Immediately after school let out, Apple Bloom and her friends gathered around the door to discuss the project. It had certainly been a highlight when Diamond Tiara got paired up with Snails. Then Apple Bloom told them who she got paired up with.
Now they sulked by the door way as the other fillies and colts walked off with their partners.
“Have fun girls.” Twist waved as she walked hoof-in-hoof with her partner, Pip.
“Yeah,” the crusaders politely waved back, “enjoy”.
“Ow!” Apple Bloom winced as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon bumped by.
“Like,” Diamond Tiara turned her muzzle, “we hope you don’t fail,” she said sarcastically, “because it would be such a shame if we didn’t share a classroom next year.”
Silver Spoon copied her friend’s motions. “Like yeah, that would be like, awful.” She leered sarcastically at them. The pair laughed to themselves, and then headed out the door into the warm springtime afternoon. Their laugher died out when Snails walked up to them.
The crusaders watched as Snails approached Diamond Tiara, goofy smile plastered on his face as always.They couldn’t hear what was being said, but Diamond Tiara’s expressions told the whole story; she wasn’t looking forward to this. After he sneezed on her-Apple Bloom didn’t hold back laughing-Diamond Tiara waved off Silver Spoon, and departed for her night with Snails.
All alone, Silver Spoon around the playground for her partner. She lowered her rump onto the ground, and began tapping her hooves together as she waited for said pony to come forth.
“I just can’t believe you got stuck with, her.” Scootaloo gestured towards the gray filly.
Apple Bloom tilted her head towards Silver Spoon, sitting there by herself. She almost felt sorry for her. Without Diamond Tiara around, Silver Spoon looked kind of sweet and innocent, almost. Apple Bloom wasn’t going to be caught off guard that easily. This was still Silver Spoon, her second worst life-long enemy. The day she saw through any ruse of Diamond Tiara's or Silver Spoon's was the day that all of Tartarus froze over.
“You sure you’re going to be alright, Apple Bloom?” Sweetie Belle brought her out of the death glare she gave Silver Spoon. It turned out for the better, because she turned her head just as Silver Spoon glanced towards them.
“Well, no, but Ah don’t have a choice neither. It’s either find a way to get along with Silver Spoon, or fail the class.” Thinking it was one thing, saying it out loud made it sound a whole lot worse.
“Maybe her A-making ability’s will rub off on you.” Scootaloo teased. Sweetie Belle wacked her on the shoulder. “Ow!”
“No, no,” Apple waved a hoof, “Ah actually hope that happens.” It was a hopeless dream, but one she could still dream about.
"Are you sure you don't want us to tag along with you?” Sweetie Belle lowered her eyelids.
Scootloo scrapped her hoof across the ground. “We’d be more than happy to make sure she doesn’t try anything funny.”
Apple Bloom chuckled. "Nah, if Ah gott'a suffer, it don't mean you gals gott'a suffer."
She knew that her friends plan was to go to the library to look up records of their families’ first. She, on the other hoof, had different plans. Instead of going to the library, she wanted to check the attic at home. She was sure her attic had something Silver Spoon could use for her project. It would keep Silver Spoon away from her friends, and with her big sister around to supervise, she felt sure that Silver Spoon wouldn’t try anything funny.
It was a three way win-win.
"Alright then," Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle began to walk off, "good luck."
They waved good buy to each other, and walked out of classroom. Although Apple Bloom noticed that they hid behind a tree. She smiled at their inability to be discreet, and began to make her way towards Silver Spoon.
Even if it was only a five meter walk, it felt like a mile long hike up a mountain. Her pace slowed, her breathing quickened, and she had a sudden feeling of sickness in her stomach. As Apple Bloom expected, the moment the gray filly saw her advance, she wrinkled her nose and turned her head away. “Uggh, what do you want, blank flank?”
Apple Bloom flinched. She wanted nothing more than to buck Silver Spoon in the face. Then she remembered that she needed the good grade.
"Well," Apple Bloom coughed, "we're… kind’a partners.”
As the words reached her ears, Silver Spoon laughed at her. All Apple Bloom could do was let her laugh it out, because it wouldn’t be funny for very long. Sure enough, once the reality hit her, the filly’s jaw dropped, and eyes widened.
“You?” Silver Spoon pointed a hoof at her.
“Eyup,” Apple Bloom nodded, “me.” She narrowed her eyes, and advanced until she was muzzle to muzzle with Silver Spoon. “And I don’t wanna be your partner either. So let’s just make a truce to get this over with, okay?” She held her hoof up.
Silver Spoon acted reluctant, but not as reluctant as Apple Bloom might have thought. Silver Spoon took a look at her hoof like it was radioactive for only a moment before she placed her own hoof on Apple Bloom's.
“Deal.” Silver Spoon said with what looked like an honest smile.
"Deal?" Apple Bloom tilted her head at the quick response. “I mean, deal.” The two then stood there, not saying a word, and occasionally tapping their hooves.
“So,” Apple Bloom asked after the moment of awkward silence, “you wanna come over to my place first? I think we got some records in the attic.”
“That sounds fine," Silver Spoon shrugged. "I should probably let my parents know that you’ll be coming over tomorrow anyways before you show up.” She sounded reluctant to have Apple Bloom over, but not in a way Apple Bloom would have expected her to be. She almost sounded scared, rather than annoyed. As if she didn’t want her at her fancy mansion because she didn’t want her to see something embarrassing.
Apple Bloom shook the thought of it off. She was sure that she just read the langue wrong of something.
“Okay then.” Apple Bloom took in a deep sigh, “let’s roll.”
They walked off to the gate, and Apple Bloom couldn’t help but have a little fun. “After you, me lady." She even added a little bow as Silver Spoon passed by.
Silver Spoon didn’t even say anything as she walked by. She just hung her head down as she seemed, offended.
Maybe it was Apple Bloom’s imagination, but it looked like her gesture had insulted Silver Spoon. Which was impossible, she was sure of that. Silver Spoon never let anything anypony said insult her, at least when she was around Diamond Tiara.
She slapped herself on the forehead, as she reminded herself who this was. Still, she didn’t do anything like that again around Silver Spoon.
-------------------------------------------------
The door to the Apple residence opened with a creak. It had been a long, silent walk to Sweet Apple Acres. When she walked into her house, Apple Bloom let out a relived sigh when she called out to her sister.
“Hey, Applejack, you home?” her voice echoed in the house as Silver Spoon followed her in.
A loud crash caused both fillies to jump. “Yeah, Apple Bloom,” Applejack shouted from the kitchen, “how are…” another choir of falling dished reached their ears. “I’ll be right there, Granny!” A cooking pot rolled out of the kitchen towards the pair.
“Is everything okay?” Silver Spoon tapped the pan.
“Yeah,” Apple Bloom shrugged, “Granny's probably just being random again.” She chuckled as they heard something about soup being shouted from Granny Smith.
“Are you sure?” Silver Spoon asked while a chair smashed into the hallway wall.
“Don’t you young'uns worry,” they heard Applejack shout. Something else broke. “GRANNY!”
Silver Spoon seemed were frozen in place from all the excitement. Apple Bloom, use to this, just shook her head. For the past year, Granny Smith had been acting bizarre, more than usual. She forgot things more often, would take longer naps, and even didn’t recognize her some days.
When she asked Big Mac and Applejack, they would tell her that everything was fine. While she knew they believed that, she felt like they were hiding something from her.
“Maybe we can do a project oh her?”
“What?” Apple Bloom’s gaze shot towards Silver spoon.
Silver Spoon shrugged. “I mean, she is certainly an interesting pony. I could get a good grade with her backstory, no problem.”
“Um, thanks.” She was sure she had heard it wrong but, Silver Spoon sounded sincere.
Silver Spoons eyes widened. “No, I mean it," She smiled. "Her story about how if it weren’t for her, Ponyville wouldn’t even exist, and how she escaped those timber wolves was incredible.”
“Ah shucks, ya think so?” As she thought back on that memory, she did remember that it was Silver Spoon who clapped first after Granny Smith told her story. It was a small detail, but she had completely forgotten about.
“Believe me, it was certainly much more exciting than Filthy Rich’s explanation of economics.”
Apple Bloom nodded. “Well, I’m not going to lie there, his speech was boring.”
While the girls were laughing, they noticed the noise had died down, and that Applejack had limped out of the kitchen.
Mane a mess, tail band missing, and face covered in flower, she smiled at the pair. “Hey, Apple Bloom, who’s your friend?”
“Oh, hello, Ms. Apple.” Silver Spoon politely nodded. “My name is Silver Spoon.” To Apple Bloom's relief, Applejack raise an eyebrow in recognition. She recognized who Silver Spoon was, and that meant she could count on her sister if Silver Spoon showed her true colors. Although, to Apple Bloom’s surprise, Applejack held out her hoof to Silver Spoon with an inviting smile on her face.
“Well its pleasure to meet ya. We here sure do like making new friends. So what can I do for ya?” She asked after the pair lowered their hooves.
“Well, we’re looking for interesting stories on past family members.” She emphasized, past.
“Well that sounds dandy,” she eyed towards Apple Bloom. “And I presume you can handle ithings on your own, like an adult?”
Apple Bloom’s ears shot up. “Of course I can.”
Applejack leaned in. “And behaved like one.”
Apple Bloom began to curse on the inside. Had Applejack really just done that to her? She could be an adult mare, and show her up.
More clangs erupted from the kitchen.
“Is granny okay?” Apple Bloom titled her head towards the kitchen.
“Of course she is, sugarcube.” Applejack stepped into her line of sight. “Granny Smith is just… a little more disorganized today than usual.”
More sounds vibrated from the kitchen. “Now I know y’all hid it here somewhere!” They heard Granny Smith yell form the kitchen. “Where are those egg beaters of mine?”
“Granny, for the twelfth time, we got some new one’s over three years ago. Oh gezz!” They all screamed as a flower pot sailed over their heads. It smashed into the wall, leaving a bright dirt stain on the stripped patterned walls.
“No we ain’t,” Granny Smiths green head poked out of the kitchen, “one of y’all just moved them!” She disappeared back into the kitchen to resume her futile search. “I’ll find it yet, y’all hear?” More pans clattered.
Applejack just sighed heavily. “Ah swear, Ah don’ know what to do with her.” She looked upon on the two fillies with a crooked grin. “Well now, what’s y'alls projects anyways?”
“We're looking up info on an interesting family member. We’re required to give a speech on who they were, what they did, somethin interesting bout them.”
“I want to do a report on Granny Smith!” Silver Spoon hoof jumped into the air.
“Well, you heard Cheerilee,” Apple Bloom chuckled, “it has to be a past relative, past. Besides, Granny Smith’s already gave her backstory at family appreciation day, wouldn’t you think Ms. Cheerilee might consider that to easy.”
Silver Spoon sighed. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
Apple Bloom answer had two reasons behind it her quick response. The first was because Ms. Cheerilee had clearly said, past relatives, and Granny Smith was still very much alive. Secondly, despite Silver Spoon, surprising charm, she still didn’t trust her. She didn’t want to risk her saying any bad things about her granny to the whole class when her charade was over.
“Well now,” Applejack smirked, “I’m sure you can find something in the attic. Let me think here,” her sister scratched her head as she tried to remember, “ah yes, blue box, red lid, you can’t miss it.” They heard another crass.
“Y'all better get on that project while I do… somethin, Granny!” She called as she galloped back into the kitchen.
“She always like that, your granny?” Silver Spoon motioned towards Apple Bloom.
"Eyup,” Apple Bloom said with a raised chin, “she just has her own special way of doing things, makes her zap apple jam tasty thou.” She snapped out of it. She wasn’t going to let her guard down and fall for any of Silver Spoon’s ploys. She would act like an adult like her sitter wanted her to, but would be ready to pounce at a moment’s notice.
“Now then, why don’t we head on up in the attic to see what’s in that box.”
______________________________________
The two filly’s made their way through the house until the found a string hanging from the ceiling, the events of the hallway still fresh in their minds.
Pushing it to the side, Apple Bloom kept to her task of getting Silver Spoon out of her house as soon as possible. The less she saw of her grannies goofiness, the less she could use to tease her later on when she dropped her act.
She lead Silver Spoon to the entrance to the attic, a lose piece of sting. She pulled the string, and was met with a flight of stairs, and a thick layer of dust.
“Guess, *cough*, we haven’t used the attic in a while.”
“You think?” Silver Spoon responded with her own cough as the dust settled.
Apple Bloom took her response as an insult, but didn’t say anything as they entered the attic. Unless she did anything wrong, Apple Bloom was going to act like an adult in her house.
“We really need to spend a spring cleaning up here.” Apple Bloom brushed away some cobwebs. “Now then, red box, blue lid.” They began to look through all the nicknacks and odd-end’s one would find in an old barn house attic.
They saw some old seed samples, Applejack’s various ribbons over the years, and what looked like a poorly made timber wolf puppet until they finally found the box. “Alright then,” she said as her teeth unlatched the hatch, “let’s see what’s inside.”
There wasn’t a whole lot inside the box. It had a few pictures and legal documents with the occasional personal letter, but nothing more. A few were emotional at times, but none really provided what they needed for the class project, or at least enough in their minds to earn them an A. Again, she was going for the grown up angle being nice rather than lazy.
“Sure ain’t a lot.” Apple Bloom yawned an hour later. She glanced over another small hand porter of a pony she didn’t recognize. She was about to go onto the next document when she noticed something. Silver Spoon was still reading over the same document she had been on over a half hour ago. “You could read some more you know.” She narrowed her eyes.
Silver Spoon shot up. “Oh, um… sure thing” She pushed the document under her away as she pulled over another one. “Just, making sure I’m reading every line.” She leaned in close to the paper.
Apple Bloom shook her head. “Kay, but I’m starting to wonder if anypony in my family, aside from my sis and granny, would be A+ worthy material.” She chuckled. “All we seem to do is harvest apples.”
Silver Spoon chuckled. “Yeah, makes me wish your granny or sister would pass away or something so I could do my report on… Ofh!” Before Silver Spoon could finish, Apple Bloom had tackled her down. “Ap, Apple Bloom, I didn’t mean…”
“Don’t you ever say that, ever!” She pushed her hooves more firmly in place on Silver Spoon’s chest. She’d had herself on high ever since she read Silver Spoon’s name on the bingo ball. She gave her a chance, and now that she blew it, she could let it all out.
“Do you hear me,” her voice began to rise, “ever?” She yelled even louder to make sure the wide-eyed filly underneath her understood her. “You say that again, and I’ll make sure nopony will recognize y’all, you got that?”
Silver Spoon cowered beneath her. “Alright, alright, I’m sorry. I- I forgot that your parents had died…
“LIKE THAT SHOULD HAVE MATTERED!” Apple Bloom screamed to the high heavens. The dead had probably been awake, but she didn’t care. Nopony said anything that evil about her family, and she made sure to get her point across loud and clear.
“Sugarcube?” She heard Applejack shout up after a moment of silence. “Is everything okay up there?” As her sisters word flashed through her mind, she was able to clear her mind up for a bit as she saw Silver Spoon… crying.
Apple Bloom released her grip on her and backed up to the wall. Had she really acted in such a foal way that she made sompony cry. It might have been her arch enemy, but that didn’t make it feel any better. She wasn’t going to forgive her, but she did feel like she went too far with how she acted to apologize.
“We’re fine, sis!” Apple Bloom shouted down to deal with her sister first. “Just a, little stressed after readin, that’s all.”
“Well alright then!” If her sister suspected anything else, then she must have been too busy to come up and make sure it was. “You two just be careful up there, you hear?”
“Alright, sis,” she responded keeping her eyes locked on Silver Spoon as she got back up.
“I am really sorry,” Silver Spoon straightened her glasses. “I didn’t mean to say that, I promise not to do it again.”
Apple Bloom stood in place with a blank expression on her face. It just didn’t seem like Silver Spoon to apologize for making such an insult. She and Diamond Tiara certainly hadn’t when they teased Scootaloo about her tiny wings, so why start just because Silver Spoon was by herself?
“Apple Bloom,” Silver Spoon said getting on her knee’s, “I do mean it, I am really sorry. I would feel awful if anypony in your family passed away, I promise.”
Despite her urge to pity her, Apple Bloom couldn’t forget what a bully Silver Spoon had been to her; bullies never change. Still, she had enough in her to assume, if only a little bit, that Silver Spoon was being legit.
She acted like it, and she sounded like it, but did she mean it? Maybe. Besides, if her sister had found out that she didn’t accept somepony’s apology, she didn’t even want to even think about it.
“Alright,” she swallowed deeply to, act like an adult. “Ah forgive you.”
Silver Spoon tried to express her gratitude towards Apple Bloom with a hug. Apple Bloom pushed her away.
She was still hurt, and wasn't going to fall for the same trick twice. “Just don’t get any more ideas in y’all’s head, y’all got that?”
“Okay,” Silver Spoon shrunk
Apple Bloom began to wonder if she went just too far with how she reacted towards Silver Spoon, if only for a moment.
______________________
Another hour later, and the pair had no work to show for it. Their lack of communication after their disagreement hadn’t helped, but in large, it came down to having nothing to work with. Apple Bloom’s family was plan and simply. Not that their lives had been unhappy, they just didn’t have a lot to talk about either.
Apple Bloom made a mental note to write a journal whenever she did something amazing.
“Well,” Silver Spoon broke the silence, “I better get going.” She closed another family album and got up. As she did, she gave Apple Bloom a weak smile as Apple Bloom continued to glare. “I’ll see you in the…”
“Well howdy there, gal’s,” Applejack said as she nearly ran into Silver Spoon. “Y’alls project going well?”
“Just dandy.” Apple Bloom muttered through clenched teeth.
“Why yes,” Sliver Spoon nodded, “it is going very well, but I was just heading home so...”
“Well now,” Applejack put a hoof up, “why not stay for dinner? Where having Zap Apple cobbler, Apple Bloom’s favorite. I’m sure she wound’s mind sharing with y’all.”
“Well I…” Silver Spoon began.
“Oh no,” Apple Bloom quickly shoot up. The last thing she wanted was to spend any more time with Silver Spoon than she had to. “You don’t have to…” before she could say more, she looked at her sister as she gave her a stern gaze that made her blood run cold. “Don’t, have to worry about us running out’a food, we have plenty.”
Applejack’s face instantly lite up. “That’s right,” she hooked a leg around the two fillies. “We always have plenty to share.” She walked up to Silver Spoon with a warm smile. “So, what do you say, sugarcube?”
After a while, to Apple Bloom’s surprise, when Silver Spoon realized that she wasn’t going to get out of it, she seemed quite please. “Sure thing,” she said with a bounce in her voice, “I’d love to.”
Apple Bloom shook her head; life was so unfair.
-------------------------------------------
“Dinner was amazing!” Silver Spoon chipped as Apple Bloom walked her home.
Normally, Applejack would never have allowed her out so late at night. Not that she was complaining, she was thrilled to have such responsibility.
Apple Bloom didn’t want to walk Silver Spoon home, but just like dinner, she knew to protest against Applejack would be futile. Although, much like dinner, the further they went along, the more she eased to Silver Spoon’s little insult in the attic, and began to enjoy her company. She hadn’t quit forgive her, but she was able to put it in the back of her mind.
“Although,” Silver Spoon shuttered, “I still don’t see how Granny Smith could be so forgiving when I spilled that juice on her.”
“Neither can Ah.” Apple Bloom grinned, “She won’t forget that easily, but she can never stay mad at anypony with a good heart for long. It’s just funny that way.” Both girls laughed.
“Wish it was funny that way with my... I mean, as exciting. We have lots of fun at our table, just in a different way.”
“I bet.” If her mind wasn’t on other things, she may have questioned Silver Spoon’s choice of word.
All through dinner, while her family was talked, laughed and said how great their day was. Silver Spoon seemed to fit right in. She would tell a funny story that didn’t involve somepony in pain, and everyone would laughed with her.
Apple Bloom even found herself laughing with a little one-liner Silver Spoon had said at dinner. At one point, she begun to enjoy Silver Spoon’s company before she quickly snapped out of it. This was Silver Spoon, her arch enemy. This was the pony who’s life purpose was to make her life as miserable as possible for being a country bumkin and a blank flank, and she certainly wasn’t her friend.
“Oh and Apple Bloom?”
“What?” Apple snapped. She hadn’t meant to, it just came out of nowhere. Maybe not nowhere, but she thought she had that anger in check.
Silver Spoon lowered her ears. “I guess you’re still upset for what I said back in the attic.”
Apple Bloom wanted to say, ‘you think,’ but held back as she noticed Silver Spoons tightened up. “Ah guess ah was a bit,” she scratched the back of her neck, “rash for how I’d acted. I’m just not us to…”
“Seeing a different side of me?” Silver Spoon said with a stern face.
“Well I…”
“Save it,” Silver Spoon put her hoof up. “I know that you’re just waiting for me to call you a blank flank or something so you can justify being mad at me. Though, I suppose I would too if I were you.” She walked ahead of her. “However, I would never go as far as to purposely suggest that anypony in your family, or anypony’s family should die.”
Apple Bloof huffed. “It didn’t stop ya and Diamond Tiara from teasing Scootaloo about her wings.”
“I know,” Silver Spoon kicked a rock, “but it was Diamond Tiara’s idea you know.”
“You could have stopped her.”
“No I couldn’t have,” Silver Spoon lowered her ears. “It’s, complicated, just leave it at that. I don’t expect you to forgive me, I just want you to know that I’m not going to torture you, or your friends while we work on this project.” She then stopped as she looked at Apple Bloom with her enlarged eyes. “I’ve done and said some mean things to you Apple Bloom, but that doesn’t mean I like doing it. I just, I wish I could explain it to you, but I just want us to be… at peace with each other for a while.” She held up her hoof with pleading eyes. “If that’s alright with you?”
Apple Bloom just stared at the hoof for a little bit as she tried to take everything Silver Spoon had just said. She seemed sincere and honest enough, and it made Apple Bloom believe that she could give her another chance. “Alright, ah guess ah can forgive you for y’alls teasing.”
“You mean it?”
“Yeah, I mean it,” she gulped, but went on with a grin. “It was fun tonight at dinner, the family sure seemed to like ya.”
“Yeah they were like, totally fun.” Silver Spoon and Apple Bloom giggled as Silver Spoon remember what she wanted to say. “So why does Big Mac rarely say anything other than Eyup all the time?”
Apple Bloom chuckled as she remembered how Applejack told that story when she first asked. “You see, one day…”
“Yoo Hoo!” They heard a voice shout in the distant as a certain tiara wearing pony pushed past Apple Bloom.
“Where were you?” Diamond Tiara walked up to Silver Spoon. “Like, we were supposed to get hoof’s rubs like, hours ago and I was like, worried.” She then glared at Apple Bloom. “This blank flank hold you back?”
Silver Spoon remained quiet for a moment as she looked from Diamond Tiara to Apple Bloom for a moment. The moment ended all too soon as Silver spoon put on a nasty grin.
“Yeah, they were like, a real drag. They forced me to eat with her kooky old family, and we like, got no work done.” Silver Spoon then looked at Apple Bloom with an evil grin. “Thanks a lot, blank flank.”
Both the girls chuckled at that, as Apple Bloom didn’t even seem that offended or surprise. Although she would have lied if she wasn’t a tad hurt, she simply rolled her eyes in annoyance for herself for thinking that Silver Spoon could be a decent pony.
“Don’t worry,” she said through her teeth. She wanted to say more, but she had been put in a good enough mood to act like the bigger pony. “I’ll get you somethin to work with by tomorrow,” she then trotted away, but not before she forcefully added, “goodnight.” She then walked off with what little pride she had left. It was an hour walk back to the farm, and on the way, swore ever foul word know to ponykind and beyond.