//------------------------------//
// Moving on and Moving in 
// Story: Facets and Flaws 
// by Scarlett 
//------------------------------//



WARNING: This story will contain adult subject matter, including homosexuality, gender dysphoria, and other mature themes. I will be avoiding explicit sex, however if you are offended easily, please do not read.

Facets and Flaws

By: Scarlett



Chapter 1- Moving On/Moving In



A knock at the door woke Diamond, who had taken to sleeping until noon, and she groggily stumbled out of the pink canopy bed she had rarely left in the past month or so, nearly tripping on the translucent curtains. She’d not been a complete shut-in, and had still gone to ballet three times a week. Mother would have killed her if she had skipped on practice, but her heart was never in it. The rest of the time she had been in her room, eating junk food while curled up in bed in her most comfy sweater, and feeling sorry for herself. That lasted until the staff had refused to bring her anymore ice cream or donuts or anything else, on her parents orders. She wasn’t surprised that they noticed- maybe that stupid butler had told them. Despite the fact that Father had to travel for business, and Mother had the dance studio, they had always had time for her and tried to stay involved in her life.

She began to cross the room, avoiding a few discarded bags of popcorn, and tugging at the ridiculous fuzzy purple sweater, which had ridden up her body in the night, almost up to her fore-legs. She blinked with sleep crusted eyes and rubbed them gently to clear them, pausing for a bit as she caught her reflection in her vanity mirror along the way. She had not truly realized what she had been doing to herself til that moment; her eyes were puffy and ringed in the purple-black of lost sleep, her mane matted and tangled; normally her coat would have been a glowing rosy pink, but it looked pale, faded, and lifeless. She looked absolutely terrible.

She groaned and stretched tired muscles, as she finished picking her way through discarded comfort food towards the door, slowly easing it open and peeking out to see the dreaded and beloved visage of her mother. The elegant thin figure of Ruby Tiara was as well kempt and alert as Diamond was not. She was dressed in a fabulous tan shawl, made from the finest wool imported from the highlands, gold bangles and bracelets accented her fore-hooves, and subtle diamonds adorned her ears. Ruby was a fine specimen of an eastern ballerina even now, after many years had passed in her life and a child had been carried inside her. Her Stalliongrad accent had dulled slightly over the years since she left, but she had never forgotten where she had come from, and was nearly as fit as she had been during her days in the Moseycow Ballet. “My little dahlink,” She began, fixing her daughter with a loving yet stern smile.

“Yes, Mother?”

“It is ten in the mornink, you vill take shower, you vill eat, and you vill come tell me vat problem is, then you vill go outside and play,” said Ruby in a tone that allowed no arguments, even with the silly grin crossing her face, and her head bobbing from shoulder to shoulder in emphasis with each phrase; with that said she turned on a heel and sauntered away, knowing that her daughter would obey.

Diamond could only sigh in reply, “Yes, Mother.” Diamond knew that her parents both loved her, that they both cared, but she knew not to cross mother. Her father she could usually manipulate and bend to her will, he had always been putty in her hoofs. She was his little princess after all. He had tried to get her to open up days before, but she had convinced him that she just needed time, but now Mother was involved; that meant dad would be no help at all and she knew one way or the other she would end up “tellink her everythink.” Diamond giggled a bit; to her own surprise her mother’s visit had already done some good.

She couldn’t disobey mother many reasons. If she did she would only suffer for it tomorrow at the ballet studio. With as much money as dad made, Diamond Tiara didn’t need to dance, but she enjoyed it immensely, and mother was the best. Diamond’s cutie mark had come at her first performance. She’d only worn a simple silver tiara, so she still didn't quite know why the one in her cutie mark was set with the precious stones. As to the ballet, Mother always said Diamond had more natural talent than she ever did, and Ruby had been one of the world’s finest in her prime. However, she also wanted her daughter to experience the freedom that Equestria offered her and didn’t make her practice everyday.

Ruby on the other hoof, had been raised in the harsh system of Trotsian Ballet, there had been little or no schooling for her after her earliest years, no friends or parties, only ballet. Diamond Tiara had heard the stories over and over again, six days a week, sometimes seven from dusk until dawn, constantly dancing, no freedom, only dancing. Not until she had finally made it big could she reduce her schedule, and even then, there had always been prettier and younger mares behind her, she couldn’t let them catch her. Her mother had finally found her freedom when she met Filthy Rich the Second, a businesspony from a foreign land who had come to find a supplier of exotic goods for his stores in distant Equestria. Taking in one of the famous ballets, he was entranced from the moment she stepped on the stage, and ended up finding something even more precious than he expected, a wife, and the future mother of his foal.

Her parents were still sickeningly sweet on each other, her father often found excuses to come home early from his office at Barnyard Bargains to bring mother flowers, or take them out for dinner or bowling. Diamond wanted that kind of love more than anything, but she had been too afraid to give Silver the slightest hint. She knew the other filly wouldn't feel the same, and so she had hidden her feelings away, hoping her crush would fade. Her dear friend must have been quite startled, maybe that was part of it, the surprise? Maybe, in time, after the shock wore off she could be forgiven; they could at least be friends. . .

. . . Diamond chased away the wishes and longings, showered and groomed, putting in extra effort on her mane and makeup, looking a pony’s best to give herself courage was just a simple psychological trick, but it worked for her. She was the daughter of a famous ballerina, and the heiress to one of the fastest growing retail and grocery chains in Equestria, she was a cut above the common pony, and a little thing like a broken heart wouldn’t be the end of her world. It was false bravado, mostly, but again she allowed herself to fall for it just a little.

Later, in her mothers gentle embrace she began the true cleansing of her soul, “Momma, I’ve always had a crush on somepony. . .”


***




Silver Spoon was bored.

It was not anything new, she had been bored for weeks now. As she sat in the swing on her porch, swaying gently in the breeze, she began to realize just how empty her life was. Like the swing, she was passive, a follower, waiting for some pony, or force of nature to put her into motion. For as long as she could remember that pony had been Dia— no, she didn’t even want to think of her name. That traitor, that freak, with her unnatural feelings that made her run from what had been her best, her only friend ever.

Seen and not heard. That was The Rules for fillies in the Spoon family. She’d had no friends at all, and had rarely said a word to anypony until that first day of school, when a boisterous and rather snooty pink pony had complimented the expensive glasses she wore and the care with which she braided her hair. She had been called “Fabulous.” Back then Silver could not remember the last time she had been complimented, and had followed the other other around like a little lost puppy ever since, but that was over now. Nopony liked her now.

Filly-fooling, it was gross, unnatural, That Is Not How Things Are Done, in the Spoon family. Silver was to wait, quietly, patiently, and Be A Good Little Filly, so that when she was old enough she would have her Mare-butante Ball, and there Daddy would select the most suitable stallions, Only Unicorns Need Apply; they would be watched over the years, their business sense, their social graces- all would be judged, until at the end of it all there would be only one-

“Immortaaal.” Pinkie Pie whispered from the bushes, before bouncing off on her way to do Pinkie things.

-Stallion and he would be given permission to court her, and there would be a big wedding and then a beautiful dress and flowers and Diamond would be her Mare of Honor and— oh, right, never mind.

Silver tried to distract herself with thoughts of what her stallion would be like, the color of his coat, mane, eyes, she felt her heart beat faster as she imagined his smell, the wedding night, her cheeks were growing warmer. She did not quite know what would happen on that night, Fillies Are Not Meant to Know, after all, but it had to be magical. When the heat began to spread to other places, she left the swing and those thoughts behind, feeling a little guilty that she had spent so long dwelling on such things. If her mother knew she was thinking those things she would be locked in her room for certain, and. . .

. . . what if she wasn’t good enough, she was just an earth pony, what if none of them wanted her. Dark thoughts intruded in Silver’s mind, she’d had them before, she had them often.  

Silver had begun to walk across the thick grass of the lawn towards the front gate, thinking she might follow Pinkie Pie down to Sugar Cube Corner for a treat, a nice cupcake to ward off those terrible feelings, when she realized yet another consequence to that other pink pony’s betrayal. Silver was not allowed into town unescorted. Having another pony of Diamond’s class and breeding with her hadn’t even been enough to convince her parents initially, (her father still referred to them as "new money" in a disgusted tone.) it had taken weeks of begging in her audiences with Father, and a visit from the other filly’s parents to convince Mr. and Mrs. Spoon that Diamond, (she winced as her name came to mind), would keep their precious foal away from harmful influences and crude ponies.

What was she going to do now?

It was not until a few miserable days had passed that a solution to Silver’s problem appeared; the house next door, which was even larger than her own, which had been vacant for almost as long as she could remember, wasn’t quite so empty any more. She could see servants moving about the place, some carrying things out of an Acme Moving Carriage and into the large house as others cleaned and prepared it for somepony. She did know the house had been the summer home of the Dancer family for five generations, even before Ponyille came to be, though she wasn’t sure which branch of the prestigious unicorn family owned it at the moment. Her mother had told a few tales about the social events in Canterlot, and how Moondancer had simply scandalized her family by staying on through college at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns instead of settling down with a respectable stallion.

“Excuse me?” she called, as she left her front gate, with only one guilty glance back towards her own home, “Excuse me, can somepony tell me who my new neighbors will be?”

A strong young earth stallion, with a brown coat and dark mane set down the recliner he had been carrying across his finely toned flanks, exposing a pair of crossed wrenches, his cutie mark, and trotted over to the young filly. Silver almost instantly developed a bit of a crush, this common pony was far beneath her station, but she could definitely enjoy looking at those muscles. He began with a smile and a rakish bow, and seemed please to see her grin in return, “I’m nopony important myself, just a fixer-pony, but my mistress, Glory Dancer and her umm, her foal-,” he seemed to fumble with his words for a moment, as if he didn’t know what he wanted to say, and Silver Spoon was more than happy to pretend he was simply dumbstruck by her beauty, “-her filly, ummm, I guess the little one is probably about your age, well they’ll be here in three days,” he finally managed.

“My age?” Silver Spoon asked, excitement building, “So she will be attending South Canterlot High this fall?”

“I think so,” he scratched his head, not entirely sure of his mistress’ plans, “Either way I’m sure she’ll be happy to have a friend right next door.”

Silver gave the friendly fixer pony another smile, “Thank you for telling me.”

Another filly, of the right social class, was moving in right when she needed her. She’d be able to go into town with her, and would no longer be cooped up in the yard or the house. Just then, Silver felt like the luckiest pony alive, but her smile faded when she reached the gate, where mother was waiting, “And what do you think you are doing out of the yard young lady? Talking to common laborers in the street? You are lucky your fah-ther wasn’t here to see this!” said Mrs. Spoon, with just a hint of her Canterlot accent creeping in.

Silver had to fight back a sudden urge to respond with sarcasm, she had been too long without the cutting remarks she and- that other pony- would use to belittle those who did not know their place, using it now would have been Unacceptable, so she decided upon a different tactic, “Mother, is it not wonderful? One of the Dancer’s, Glory, I believe, will be moving into their old estate, and she has a filly my age, you are always telling me to form connections with the best of ponies, and now they will be moving right next door!” she exclaimed, sweetness and naivety had served her well before, and her mother’s sternness did soften some.

“Glory, Glory, ahh yes, married one of the Banks, not one of their best though, she is calling herself Dancer again? Sounds like I have some gossip to catch up on, she had a filly and a colt if I remember, hrmmmm,” The possibility of gossip was enough to do the rest, and Silver’s transgressions were completely forgotten as they made their way into the house.


****


Three days of anticipation culminated in the Spoon’s own garden, as Glory Dancer and her filly were invited to Afternoon Tea. A servant had delivered the invitation, and another the reply. Such was The Way Things Were Done, in both high society, and the Spoon household. Mrs. Spoon, was dressed in one of her best day dresses, a frilly soft purple pastel that complemented her pale blue coat, her light pink mane was swept back in loose curls that left her unicorn horn in full view, (it was such a shame that Silver took after her father in that regard, just as she did in coloring.) A maid held a parasol up to shield her from the sun, as she sat waiting at the garden table, her daughter, similarly clad in light blue, was on her right.

She stood up and greeted her visitor with a kiss on each cheek as the purple maned white unicorn was escorted into the garden. “Glory, dahr-ling! you look simply mahr-volous,” she said, in the accent of Canterlot’s high society, “Welcome to Ponyville dear, it has been ages.”

Glory had dressed for simple elegance, a ruffled tan jacket and a single bracelet, allowing all to see her talent for magic written on her flank in a silver and purple shooting star. She had long since given up on the airs other unicorns liked to put on, she knew herself and needed nopony’s approval. “Yes, not since we were school fillies, Glitter,” she smiled. The two ponies had never been truly close, but they had friends in common, and for Scarlett’s sake Glory would put up with the pretentious Mrs. Spoon, “and speaking of fillies, this is my daughter Scarlett. One of my servants tells me your daughter Silver will be in the same year at South Canterlot come fall.”

The young unicorn mentioned had a white coat like her mother, and smiled confidently behind a mane of coppery red hair that shimmered in the afternoon sun, she was dressed much more appropriately in Mrs. Spoon’s opinion, in fact that silk and lace dress outdid her own, she thought with more than a hint of jealousy. “Oh, I’m sure they will be fast friends, now come dear let me get a good look at you, you’re such a. . .” Mrs. Spoon would normally have said the filly was pretty or adorable, but that wasn’t exactly true. Scarlett was a little bit too tall, too strong, perhaps she had been a bit of a tomfilly? Her withers and flank a bit too wide, her face a bit boyish, though she hid it quite well with makeup, the overall effect was, not ugly, just— plain, “. . . an elegant dresser, and how do you get your mane so shiny, and the color, just like Moondancer’s.” She had barely missed a beat in finding a way to compliment the filly, but she saw Glory’s jaw tighten slightly.

“She is my world,” Glory said with a smile as she watched Scarlett simply accept the compliment, however back-hooved, with a quiet "thank you" and a "nice to meet you."

Glitter Spoon was taken aback at the love she saw in that mother’s eyes, something about it made her feel very awkward. As she usually did when topics grew heavy she turned to banter, “Now, Glory dear, I heard the news and its simply dreadful, how could that fool of a Banks ever leave you?” She took Glory by the hoof and guided her to the table, “ Sit, sit everyone sit. Humilidad, the tea?” In the uncomfortable silence, the Coltombian maid served the group, the piping hot tea and miniature cakes filling the air with a sweet honeyed aroma.

Glory had never failed to be surprised at the brashness of the gossip pony (she almost choked on her tea), but Glitter always found out one way or another, and this way she at least had a chance to tell just enough, without getting into the more private details. “We just, we had a disagreement over the foals, and how we wanted to raise them. Its really not all that salacious Glitter Spoon, so you can stop salivating,” she decided to tease a bit, though she knew Glitter hated it, or perhaps she did it because of that fact, “Finances were fine, the romance was still there, but he was so stubborn and set in his ways when it came to the foals. He had their lives all planned out, but this one,” she smiled at her dear little filly, “Is a bit of a dreamer, and rather than let him force her into— well, it doesn’t really matter, she has plans of her own, and I could see that living his way was making her despair.”

Mrs. Spoon again felt an uncomfortable knot forming in her stomach, "I don't think I understand, because my Silver is such a good little filly, obedient, always finishes her homework," Glitter smiled at her daughter with a smile that was more pride than love, "She will make somepony a wonderful wife someday, a jewel of high society."

Glory gave Silver a look of pity, there was nothing wrong with being a somepony's wife, but it seemed like Silver wasn't being given an option to do anything more than what her parents wanted, much like her own little pony had faced under her husband's roof. Without freedom to decide for oneself how could anypony be happy? Glory took another sip of her tea and nibbled at a biscuit. "I'm sure. Glitter, how about we let the girls wander a bit, I'm sure you'd like to hear all the latest from Canterlot?" she shuddered inwardly at having to spend the afternoon in gossip, but this would give Scarlett a chance to get to know Silver, it was worth the sacrifice.

Not quite aware her mother was throwing herself upon the proverbial dagger, Scarlett set down her tea and exclaimed with a grin "Oh, yes! Let's go look at the roses." She stood up and carefully pulled her dress away from the chair, not wanting to ruin it, but still trying to escape before the other adult stopped her, and her soon to be friend. "Silver, please, show me your garden?" she asked in a sweet sing-song. If only they could get away, maybe Silver would actually say a word or two. 

Silver looked at her mother, who waved her away with a hoof, and then she happily stood, "Nice to meet you Scarlett, the roses are down the stone path."

The auburn maned filly shook her tresses and laughed, giving Silver a playful tag on the shoulder, "You're it," and took off skipping down the stone path.

Silver stood with her mouth agape, she was much to old for such a game, and yet, looking over at her mother deep in her passion for the latest scandals, at the moment there was no better option, with a shrug she decided to do it right, and began down the path, a foalish skip to her own steps. She looked everywhere along the way, near tiny ponds, and behind the trellises, and didn't even see the other filly when she reached the rose bushes, which were marvelous that day, the pinks and the reds were both in bloom. Silver was a bit miffed, the game would be no fun if she could not find her target. Silver stopped moving, and closed her eyes to listen carefully, there, a rustling in the bushes over by the old oak. A little deception was in order,  "Where are you?" she asked the air around her, and sighed loud enough to be heard. Then noisily began to trot back up the stone path.

Once she was out of sight she stepped off the path onto soft grass, and began to walk slowly around to where she had heard the noise, using a picket fence as cover. She carefully crept up to the edge of the fence, there was a hoofprint in the soft wet mud next to the tree. A grin tugged at one corner of her mouth, time for the pounce,' she thought.

She tensed up the muscles in her hind legs and prepared to make the leap- "BOO!" and instead jumped straight up into the air with a scream. Scarlett giggled behind her, " I got you sooooo good."

"You meanie," Silver replied, but a twinkle of good humor was in her eye, "that is not how the game is played."

"So, you do know how to have a bit of fun? I was worried since you didn't seem to do much but sit quietly when we were with our moms. So what do you like to do?" Scarlett was determined to make a friend today, and Silver seemed nice enough out of her mother's clutches.

Silver flicked the corner of her blue glasses, then tugged at her pearls as she thought about it, "I really like to get away from the house, my parents can be super strict, so I used to go into town with a friend, but she- we had a fight so I haven't had anyone to go with and I have been totally bored," she unconsciously dropped into the speaking habits she had picked up from Diamond, if her parents ever heard it they would just die, "but I totally love to pig out on sweets at Sugar Cube Corner, and Rarity's place is so fabulous, she is totally the hottest designer right now, and she is out here in lame-o-ville, can you believe it?"

"Oh, I absolutely love fashion," Scarlett squealed, "I mean, this isn't a Rarity, but I found this little out of the way place in North Canterlot and simply fell in love with the silk," This was going great, she had a friend, she had a friend! She mustn't jump the gun, she had to know more, specifically, "Silver, what do you think about stuffed animals?" she asked with an almost begging look in her eyes, 'please let her like them,' she pleaded to Celestia. Scarlett herself was a bit obsessed, if Silver thought they were for foals, it would put a bit of a damper on things.

Silver's cheeks turned a bit red, she would normally have been embarrassed to tell anypony, but Scarlett seemed so serious, "Well, actually, I like to make them, mother encourages sewing as a good skill to have."

Scarlett was staring at Silver with a manic grin, "We're going to be the BEST FRIENDS EVER!" she shouted, grabbing Silver's fore-hooves and hopping up and down, "Tomorrow you have to come over and see my collection, please please please, they have a whole room just to themselves, and then we can go into town and do anything you want."

Anything Silver wanted? She didn't think anypony had ever said anything quite like that before, Diamond, wonderful as she was- had been- tended to be self absorbed. What did she want? Cupcakes! The ones piled in too much frosting that the Cakes always kept in the center of their display cabinet. She hadn't had one in a month. "Well, like I said before, the cake shop is absolutely wonderful, and then I'll just give you a bit of a tour."

"That sounds great," Scarlett smiled, "Hey, didn't that oak tree have a swing? Want me to push you?"

The swing was wonderful, Silver went higher and higher into the air, it was like flying. They took turns back and forth on the swing, laughing and giggling, Scarlett was careful to hold down her skirts as they floated up around her each time the swing reached its peak. Silver felt a bit like a foal, Diamond was always trying to act so grown up, but with Scarlett it felt okay to be a little ridiculous, to forget the world and just play.

They were still there when Glory came to find them, "Its time girls, and I already worked it out so that Silver can spend the day with us tomorrow."

The two fillies looked at each other and smiled.

"Goodbye Silver, see you then," Scarlett said, giving her a hug. 

Glory patted Silver's head gently, "See you tomorrow dear."

Silver waved goodbye as they left her in the garden, there was a warm feeling in her chest. She slept soundly that night, dreaming of cupcakes and stuffed bunnies.