//------------------------------//
// Chapter 12 
// Story: A Silver Summer 
// by Fanboy 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 12

The two fillies had spent the remaining afternoon at the club house. They had taken turns in searching their classmates with the telescope until the sun began setting. Then they made their way back to the farm house.
They could already see through the open windows that Applejack and Big Macintosh were still working hard to prepare dinner. The smell of hot potatoes emanating from the house further lured them inside.
“Ah, come in and sit down,” Granny Smith invited them. She had already traded her rocking chair for the seat at the head of the table. “It’s almost done.”
But Silver Spoon wouldn’t move a muscle, now standing in the doorway between living room and kitchen. Her eyes still followed the display of kitchen work in front of her.
“Hey,” said Apple Bloom. “Ah’ know that look by now.”
“Huh?”
“Yer thinkin’ about something ya did or thought before, right?”
“Well, yeah. It’s just that I had no idea how much work it is to prepare food.”
“Really? Then what do ya’ think why yer dad pays somepony to do the cookin’ for yer family”
“Because that’s normal.”
“Normal?”
“Yes, that’s what my sister said. Poor, I’m sorry, not-rich ponies work for rich ponies. I never really thought about why they do that. And what that work was like.”
“For everything ya’ said about yer sister yer listening an awful lot to her.”
“Of course I do. She is my big sister after all. I may not like her, but it’s the same for her as you said about yours. She’s older than me and therefore knows more than me.”
“Yeah, that’s true… But somehow Ah’ get the feelin’ ya’ shouldn’t take everything she said or says for granted. Maybe ya’ should ask yer parents about that stuff.”
“I’d like to, but that won’t work.”
“Why?”
“Because my mother is busy with something else most of the time. And my father is either working or too stressed out from work.”
“Is that really true, ma’ dear?” Granny Smith interrupted the two fillies.
“Of course, why should I lie?”
“What’s yer mother busy with that she can’t take care of ya’?” the old mare wanted to know.
“Usually she is busy talking to some of her friends on the phone. At other times she is getting her mane styled. Or has a tailor over because she needs a new dress. Or-“
“How many times does somepony need a new dress?” Apple Bloom threw in.
“I don’t know about other ponies, but my mother gets a new one each time we’re going out for dinner or my parents are invited to somewhere. Or we’re expecting visitors.”
“Hope Ah’m not interrupting,” said Applejack, placing a bowl of potatoes on the table. “Dinner’s ready. Have a seat and dig in.”
Apple Bloom followed her sister’s order without hesitation, indicating Silver Spoon that she should take the chair right next to her. Silver Spoon climbed cautiously onto the seat offered to her.
Carefully she eyed the sudden explosion of action around the table. Everypony started to fill their plates with what was in front of them and then handed the bowl over to the one next to them. Involuntarily, she started to smile.
“What’s so funny?” Applejack asked amused.
“I was just imagining my parents’ seeing this. I don’t know if I have ever seen them filling their plates on their own. Usually our kitchen staff does that for us.”
“Then Ah’ hope you do know how to fill yer plate yerself. We don’t have any kitchen staff to serve you.” Applejack smiled and offered Silver Spoon  some salad.
“Oh, of course,” Silver Spoon replied and started to follow her hosts’ example.
“So, if you don’t mind tellin’ us,” said Applejack after she had taken a few bites. “What exactly does yer father work as?”
Silver Spoon didn’t answer right away. At one hand because she was still chewing on some surprisingly delicious potatoes and carrots. And on the other hand because she was caught completely off guard by somepony talking to her. Surprised she looked from one pony to the other, each looking expectantly at her. Except for Big Macintosh who kept smiling absentmindedly at his dinner.
“What’s wrong?” asked Apple Bloom.
“Well, um… Do you always talk during your meals?”
“Yeah, why wouldn’t we?” asked Apple Bloom.
“My parents always tell me and my sister to be quiet during the meals. We only talk between the courses.” Then she thought for a moment. “But I guess it makes sense.”
“That’s good,” Applejack commented. “But how so?”
“You don’t have more than this one course, right?”
“No, we don’t.” Somehow this seemed highly amusing to the blond farmer. “If you don't count dessert as s course, that is. So, yes, we do have to talk during our meals. Which means you can answer my question without a bad conscience.”
“Of course. He makes carriages. And sells them.”
“He makes them?” Apple Bloom wanted to know. “All by himself?”
“No, of course not. He has a company for that.”
“Yer dad has his own company? No wonder yer so rich.”
“Yes, and he has built it up from the grounds, as he says. He keeps working hard every day so we will never have to worry about anything.”
“And still yer mom doesn’t have time for you?” Applejack wondered.
“No, but that’s okay. I know she has a lot of ‘social obligations to fulfill’. To support father in his business.”
“Social obligations? What’s that?” Apple Bloom wanted to know.
“I don’t know exactly. But that’s what my mother calls it whenever she gets ready for a business dinner my father has. Or when she talks to some lady from a charity organization.”
“And what was that you said about you not likin’ yer sister?” Applejack asked.
“What about it?”
Before Applejack was able to give an answer she got cut off by Granny Smith. “Applejack, that’s enough. Do ya’ really think all this’s somethin’ ya’d talk about the first time ya’ meet somepony?”
“Well…”
“No, it’s okay,” said Silver Spoon. “I simply don’t know what is so special about me not liking my big sister. It has been like that my whole life. And all of a sudden, everypony seems to be worried about it.”
“But don’t you think that if yer parents don’t have much time for the both of you, that that's all the more reason you should get along with yer sister? Ah’ mean, who else is there to take care of you?”
“I don’t need my sister for that, my parents have hired enough house personnel to be there for me.”
Everypony at the table fell silent. Even Big Macintosh had now stopped eating and stared at Silver Spoon. And she stared back, her look wandering from one of them to the other. But even Apple Bloom replied to her silent plea for an explanation only with disbelief.
“What?” Her cheeks started to burn. “Did I say something strange again?”
“Well, sugarcube,” said Applejack hesitantly. “Maybe Ah’ wouldn’t say strange, but… Yes, that’s what it sounds like to me.”
“Why?” After a moment of thinking, Silver Spoon added: “Because most ponies can’t afford that?”
“No, not because of that.” Applejack had problems coming up with the right words for what she was trying to say. Silver Spoon could see that. The farm mare repeatedly tapped her chin. After a few seconds of looking at some spot at the ceiling, she tried: “Well, it’s not that most families couldn’t afford this. They just wouldn’t. It’s just, how do Ah’ say this… It’s just…”
“Not normal?” Silver Spoon offered in a low voice.
Applejack shook her head. “Very unusual, Ah’d rather say.”
“Isn’t that the same?”
Again, a moment of silence passed. Applejack eyed her apologetically, now having the undivided attention of the rest of her family on her. Finally, she sighed. “Ah’m sorry, Ah don’t see another way to put this.”
“Applejack,” Apple Bloom said hesitantly. “Ya’ don’t wanna say that she’s-“
“What Ah’ want to say is that Ah’ don’t know how anypony would rather pay somepony else to take care of their family than look after them themselves.”
“I’d rather have it this way than if my sister were to do that,” stated Silver Spoon. “And she wouldn’t do that anyway.” After a moment of staring at the mix of peas and carrot slices on her plate she added: “I think she hates me.”
“But,” Apple Bloom asked cautiously, “didn’t ya’ tell me yesterday ya’ wish ya’d get along better?”
“I’d like her to be somepony it’s possible to get along with.”
“Oh come on, she can’t be worse than me.”
“What? You’re not-“ Silver Spoon started but soon realized the wide grin on Apple Bloom’s face. A moment later she couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, you’re right, I guess. But still, I don’t know what I should do. Being nice to her didn’t work. I gave up on that long ago.”
“You shouldn’t.” Applejack’s words were accompanied by a knowing look. “Ah’ know it’s hard work, but it pays off.”
“Being nice is hard work?”
Applejack laughed and shook her head. “No, of course not. But being nice to somepony who isn’t can be. But if you just keep on, eventually she’ll start to be nice herself. Because deep down inside, nopony wants to have fights and be angry all the time.” 
“She doesn’t always have fights,” Silver Spoon mumbled, lowering her head. “Only with me.”
“Really?” Apple Bloom asked surprised.
Applejack on the other hand was still as amused as before. “How can you be so sure, sugarcube? It seems to me that yer not exactly around each other that often.”
“No, not really… But still, I never see her fight with our parents, or her friends, or anypony for that matter. But as soon as I try to talk to her she gets angry.”
“Have you ever tried talking to one of her friends?”
“No. Why would I?”
“Well, maybe they can help you. Obviously they get along with her.”
“I never thought of that,” Silver Spoon mumbled while scratching her chin. Not for the first time she wondered why it needed somepony else to come up with such a simple idea for her. Immediately her mind kicked into action. Her surroundings barred from her mind, she started to ponder who of her sister’s friends would be best to talk to.
After a few mentally relived conversations she had ‘overheard’, her search was suddenly interrupted by a shout: “Now I remember!”
Only as the others turned their surprised looks at her again she realized that she had said that. Out loud. And directly at Big Macintosh.
“Remember what?” he asked irritated.
“Well, um your name…” she answered, trying her best not to blush. She failed instantly. “I mean, where I heard it before. That is, before today.” Still all of the others kept looking expectantly at her. Getting more and more afraid she had started to talk of something silly again, she added: “My sister. She, um, talked about you. With a friend of hers…”
Her voice trailed of into silence. Why would they want to hear what her sister of all ponies had to say about one of their family? Or rather, would they want to hear what she had said about him – and them?
But to her surprise, Applejack gave her a wide grin. Then she looked at her brother and said: “She did? Say, sugarcube, what exactly were they talkin’?”
“Well…” Silver Spoon tried her hardest to remember this particular time. There were only fragments left in her memory. A few parts that stuck out to her because she never really understood what they meant. “I’m not really sure. I think they said something about him being tasty. Whatever that means. And how it was sad because of that that he had such bad family.”
The last sentence she said was accompanied by an apologetic look from her. But neither Applejack nor Big Macintosh reacted to that in any way. Applejack gave him an almost taunting look while she covered her grin with her cup of water. Her brother simply kept on eating, doing his best to demonstrate that he didn’t care about his sister.
Confused, Silver Spoon looked at first over to Granny Smith. She too did her best not to care and keep on eating, but the filly could clearly see the old mare’s lips curl into a faint smile.
Then she looked at her friend, who was as confused as she was. But obviously, Apple Bloom had another reason for that: “What does that mean, ‘tasty’?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it his red coat.”
“Huh?”
“Well, I think she also said something about her cherries at that time, perhaps-”
Violent coughing interrupted their little conversation. Apple Bloom’s older siblings had managed to choke on their food at the same time.
“Are y’alright?” a startled Granny Smith asked.
“Yeah,” answered Applejack still coughing. “Don’t worry.” Then she turned to Silver Spoon. “Maybe you should keep the thinking for later. Otherwise yer food’s gonna ´get cold.”
Silver Spoon looked back in bewilderment before realizing she still had a plate filled with delicious smelling dinner in front of her. At the same moment a lout growling came from her belly, as if her stomach had finally lost its patience. A second she was once more overwhelmed by her meal’s taste. She would have never expected something made of such simple ingredients could turn out to be so delicious.
While she ate her meal, something more than food filled her stomach. It was once again that warm feeling. The same joy she had felt yesterday evening. And it wasn’t just the wonderful meal. It was the lively chatter around her, the hearty laughs, and most of all the honest, happy smiles her hosts wore the whole time.
Except for Big Mac. Well, he did smile, but… not like the others. He was happy, but, again, not like the others. The way he eyed them with a hint of dreamy bliss in his eyes reminded her of something.
Or somepony?
Yes, that was it. He reminded her of herself. The joy of just being here, the thankfulness of being able to share this moment of familiar atmosphere. He looked like he felt like her. Grateful to be accepted in their midst.
Or was it really acceptance? It seemed like something close to it, but Silver Spoon wasn’t able to put her hoof on it.
The longer she looked at him, trying to figure out how to name that thing, the more something else started to irritate her. Once again she had that feeling of familiarity. Even more than when they had met this noon, like she had seen this scene somewhere before.
“Is that true?”
Applejack's question disrupted her thoughts. She had been so caught up in them that she had completely blocked out the ongoing chatter around her. She jumped a little and looked startled at the blonde farmer.
“What’s wrong?” Applejack laughed. “Were you remeberin’ something else?”
“Yes, I think,” answered Silver Spoon, hoping she wasn’t blushing. “But, um, what were you asking about?”
“About Fluttershy’s idea what yer cutie mark stands for.”
Silver Spoon’s eyes widened. Her cutie mark. That was the final piece. The day she got it. Raising Hammer’s look that day. Involuntarily she turned towards Big Macintosh. His look was the same as the one she had seen on the old stallion’s face back then.
“Did Ah’ say something wrong?” Applejack asked cautiously.
“No, no,” Silver Spoon replied hastily, definitely knowing she was blushing this time. “So, ehm, what was it you were asking?”
“Never mind that,” Applejack said with a confused look. “You seem to be quite interested in ma’ brother.”
“Yeah,” added Apple Bloom. “Don’t tell me ya have a-“
“Apple Bloom,” her sister cut off the yellow filly. “That’s not what Ah’ meant and nothing to ask so casually.”
“Then, what did you mean?” Silver Spoon asked.
“Well, just what Ah’ said. You keep lookin’ at him quite a lot. And Ah’ wanted to know why.”
Silver Spoon felt her face getting even hotter than before. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, fidgeting with her hooves. “I didn’t mean to. My parents told me not to, but sometimes I can’t help it…”
“Wait, yer parents told ya’ not to look at ma’ big brother?” Apple Bloom asked.
“No, I meant, they told me that staring at other ponies is impolite. I am really sorry if I offended you.”
To her surprise, Applejack grinned in return. “Don’t worry. Yer parents sure are right about that, but it’s okay. Ah’ honestly was just interested in what’s so fascinatin’ about him to you.”
For a moment, she considered telling her what she really was thinking about. But she didn’t know how to say that she thought he reminded her of an old stallion who had just lost his wife without letting it sound weird or maybe even insulting. At least, not right in front of him. So, instead she said: “I was thinking about what it would be like to have a big brother like him instead of a big sister like mine.”
“Depends on what you would be like as a little sister.”
Big Mac’s voice didn’t just startle Silver Spoon once again. Applejack and Apple Bloom shared the same look of surprise. But it didn’t take her long to recover and say: “A much happier one, I guess. You don’t seem like you get into fights with somepony that often.”
“Only as long as somepony won’t get into a fight with me. But for all I heard from Apple Bloom, you’re one to get into fights of your own from time to time.”
Silver Spoon was taken aback by these words. They were no accusation. Not even a question. It was more like he stated a fact to confirm its accuracy. Not unlike her mother when she talked to her father’s guests about that she had heard they were excellent golfers or that they bought their dresses at certain boutiques.
Not knowing what to make of this, she glanced over to the mentioned filly who wore an expression of astonished surprise. Even Applejack seemed like she hadn’t expected her brother to say something like this.
Finally, Silver Spoon sighed and said: “Yes, you’re right. I did and said a lot I shouldn’t have.”
“And you’re sorry for that, I know. Otherwise Apple Bloom wouldn’t have invited you here. But, have you ever thought about being not that innocent of your fights with your sister?”
”Hey, Big Mac, how can ya’ say that?”
Silver could hear Apple Bloom’s protest. But her eyes were fixated on the large, red stallion in front of her. She herself had wanted to protest this question. Almost out of instinct. Of course she wasn’t to blame. She had never started a fight between them. Not once. She was sure of that. But what stopped her from talking back was a thought crossing her mind: Had she ever done something to avoid a fight between them?
“Well, maybe I haven’t…” she reluctantly admitted. Both to Big Macintosh and herself.
“Don’t worry,” the oldest Apple sibling replied reassuringly. “A lot of ponies have trouble doing that. Not just little fillies like you. So I hope you see what you can do about this?”
She gave him a thankful smile. “Yes, I think I do. I just hope it works.”
“It will, if you’re patient. Like AJ said, fixing these thing can take a lot of time.”
“Well at least I now have an expert at making friends by my side, right?”
“Right!” agreed Apple Bloom.