//------------------------------// // Melody // Story: The Diamond Exchange // by angelbunny //------------------------------// Silver Spoon sniffled as the last of her tears left her. She was certain that her parents would never change and that love – real love – would never penetrate this household. Her stomach grumbled at her for skipping out on dinner. If her heart could produce similar noises due to being underloved, she felt that she would never hear anything else except for that sound. Tap, tap, tap. Silver Spoon heard something rapping against her bedroom window. Turning on the switch of her nightstand lamp, she sat up and looked out of the window. There, on the other side of the glass, was Diamond Tiara’s smiling face. A smile quickly spread across her own face as the pink filly was above and beyond a sight for sore eyes. Hopping out of bed, Silver Spoon trotted to the window and opened it as quickly and quietly as possible. “What are you doing here?” asked Silver Spoon in a hushed tone. “Did you forget already?” asked Diamond Tiara, also keeping her voice down. “We’re supposed to have a sleepover.” “But didn’t your dad say we couldn’t?” “He said we couldn’t have one at our place; he didn’t say I couldn’t have one at yours. Aren’t you going to invite me in?” Silver Spoon closed her eyes and smiled. “No need,” she replied. “You’re always welcome in this house.” A visit from Diamond Tiara was just what she needed to offset the madness she experienced with her parents earlier. She walked backwards and allowed her to climb through the window. Once she was inside, Silver closed the window and noticed that her friend was wearing a saddlebag. “Whatcha got there? Something fun?” “You’ll see,” said Diamond Tiara. “Now close your eyes and hold out your hooves.” Silver Spoon did as she was instructed and waited patiently. She heard Diamond Tiara reach into her saddlebag and extract something from it that made a sharp sound against her hooves – like a glass bowl. Moments later, the mystery item, weighing roughly more than a pound, was placed in her hooves. “Don’t drop it,” warned Diamond Tiara. The next thing Silver Spoon heard was something that sounded like a glass lid being lifted. “You can open your eyes now,” said Diamond Tiara. Silver Spoon opened her eyes and discovered that she was holding a whole quiche that was still warm. Silver Spoon gasped and smiled. “Is this all for me?” asked Silver Spoon. Diamond Tiara nodded. “Thank you! But how did you know I’d be hungry?” “I know you lose your appetite when your mom or your dad are around. Now that both of them are here at the same time, I’ll bet that you barely ate anything.” “It’s true. I didn’t and I’m not allowed in the kitchen after it closes up for the night. Oh, this looks and smells so good!” She opened her mouth and was about to shove her snout into the quiche when she looked up at Diamond Tiara suspiciously, raising an eyebrow. “No smartass jokes about this being gay food, okay?” “You’re so paranoid. I ate plenty of it myself and I’m straight.” Having made certain that she could enjoy this meal sans mockery, Silver Spoon lowered her face into the bowl and ate heartily. “Do you like it?” asked Diamond Tiara. Silver Spoon removed her face from the quiche long enough to answer Diamond Tiara with a nod and an ‘mm-hmmmmm’. Diamond Tiara smiled as she watched her friend finish her meal. “Now go brush your teeth, cheese breath,” said Diamond Tiara with a smirk. Silver Spoon nodded and trotted off to the bathroom to do as she was instructed. While she was in the bathroom, Diamond Tiara removed her saddlebag, opened it, removed something from it and slid it under the pillow on the left side of the bed. Tossing the saddlebag on the carpet, she placed her tiara on the nightstand beside Silver Spoon’s glasses and pearls, put on the sleepwear she brought with her from home, hopped onto Silver Spoon’s big bouncy bed and sat on its edge, awaiting her friend’s return. Silver Spoon returned from the bathroom and saw that Diamond Tiara was wearing a lavender camisole that matched her hair and a pair of white pajama pants with images of her cutie mark printed all over them. The front of the camisole had the words ‘Best Pony’ spelled out in cursive with white sequins. Silver Spoon thought that the ensemble made her look absolutely adorable. She ran into her closet and dashed back out again moments later with her mane in pigtails and wearing a white baby doll nightgown that was suspiciously sheer for a garment intended for a filly. Diamond Tiara folded her forelegs and raised an eyebrow. “That’s... cute,” she said, “but there’s no way in Tartaros that I’m sleeping in the same bed as you if you’re wearing that.” “Awwwww...” Silver Spoon hung her head and returned to her closet dejectedly. She came back out with her hair down and was dressed in conservative pink flannel pajamas. Diamond Tiara grinned and nodded, patting the comforter with her hoof to indicate that Silver Spoon was now permitted to approach the bed. Silver Spoon climbed into the bed, selected the right side, and crawled under the covers to lie down. Diamond Tiara turned to face the foot of the bed but remained in a seated position, covering her lower extremities with the blankets. “Does your head still hurt?” asked Silver Spoon, referring to the spot where Twist had struck Diamond Tiara earlier. “Kinda. I’ve got a nasty bump there but it’s hidden under my mane. My dad took a look at it and said that it’ll go away eventually. As long as I still look good, I guess I can deal with it. How about you? Still holding up?” “Before you showed up tonight, I felt like manure. As if I wasn’t feeling lousy enough about the accident, my mom and dad just found out that I’m gay.” “Yikes.” Diamond Tiara cringed in empathy. “How did that go?” “Stupidly; the same way that everything having to do with me goes where they’re involved. I guess I should count myself lucky that they didn’t rush me to Ponyville Hospital thinking that it was some disease that could be cured.” “They’re seriously that dumb?” Silver Spoon shot Diamond Tiara a look that confirmed that her parents were at least that dumb, if not more so. Diamond Tiara retracted her question. “The only good news is that they’re not taking me out of Ponyville Elementary,” said Silver Spoon. “You were right about that.” “I’m right about everything,” declared Diamond Tiara as she placed a hoof against her collarbone and closed her eyes. “It hasn’t been easy but I think I’ve finally reached a point in my life where I’m at peace with myself over always being right.” Silver grinned and then yawned right afterward. “Wow,” she said. “I didn’t realize it until it hit me just now but I am, like, so tired that it isn’t even funny. I feel like I haven’t slept in days. Let’s call it a night, huh?” She pulled her covers up to her jaw and closed her eyes. “Could you please turn off the lamp?” Diamond Tiara reached underneath her pillow and extracted the item she stored there earlier. “Turn off the lamp? How am I supposed to read this to you in the dark?” Silver Spoon opened her eyes and saw that Diamond Tiara was holding a storybook in her hooves, prepared to read the bedtime story that she mentioned back at the police station. A soft whinny of giddy glee escaped Silver Spoon’s mouth as she forgot all about how tired she was. “Don’t look so surprised,” said Diamond Tiara with a smile. “I can’t have my right hoof mare thinking that I don’t follow through with my plans, now, can I?” “Nope,” whispered Silver Spoon, her snout concealed beneath the covers. “You can’t have that.” “Once upon a time... there was a beautiful princess who lived in an enchanted castle...” Silver Spoon’s eyes grew wide as she snuggled her covers, listening intently to each word that came out of Diamond Tiara’s mouth. She was being read a bedtime story and her bed was going to smell like Diamond Tiara for a day or two. Life was good. Silver Spoon watched Diamond Tiara snoozing away peacefully under the moonlight that filtered through the curtains. She smiled, believing that the pink filly was even more beautiful when she was asleep. It was the middle of the night and Silver Spoon found herself awake so she took this opportunity to gaze at the only pony who cared about her emotional needs. She recalled the characters in Diamond Tiara’s book of fairy tales and the heroic deeds they had performed and she concluded that she must have done something equally courageous herself in a previous life to have deserved a friend like Diamond Tiara in this one. The dulcet tones of a music box chimed out an innocent tune. It was a soft instrument; the perfect choice for the intro to the song which Silver Spoon could no longer keep locked away in her heart. She whispered the lyrics so as not to wake Diamond Tiara. What have I done – to deserve a friend like you? Did I lift some ancient curse? Was it a dragon that I slew? Or maybe something of An even greater magnitude For me to have a friend who is as won...der...ful As you Keeping the background music and her vocals muted to Diamond Tiara so as to let her sleep, Silver Spoon increased her personal volume on her vocals for her own enjoyment as bass guitar, keyboard and drums became the new active instruments in the composition. Did I set sail – on an ocean voyage faaaar? Did I cure some sickly foal? Or did I wish upon a staaaar? I can’t believe my eyes (I’ve never known such pulchrituuuuude) When I behold a friend who is as beauuuu-tiii-.fulllll As youuuuuuu A quartet of drum beats followed by a cymbal strike heralded the bridge as violins accompanied her vocals. Was I a knight who saved a prinnnn-cess fairrrrrrr With just my courage and a sworrrrrrrd? What earthly task did I compleeeete to earrrrn Such a heaaaaa-vennnn-lyyyyy reeeeee-warrrrrrrrrrd? A short instrumental ended the bridge and returned to the tune of the previous two verses, only in a higher note. I’ll never know the deeds that paid this dividennnnnd But I know without a doubt – that I would do them all agaaaaain Celestia and the world have my undying gratituuuude For giving me a friend As wonnn-derrr-fu-u-u-ullllllll... Violins echoed the notes she sang an octave higher than she hit them. As beauuu-tiiii-fu-u-u-u-u-ulllllll... The violins did the same for these new notes. As heaaaaaaaa-ven-lyyyyyyyyyy As dearrrrrrrrr to-o-o-o meeeeeeeee She took this brief pause in the music to lower her singing voice to her earlier whisper volume for her final lyrics, singing them to Diamond Tiara directly. Aa-as You-uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu The music box chimes played for her outtro during the final sustained lyric. Filled to bursting with a level of love and appreciation that anypony would be lucky to experience, Silver Spoon placed a kiss upon Diamond Tiara’s forehead and lay down to sleep, loving her blessed life despite its flaws.