink. ‘’Just one,’’ Silver replied. ‘’How are you and Star related?’’ Crystal sighed. ‘’It’s a bit of a long story, but I’ll try to keep it short. After Star graduated, he left to travel the world for a bit. He went to all sorts of places: Mexicolt, Scandineighvia, Saddle Arabia, et cetera. He was nineteen when he left, and thirty-six now. Then, five years after he left, my mother unexpectedly became pregnant.’’ ‘’With you,’’ Silver guessed. Crystal nodded. ‘’They were overjoyed, of course, and Star promised to come back a few weeks before I was scheduled to appear. But… an accident happened. I came a week early. My dad wasn’t prepared, and he wasn’t focussing when he was driving from work to the hospital. He missed a sign, and was hit by another car. He didn’t make it. Meanwhile, my mom was giving birth to me, but something went wrong, and she died only a few minutes after I’d been delivered.’’ Silver stared in shock. ‘’I’m sorry,’’ was all she could say. Crystal waved her hand dismissively. ‘’When my brother heard the news, he moved heaven and earth to get to me. In 24 hours, he got from Shanghay back here to pick me up. With no other family members alive, he took it upon himself to raise me, and here I am.’’ ‘’Does it bother you?’’ Silver asked after a short silence. ‘’Never knowing your parents?’’ ‘’Eh.’’ Crystal shrugged. ‘’I guess? I mean, I would have liked to know them, but I really can’t complain about my childhood. If anything I had it even better because Star had more money to spend on me, and spend it he did, believe me. But I don’t really miss them, not in the way I imagine you do.’’ Silver sighed. ‘’I do miss them, terribly.’’ she paused. ‘’But what happened to you is more terrible.’’ ‘’What? No it’s not!’’ Crystal replied. ‘’At least I got to grow up with my parents,’’ Silver pointed out. ‘’And now you must miss them for the rest of your life,’’ Crystal retorted. ‘’I’d say that’s the more cruel thing to happen.’’ ‘’Both are equally cruel, in different ways.’’ Both girls jumped at the sound of Star’s voice as he walked into the room and pulled out a chair for himself. ‘’On one hand, not knowing means you’ll never be able to know what they thought of you, but you also won’t miss them, since there’s nothing to miss. On the other hand, at least you have memories of them after their death, but if you hadn’t met them you wouldn’t miss them in the first place.’’ Crystal blinked. ‘’How long were you listening?’’ ‘’Long enough,’’ Star replied. ‘’How did we not notice you?’’ Silver wondered. ‘’I’m a teacher,’’ Star answered. ‘’I’ve perfected the art of listening in on youngsters like yourselves. Comes with the territory.’’ -x-X-x- Twelve years ago Star’s phone rang. ‘’This is Star Tower, who am I speaking to?’’ ‘’Mr Tower, I am Doctor Heart, from the Canterlot General Hospital.’’ ‘’Doctor, why are you calling me?’’ ‘’Your mother has just given birth, sir, to a beautiful baby girl. Her name is Crystal Star.’’ ‘’WHAT! That’s wonderful! Can you give me my mom?’’ ‘’I’m sorry sir… your mother died a few minutes after giving birth.’’ ‘’What? No… how is my father?’’ ‘’I don’t know how to say this… he died in a car crash on his way to the hospital.’’ ‘’... Doctor. Who’s caring for my sister now?’’ ‘’One of the nurses, sir.’’ ‘’Right. Who’s her guardian at the moment?’’ ‘’You are, sir.’’ ‘’For fuck’s sakes… listen, doctor, I’m currently in Shanghay. My flight is scheduled for next week. I’ll do my best to get back to Canterlot as quickly as I can, but until then, I need the hospital to take care of Crystal.’’ ‘’Of course, sir. We shall do whatever is necessary.’’ ‘’Good. Can I use this number to contact you again?’’ ‘’You can, sir. I’ll have it reserved for you.’’ ‘’Thank you, doctor. I’ll pass you the contact information of my lawyer, and those of my parents as well.’’ ‘’Actually sir, they’ve already been here. They’re the reason you’re already her legal guardian.’’ ‘’I’ll have to give them a raise then. Was there anything else, doctor?’’ ‘’Not the moment, sir.’’ ‘’Then I wish you a pleasant… it’s afternoon, right?” ‘’Almost dusk, sir.’’ ‘’Yes, well it’s night-time here.’’ ‘’In that case, have a good night sir, and my condolences on your loss.’’ ‘’Thank you, and good afternoon.’’ Fuck. -x-X-x- ‘’What is this about, Abacus?’’ ‘’You know that very well, Star.’’ ‘’Look, Abacus. I’m not going to force her to move schools. Silver still hasn’t fully come to terms with her parents’ death, and she is just starting to warm up to Crystal and me. To take her away from her friends now would destroy what little trust exists between us, and it would be detrimental for her mental health as well. Unless she asks for the transfer herself, she won’t be going there.’’ ‘’And there is nothing I can do to change your mind?” ‘’No.’’ ‘’Fine. Then I expect your resignation in seven days.’’ ‘’Really? And for what reason?’’ ‘’It is in the charter. Article 23: ‘All staff members that have children eligible shall send their children to Crystal Prep.’ Didn’t you know this?’’ ‘’As a matter of fact, I did not. But if that is the rule, then I shall follow it. I’ll empty my office tomorrow.’’ ‘’Good.’’ -x-X-x- ‘’I got fired,’’ Star announced as he sat down at the table. Crystal almost choked on her food. ‘’What?!’’ she shouted.  Star gave her a warning glance. ‘’I’ll explain in a minute. But first, how was your day, both of you?’’ ‘’Oh, it was perfectly alright,’’ Crystal snarked, ‘’until you just told me you don’t have a job anymore.’’ Star’s face flickered into anger for a moment, then it settled in a serene expression. ‘’Crystal, please calm down, and I’ll tell you what happened.’’ After a few seconds of silent glaring, Crystal huffed. ‘’Fine, but you better have a very good explanation, or I’m going to be very cross with you.’’ Star nodded. ‘’Abacus called me and told me I had two choices: Either Silver Spoon goes to Crystal Prep, or I will be fired.’’ His tone was cold. ‘’I chose the latter.’’ Silver gasped. ‘’You did that for me?’’ ‘’Yes. Unless I’m very mistaken, you don’t want to go to Crystal Prep?” Star asked. Silver shook her head. ‘’So I thought, and I told Abacus as much. Then she informed me there was apparently a rule against children of staff members going to other schools besides Crystal Prep.’’ ‘’Why would they do that?’’ Crystal inquired. Star shrugged. ‘’Probably to keep the reputation up. Anyway, that’ll be the official reason I’m fired.’’ ‘’And the unofficial, actual reason?” Silver asked. ‘’Reputation,’’ Star replied. ‘’It doesn’t look good when the ward of a teacher goes to another school. Makes parents wonder if they made the right decision, enlisting their child at Crystal Prep.’’ ‘’That fits Cinch perfectly,’’ Crystal said with a snarl. ‘’Also, Abacus has been looking to get rid of me for some time,’’ Star continued. ‘’Never mind that I’m one of the best history teachers in the county, if not the state. To her, I represent an obstacle to total control over the school, and as such I must be removed. Until now, she never had a legitimate reason.’’ There was a short silence, during which Star began to eat.  ‘’I’m sorry you lost your job because of me,’’ Silver said, eyes downcast. Star looked up at her. ‘’Don’t apologize, it’s not your fault. Cinch brought up the rule first. If she hadn’t, there wouldn’t have been any problems.’’ ‘’Still,’’ Silver pressed, ‘’because of me she could fire you. If I-’’ ‘’If you what? Hadn’t been taken in by me? I did that myself,’’ Star cut her off. ‘’Silver, don’t beat yourself up over this. I don’t even really need a job to sustain us. My family has always been rich.’’ ‘’If you didn’t need the money, why did you work?’’ Silver asked with a frown. Star shrugged. ‘’I like history, and teaching. And I might not need the money, but it’s always nice to have a reliable source of income that’s not dependent on investments. Plus, I get to keep an eye on Crystal, and I don’t have to sit around on my ass all day.’’ ‘’I can take care of myself, y’know,’’ Crystal said. ‘’True,’’ Star agreed, ‘’but not when you were eight.’’ Crystal thought about that for a moment, then shrugged. ‘’Eh, fair enough.’’ The rest of the dinner continued like this, with the three of them talking and joking. Then, at the end, Crystal turned to her brother. ‘’So… are you going to look for a new job?’’ she asked. Star shrugged. ‘’Don’t know yet. I’ll have to see what there’s available.’’ -x-X-x- ‘’Hi mom and dad,’’ Silver softly whispered. A few meters away stood Star and Crystal, silently watching. Silver knelt next to the two gravestones. ‘’Been a while.’’ She sighed. ‘’Sorry I couldn’t visit before. I had tests to catch up on.’’ Another sigh. ‘’Things have been… nice. Star and Crystal treat me as if I’m family. I guess I am now.’’ ‘’I miss you, every day. And I wish things could have been different. I wish that, when I graduate, I would see your faces, hopefully smiling proudly at me. And knowing that won’t happen… *sniff* it hurts.’’ ‘’It *sniff* hurts so *sniff* much.’’ Silver felt a strong grip on her shoulder. She turned to see Star and Crystal were sitting down on the ground with her. There was a look of pity and understanding in their eyes. After a few seconds, the dam broke. Tears began to trail down Silver’s face. She buried her face in her hands, and after a few seconds two pairs of arms wrapped around her. Sobs racked her body as she crawled up against Star. He and Crystal didn’t say anything, they just held her as she let out her grief. ‘’Silver…’’ Star said eventually. ‘’I know what it is like to lose your parents. And we will never try to replace them. But we will treat as one of our own, if you’ll have us.’’