The air rang with the excited screams of fillies and colts as they poured from their afternoon confinement. Lagging behind the pack, one gray filly hung her head and ears as she trailed behind, followed by her fuchsia teacher, Cheerilee.
Silver Spoon sat alone, her monogrammed saddle bag as her sole company. Tears welled in her violet eyes. She removed her glasses and wiped away her tears, wishing her sorrow would be as easy to get rid of. She knew her tears wouldn't fix anything. Only the one pony she cared deeply for, Diamond Tiara, could fill this expanding void in her young life. A void that became known one month ago today when her dear friend moved away to Manehattan. The isolation grew whenever she felt alone or, at times like this, when her classmates enjoyed their time with their friends. To make matters worse, Silver Spoon’s birthday was approaching and she had no true friends to celebrate with. She knew all too well her classmates would attend, but merely for the festivities and not for her. For the first time in a long time, she truly felt alone.
Stupid ponies! she inwardly growled as she eyed her frolicking class mates with blurred eyes, her sadness smoldering over into hate and malice.
"Silver Spoon?" a familiar voice called from behind her, concern rang in its tone.
The gray filly knew the voice belonged to the class teacher, Cheerilee. She replaced her glasses and wiped her eyes once more then turned, offering a false smile. "Yes, Miss Cheerilee?" she managed to evenly speak.
"I've noticed you haven't been playing with anypony else since Diamond Tiara left," her teacher sat next to her and placed a hoof on the fillies shoulder. "You must be taking it kind of hard."
Oh what do YOU know? Silver Spoon thought to herself though maintained her façade. "Oh, I'm fine Miss Cheerilee."
In a rare sight, Cheerilee’s eyes narrowed and any previous softness immediately vanished, which surprised Silver Spoon. To see her typically cheerful teacher offer such a serious look; it seemed as if she could tell she was being lied to. After a few moments of staring, the mare smiled. Cheerilee turned her head to the playground, eyeing four fillies in particular amongst the few other students that waited to be picked up. "Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Twist," Cheerilee called out.
Silver Spoon groaned as she rolleed her eyes. Despite the cold and sarcastic façade she put on around Diamond Tiara that masked her uncanny intelligence, she could tell exactly where this was going. And she didn't like it.
Reluctantly, the four students in question dropped what they were doing and reported to their teacher.
"Yes, Miss Cheerilee?" they sang simultaneously.
"Care to include little Silver Spoon in your little game?" Cheerilee chirped, more a command than a request.
The four fillies all just stared for a moment at their fallen former tormentor. Silver Spoon sat with an attitude. She looked straight ahead, with no intent to acknowledge the looks of her classmates.
The mild orange pegasus huffed. “Actually I was just about to jet.” Scootaloo returned to the playground, stopping for a moment to fetch and mount her signature scooter then zipped off before any word of protest could be voiced.
“Uhh...” The next filly, a pale yellow student, her tangerine eyes darted about searching desperately for a convenient excuse as she toyed with the bow in her fiery red mane. “Oh! Ah promised Apple Jack ah’d help with the applebuckin t’day!”
Before anypony could pose a question, Apple Bloom darted off leaving Twist and Sweetie Belle. Silver Spoon scoffed at the sight. I expected as much... The only pony she wanted was the one that got away, one that understood her. And neither of the two that remained were her.
Cheerilee loosed a tired sigh. Obviously her hopes at socializing Silver Spoon were scattered in the wind. She gave the two remaining fillies a weak smile and a pleading look in hopes to reassure them.
“Well...” The powdery white unicorn started, placing a hoof to her chin. “I wouldn't mind playing with Silver Spoon!”
Silver Spoon’s ears perked, and her eyes widened. She was bewildered and surprised by those words. She’s...she’s lying! She refused to believe the unicorn’s words, not after all she put Sweetie Belle and her friends through. The bullying and name calling...there was no way I deserve a second chance!
The lankier earth pony nodded in agreement. “Ath’ually, I wouldn’t mind hanging out with her either, but I gotta go home,” Twist, said as she offered a smile to Silver Spoon, then trotted off, her frizzy red mane bouncing in the wind.
Cheerilee stood, a satisfied smile across her face as she looked from Sweetie Belle to Silver Spoon. “Well, I hope you fillies have fun together!” the mare chirped before returning to the school house, leaving the fillies to themselves.
Sweetie Belle sat next to Silver Spoon, a grin across her face that Silver Spoon returned with a look of confusion and doubt. “Since you did that just to please Miss Cheerilee, you can go now Sweetie Belle,” the gray filly huffed as she pushed up her glasses. I don’t need anypony’s pity! Silver Spoon distanced herself from her classmate and began tapping her hoof on the ground.
“I’m serious!” Sweetie Belle protested. “I noticed that you have been acting different since Diamond Tiara left, you don’t even call me a Blank Flank anymore.” The young unicorn offered a warm smile as she scooted closer and closed the distance. “I just thought you would want to be friends, after all, everypony needs a friend.”
“R-Really?” Silver Spoon felt a small fleck of happiness spark inside her as she cast a sideways look at Sweetie Belle. “You mean it..?”
“Well, sure!” the young unicorn squeaked. “I’m sure the other crusaders will be your friends too, if you try.” Sweetie Belle thought for a moment, her eyes widened as a smile ran across her face. “Why don’t you come over to my house? We could help each other with our homework with Scootaloo and Apple Bloom.”
Silver Spoon tossed the offer around in her mind. Though her stomach knotted up at the fear of being rejected, her heart skipped a beat in hopes that she wouldn't be alone anymore and the prospect of friends that would be there for her if she should need them. “Al... Alright...” Silver Spoon bashfully replied.
“Great!” Sweetie Belle squeaked, offering a smile to Silver Spoon.
Silver Spoon giggled at her classmates’ odd level of joy over something so simple. For the first time in awhile, Silver Spoon smiled sincerely. Though her gut still cautioned her, her heart was more than willing to accept a lie, as long as it meant not being alone.
“Sweetie Belle, dear,” chirped an approaching voice. “Ready to go?”
Both fillies turned their attention to the voice's source. Silver Spoon recognized the mare immediately, as she did her heart and hopes sank. Those regal deep amethyst curls of her mane and tail, the sparking cerulean eyes and well kempt white coat all belonged to the unicorn known as Rarity. Sweetie Belle’s big sister and a witness to Silver Spoons past cruelty. There’s no way she will let me and Sweetie Belle be friends... Silver Spoon sighed as her ears went limp.
“Rarity!” Sweetie Belle eagerly chirped back. “Would it be alright if Silver Spoon came over for a bit?”
“S-Silver Spoon..?” Surprise flickered across Rarity’s face. She caught the disheartened look on Silver Spoons’ face and tried to play her shock off with an awkward smile.
I knew it... The defeated silver earth pony quietly whimpered.
The younger unicorn stomped her hoof, a little upset at her sisters’ reaction. “Please?” Sweetie Belle pleaded.
“W-Well,” Rarity’s eyes darted between the scowl of her sister and Silver Spoon, who was staring at the ground. It was plain to Silver Spoon that her past actions were back to haunt her now. She looked up from her staring contest with the dirt and recognized a pony approaching. A tall, formally dressed rich onyx coated stallion approached, his silvery mane blew lazily in the breeze, one of her butlers.
“Are you ready to depart, Miss Silver Spoon?” His thick aristocratic tone hailed distinctly from Canterlot, and he paid no mind to the other two ponies, as his steely gray eyes stayed on his young mistress as he awaited a response.
Silver Spoon cast one glance at the two sisters, then turned back to her upright butler, her mind made up. “...Yes Seabastion,” she sharply replied in a more regal tone. The gray filly stood and gathered her saddle bag, then went to her butler’s side. However, she was stopped by somepony stepping on her tail.
Silver Spoon glanced over her shoulder and saw it was Sweetie Belle who was stopping her from going. “But I thought you were coming to my house!” the young unicorn protested.
“It’s alright... thank you for the offer, Sweetie Belle.” Silver Spoon quickly turned away as tears formed in her eyes. She inhaled deeply, getting a little control over her emotions, but not daring to cry in front of everypony. Despite some part of her wanting to go, she clearly wasn't welcome.
Guilt gripped Rarity as made clear by her frown and at the display in front of her for doubting the little filly's feelings. “Silver Spoon, you are more than welcome to drop by if you like,” she offered, with a smile.
“If you would prefer, I can pick you up from Carousel Boutique at sunset, Miss Silver Spoon,” Seabastion suggested with a slight turn of his head.
UGH! I don’t need anypony’s PITY! I can’t believe I almost bought those LIES!! Silver Spoon bit back a groan and merely offered a shake of her head. “That’s quite alright, Seabastion, as I have grown weary and wish to return home now.”
“As you wish, Miss Silver Spoon,” the black stallion said with a nod. He took the lead as Silver Spoon followed behind.
Sweetie Belle’s impatience hit its peak. She stamped a hoof and called out to Silver Spoon, “Fine! You’re coming by tomorrow though right?” she ordered as opposed to giving as option.
Sweetie Belle’s offer fell on deaf ears. Silver Spoon ignored the young unicorn and kept pace with her butler. She knew if she were to turn back now, there would be no hiding the tears she fought back, and that was something she refused to allow.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This evening had turned out like all the ones prior to it since Diamond Tiara left. The walk home only made her feel even more isolated; Seabastion never spoke unless spoken to. Once they arrived home, the maids and butlers greeted them as they normally did, offering hollow and meaningless smiles as if they were mocking her. Her dinner was delivered on a silver covered platter to her room to eat alone. The aroma drifted about the room meaninglessly. The gray filly didn't have much of a hunger for food; she hungered for affection, for Diamond Tiara.
Tears once again formed in her violet eyes. It seemed literally everything had something to keep it company... except one whimpering gray filly. She placed her glasses on the bedside window sill and clapped her hooves together, turning off the light. She climbed into her over sized bed and slid under the soft velvety sheets. She finally stopped fighting the tears, and cried as much as she needed to like she did every night, until her pillow was soaked and she fell asleep. For this filly, today was nothing more than routine.