//------------------------------// // Silver Service // Story: Silver Lining // by StoryDragon //------------------------------// “Di, Di come on! We’re going to be late.” Silver Spoon anxiously called up to the bedroom window of her one, and only, friend. The grey earth pony paced up and down impatiently; this was so typical of Diamond Tiara. “I’ll be there in a minute Silver Spoon, jeeze!” The hot-tempered filly snapped back in reply. Diamond was delicately perfecting the curls in her lilac streaked mane. It took a long time to get them just right, but the glamorous young beauty wouldn’t dream of going to school with a single hair out of place. Silver Spoon didn't share Diamond’s enthusiasm for physical appearance. Every day, after a quick shower, Silver would simply brush and plait her own mane, before flinging it over her shoulder. The rest of Silver’s morning would be spent assembling her school supplies and carefully packing her homework from the night before. The cautious filly would sometimes repeatedly pack and unpack her school bag, to make sure she had absolutely everything she needed for the day ahead, before heading out to call for Diamond - who was almost never ready. Their teacher - a kind-hearted mare named Cheerilee - never gave the two of them much grief for turning up late, but still, Silver Spoon didn’t like walking into class with all the other students staring at her. Diamond however, really couldn’t care less. In fact, she seemed to love the attention. Today was different though; Silver had purposely turned up at Diamond Tiara’s home ten minutes earlier than usual, adamant that for once they would be arriving at school on time. Earlier that week, the class had been given a special group assignment, and today they would be presenting their finished projects. As always during school projects, Silver Spoon was paired up with Diamond Tiara. The two were upper-class ponies from rich families; they had been friends since Kindergarten. Diamond Tiara was a confident young filly. She had a pale pink coat and bright, cyan eyes. Her cutie mark resembled her name and represented her upbringing; it was a tiara. She wore a matching tiara upon her head, which her father had purchased for a hefty price on the very day she gained her cutie mark. Diamond could be incredibly difficult to work with at times. She always displayed an odd mixture of authority and disinterest in each and every task. The impatient earth pony would usually complain about the stupidity of the concept, and leave Silver Spoon to do all of the hard work, but then jump in and assert her authority as ‘team captain’ whenever decisions needed to be made. Of course, when the project was actually presented to the class, Diamond would never hesitate to take half of the credit for the final product. Needless to say, Silver Spoon was actually quite proud of their project this time around. She carried it around her neck in a large green satchel, it was a bit heavy and weighed her head down a little, causing her neck to ache. “Di are you ready yet?” Silver Spoon called again, contemplating whether it was worth setting the satchel down for a moment. “Hold on!” Diamond Tiara snapped once again. “But we’re already…” “I said hang on!” “Di…” “Okay! Ready!” The front door of Diamond Tiara’s manor flew open, and Silver Spoon couldn’t help but realise how pretty her friend was looking today; her pink coat was glossier than ever, her soft main flowed delicately past her shoulder, her long eyelashes had been curled, and her tail wavy and primed - she was clearly ready for presentation day. “Honestly Silver Spoon, you need to chill out.” Diamond pranced past her friend without a care in the world. Silver Spoon followed, still gawking at her beauty. “Our project is going to blow the others out of the water.” Diamond began to brag as the two trotted to school. “No one else’s work will even come close to what we have prepared. You’re so lucky to have me as a partner Silver Spoon.” Silver knew that wasn’t true – after all, she had done most of the work, as well as came up with the entire concept, but she smiled and agreed with Diamond Tiara, just as she always did. “Especially those Cutie Mark Crusaders.” Diamond continued, “Can you imagine the look on their faces when their project fails to stand out?” “They’ll be pretty disappointed.” Silver Spoon chuckled. The Cutie Mark Crusaders, or CMC for short, were three fillies at their school; Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. They were a trio of best friends, and the only fillies in class who were yet to obtain their cutie marks, which was something that Diamond and Silver took great pleasure in teasing them about. Every time the class was given group assignments, the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ work would shine. They had such great chemistry, and always came up with something clever, creative, and interesting to present to the class. Silver’s heart wretched each time the CMC were given praise by Cheerilee, along with a gold star sticker to commemorate their success. She was determined that today would be the day - the day her and her friend Diamond Tiara finally stole the limelight from those annoying little blank-flanks. The two fillies arrived at the school just as the bell was about to ring. Diamond strutted past all of the other ponies, occasionally pushing one or two out of her way. Besides looking rightfully annoyed, the other students did nothing to retaliate; they were quite used to the Diamond Tiara’s snobbish behavior, and knew better than to draw attention to it. Silver Spoon followed behind her friend, ignoring the scowls of her fellow classmates, and took her seat. As the other ponies sat down, they began greeting one another and chatting among themselves excitedly, asking one another questions about the project, and wishing each other luck with their presentations. Finally, Cherilee entered the room, looking equally excited to start the day. “Alright class, settle down.” She smiled, “Good morning everypony! I can tell you are all very eager to show off your fantastic projects on the history of Equestria!” She glanced around the room. Some of the students had their projects laid out on their desks. Two of the young colts - Snips and Snails - were wearing paper helmets, and a trio of students near the front of the class were holding together a small stage set they had created out of wood, along with painted figurines. “I can already see we are in for quite a treat.” Cheerilee added anxiously, “So, who’s going to go first?” Many ponies raised their hooves, but Diamond Tiara was the quickest. Silver Spoon wasn’t sure she wanted to go first; she would much rather check out the competition, and see what the other students had produced. Silver knew in her head that a school assignment wasn’t really a competition, but Diamond Tiara treated everything as such, and this attitude had rubbed off a little onto her partner. “Alright Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, let’s see what you came up with!” Cheerilee clapped merrily. Without so much as glancing at her partner, Diamond stood up and marched to the front of the class. She gave a bitter sneer in the direction of Apple Bloom as she passed the country filly’s desk. Silver followed behind, a little more cautiously, puffing out her chest to look confident as she also passed by the CMC. When the two friends stood facing the class, Silver Spoon reached into her satchel and carefully took out their project. It was a colourful sculpture, made from clothe, gems, paint, and glitter. The class gave an impressed gasp as the object sparkled beautifully before their eyes. Silver Spoon tampered with her glasses nervously for a few seconds, and then took a deep breath, ready to explain the concept of the piece. But as usual, Diamond Tiara beat her to the mark. “Our project is a miniature replica of the palace made by the wealthy Prince Topaz, who built a tower out of gems, in order to win the approval of his subjects and overthrow his controlling power hungry father.” Diamond said in a boastful tone. She pointed at the top of the tower, where a doll version of the pegasus prince was placed looking out over the kingdom. “As you can see, there is no entrance to the tower. The only way to get to the top was by flying. King Topaz exercised his wings to make them strong enough to reach the top, most regular pegasus would get tired and not be able to make it halfway up the tower, and his father – an earth pony - had no chance.” Silver was about to make a point, but Diamond continued, “The fields are made from emerald coloured clothe and decorated with real emeralds. As you can see, King Topaz had gems to spare. It wasn’t long before the entire kingdom turned their back on his father, and crowned him their new king.” “That’s very creative.” Cheerilee praised the two. Diamond Tiara lifted her head proudly, “But do you know what happened to King Topaz’s father after he was overthrown by his own son?” The pink filly blinked, and hesitated; she had no idea. Luckily, Silver Spoon had the answer, “He tried to destroy the tower, but Prince... urm, 'King' Topaz, set his army against him. His father was exiled from the kingdom, and never seen again.” She replied, much to their teachers delight. Silver Spoon smiled at Diamond Tiara, expecting a response, but Diamond ignored her, and turned to face Cheerilee for more praise. “Very good you two, I am impressed.” Cheerilee said proudly, “Now who is next, Apple Bloom, what about your group?” “Urm…” Apple Bloom blushed, “I…urm…” Diamond Tiara smirked; clearly the young farm pony didn’t feel confident about having to follow her and Silver’s fantastic presentation. Apple Bloom then turned her head, and turned to face her partners. Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo nodded supportively, and then all three concluded, “Yes Miss Cheerilee, we are ready!” The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked determined as they took Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon’s place at the front of the class, carrying with them an oddly shaped cardboard cut-out. Diamond Tiara sniggered at the sight of the strange object, and whispered to Silver Spoon, “This should be good.” As the three friends stood in place, they turned their project toward the class. It was a shield, painted and decorated just like the sculpture, except it involved many detailed drawings of knight ponies, buffalo tribes, and even a dragon flying overhead. There were only a few gems around the boarder, but on the main surface the fillies had used buttons, ribbon, and paint instead. Cheerilee looked instantly pleased with the cardboard shield, which calmed Apple Bloom’s nerves a little. She looked toward Scootaloo and gave a nod, and the orange pegasus smiled back at her friend before beginning to speak. “Our project tells a story, going back to the days when the buffalo tribes and earth ponies weren’t getting along. As you can see in this image, drawn by our artist Sweetie Belle…” She gestured to her friend. “The buffalo and knights are battling it out, to decide who has rights to the land!” Sweetie Belle blushed a little, before pointing to the next image, and taking her turn to speak. “In this segment, we’ve shown how the buffalo and earth ponies tried to divide the land between them, but argued constantly about how this should be done. The buffalo needed large areas to stampede, and the Ponies needed areas for their farmlands. We were going to leave it there, but then Apple Bloom had this great idea to include the dragon… you tell them Apple Bloom!” She excitedly smiled at her friend, who cleared her throat and continued where Sweetie Belle had left off. “Here you can see how the ferocious dragon appears and begins to attack the land, and suddenly the two sides decide to work together in order to protect it. The Ponies build barriers around their homes, and the buffalo lured the dragon miles away into the mountains. When the buffalo returned, the Ponies welcomed them happily.” Scootaloo continued, “They were able to compromise, building tracks and roads around the farms and buildings.” Then Sweetie Belle stepped in, “They celebrated their unity by creating shields to represent how the two cultures worked together to defend their home.” Apple Bloom concluded, “Scootaloo came up with the idea to tell the story on a shield, to commemorate that moment.” The three friends grinned at one another; they knew they had done well. The class was wide eyed and Cheerilee looked very impressed. “That was excellent girls, very well done, I really liked your choice of story. That deserves a gold star.” Diamond Tiara’s mouth fell open; she couldn’t believe that the Cutie Mark Crusaders had gotten yet another gold star. She gritted her teeth and scowled. Silver spoon sighed, she was sad about losing to the crusaders, but there was something else about their presentation which had left her feeling rather down. Their shield was well crafted, but then so was her and Di’s gemstone tower. Their story was well-chosen, but then so was her and Di’s story about the wealthy prince. So why was it, that the Cutie Mark Crusaders had once again, outperformed them? Why was it, that they had been rewarded a sticker for their work, when her and Diamond Tiara hadn’t? What had these three dumb little blank-flanks got, that two upper class mares like her and Di, hadn’t got? It made no sense to Silver Spoon. No sense at all. ~*~ Silver Spoon avoided eye contact with Diamond Tiara for the rest of the day; she knew that Diamond would blame her entirely for their history project being outshone by that of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. The disappointed filly sat nervously watching as the other students came up in their groups to present their work. The projects were all very creative; some acted out battle scenes, many created sculptures, and two of the fillies - Dinky and Twist - had even created a puppet show. Silver Spoon observed the other ponies proudly showing off their projects, taking it in turns to explain the concept and giving one another credit for a job well done. The rest of the class was applauding and admiring the work of their peers. Everyone was having a great time; it was a nice break from their regular classes. After all of the groups had finished their presentations, the bell rang, and Cheerilee congratulated the young ponies once again. “Well done every pony! We certainly saw some fantastic work today! Have a great weekend, and we will be back to our usual schedule on Monday.” The young fillies and colts gave a cheer when they heard the bell. They said goodbye to their teacher, and left the classroom, chatting happily about their plans for the weekend. Diamond Tiara scowled at the floor, as she silently stood up and left the classroom, with Silver Spoon following closely behind. “I can’t believe that stupid project got those filthy little blank-flanks a gold star.” Di grumbled, “I told you we should’ve added more gem stones. You never listen to me Silver Spoon!” Silver was contemplating a response; she wasn’t so sure that it was the lack of gem stones which had let them down, when suddenly the Cutie Mark Crusaders passed by, still looking cheerful about their success. “Great job girls.” Apple Bloom smiled, “Maybe we’ll get our cutie marks in arts and crafts!” Diamond gazed over at the fillies, with eyes full of hatred and jealousy. Silver Spoon felt a similar way; she couldn’t stand those three. They had no cutie marks, they had no luxurious lifestyle, they weren’t gifted or bought up in rich families, and yet… they were so happy. Every time she saw them, they were laughing and playing together, enjoying every minute of each other’s company – and this made her very angry. Diamond Tiara never failed to jump at an opportunity to rain on the CMC’s parade, and Silver Spoon was never far behind. “Cutie marks for doing homework? I’ve never heard of anything more ridiculous.” Diamond loudly taunted the fillies, catching their attention. Silver Spoon then saw her chance to redeem herself in Diamond Tiara’s eyes, and joined in on the teasing. “Can you even imagine what that would look like Di?” She pointed at each of the Curie Mark Crusaders in turn, “A terrible cardboard cut-out, a splash of paint, and an unidentifiable scribble.” Apple Bloom and Scootaloo’s faces dropped, but Sweetie Belle retaliated; “You guys are just jealous because our project won us a gold star.” She stomped her hoof in annoyance. Diamond scoffed, “You might have a pointless little gold star for your stupid artwork, but it clearly wasn’t good enough to earn you a cutie mark, not even one that resembles a sloppy mess!” The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked hurt; Diamond Tiara had a point. If their project was so great, then why did they still have blank flanks? Diamond still wasn’t finished though, “Aw don’t be miserable.” She teased, “If you did get a cutie mark for something as ridiculous as homework, you’d be a complete laughing stock. Cutie marks should represent something you can be proud of, like mine.” She smiled proudly at her own flank, which had the image of an elegant tiara. “I gained my cutie mark because my father bought a jewelry store, which meant that I could have all the jewelry and diamonds I wanted. My father had terrible taste, and only I could tell what was really valuable. I had a natural gift for luxury, and wouldn’t accept anything but the best. It wasn’t long before I got my cutie mark, and my father had a tiara specially crafted to match it.” The filly pointed at the diamond studded tiara on her head; true to her word, it looked exactly like her cutie mark. “Tell them how you got your cutie mark Silver.” Diamond motioned to her friend, This was no problem for Silver Spoon. Her cutie mark was a fancy spoon with a heart-shaped handle; it looked very impressive. “My family are so rich; they only eat at the most expensive five star restaurants.” She boasted, finally gaining a smile of approval from Diamond Tiara. “After tasting high quality meals from all around Equestria, I gained my cutie mark, because ponies in my family only settle for the finest cuisine.” Silver felt relaxed; she had told this story so many times, that even she had started to believe it was true. “See,” Diamond finished, “That is what a cutie mark should be for - not for some silly little history project or manual labour.” The two set off laughing, leaving the Cutie Mark Crucaders looking sadly at their blank flanks. Silver Spoon felt much, much better. They soon reached Diamond Tiara’s large, three story manor. It was a beautiful building, with pale bricks and plants decorating every door and window. “Well Silver, we certainly put those three back in their place.” Diamond smiled bitterly, “See you tomorrow.” Silver felt so relieved that the two of them were still on good terms. She continued toward her own home, which was a little more formal, but every bit as impressive as Diamond Tiara’s. Her house looked like a small castle, which stood proudly upon a hill overlooking several other buildings owned by her family. When Silver Spoon opened the door, she was greeted by her father, a tall dark grey earth pony, named Silver Platter. He was neatly dressed in a waistcoat and tie, with a nearly trimmed mane. “Silver Spoon, good, you’re home.” Silver Platter spoke in a firm tone, “Hurry up and finish your homework; I need you to work a late shift at the restaurant tonight.” Silver Spoon smiled and replied, “Sure Daddy.” The afternoon seemed to drag, but it was soon time for work. As she was putting on her uniform, Silver admired how much the frilled apron suited her. The young filly then felt a familiar odd mixture of both joy and sadness. The truth is, Silver Spoon had been lying to Diamond Tiara about how she earned her cutie mark, and she had been lying to every pony at school, too. Silver’s family were rich, and they had travelled all over Equestria tasting fancy cuisine – at least, her parents had. Silver Spoon’s father had eventually purchased his own restaurant just outside of Ponyville. It was a huge success; an elegant atmosphere, exquisite decor, beautiful music, and the food was second to none. Rich ponies came from all over to eat there, and they even had a few celebrity customers now and then, but it was incredibly rare that any regular pony from Ponyville ever visited the restaurant. For years, the business was a huge success. Then one day, there was a dramatic dispute between two of the waitresses, involving an incident where food had been delivered to the wrong table. One of them lost her temper, and quit on the spot, leaving the team under staffed. Silver Platter was notified immediately, but he couldn’t find a replacement on such short notice, and began to panic. Meanwhile, Silver Spoon had just finished laying their dining room table for dinner when she noticed her father’s distress, and immediately approached him to find out what was wrong. It was at this moment Silver’s father saw how well his daughter had prepared the table for the evening's meal. The cutlery was laid out perfectly; every spoon, knife, and fork was in the correct position, sparkling beside the main dinner plates. A smaller plate accompanied each set for the bread rolls, and Silver Spoon had even placed a glass vase filled with red and pink roses at the very centre of the table. Impressed by his daughters display, Silver’s father asked her if she would like to give waitressing a try. Silver Spoon was hesitant at first, but after seeing how much her dad was stressing out about the dilemma, she realised just how important the restaurant was to him. And so, Silver agreed to take the shift, and was pleasantly surprised; she made a fantastic waitress. On top of this, Silver Spoon actually really enjoyed working at the restaurant, laying out the cutlery, providing excellent quality service, and most importantly; being given praise and compliments from both the customers and her collegues. Silver Spoon was such a credit to the team, that she was offered a permanent part time position. Soon, she was not only a waitress, but she also worked in the kitchens. She cooked, she cleaned, she washed up, she greeted customers at the door, and she loved every minute of it. Before Silver Spoon knew it, her cutie mark appeared. It was a fancy looking spoon, representing her excellent catering skills. The handle was even decorated with a heart, symbolising Silver’s great passion for the service she provided. As she was still a young filly, Silver was not able to work full time at the restaurant because of school, but she took shifts every weekend, and occasional week day evenings. This job was Silver’s single greatest joy in life; it made her feel both needed, and appreciated. However, despite her love for the job, Silver Spoon could never mention to Diamond Tiara that she was a part time waitress - the thought of such a thing made the poor filly sick to her stomach. She was supposed to be eating at fanciful restaurants every night, not working at one. This was almost as pathetic as the idea of the cutie mark crusaders getting their cutie marks for homework. If Diamond Tiara knew that Silver Spoon had gained her cutie mark from working hard and providing a service to other ponies, she would be disgusted, and most likely disown her. Silver sighed, and finished putting on her uniform - it really did look good on her. She clipped her plaited mane back, folding it into a neat bun, and then gave her glasses a wipe to clear the lenses, before setting off toward the restaurant. ~*~ When Silver Spoon arrived she was greeted with a warm welcome, by a small group of ponies who were also working that evening. “Silver there you are! Looking beautiful as ever!” The head chef laughed; he was a jolly unicorn, with a stylish mustache and a large build. “There’s news that one of the greatest magazine editors in Equestria is going to be here tonight!” An excitable, light coated earth pony named Sugar Cubes darted to Silver’s side. “I forget who they are exactly…. but it’s still so exciting!” A cheerful brown mare then stepped forward, “we’re in for a busy night, fully booked again! Hope you’re up for it Silver!” She gave a friendly wink. This was Cocoa; a waitress whom Silver Spoon considered her closest friend at work. “Always!” Silver grinned back at the group. The other staff members were clearly very happy to have the young filly working with them tonight, and she equally as happy to see them all. Once the shift began, Silver was in her element. She pulled out the chairs for her customers, presented their menus, took their orders and served their meals in record time. Every customer was impressed by the food as always, and each one gave Silver Spoon credit for her services, usually followed by a generous tip. Silver saved each and every tip she received, and kept the money in a piggy bank back at home, in preparation for the future. Working at her dad’s place was great for now, but Silver Spoon had big dreams. Once she had finished school and saved up enough bits, Silver wanted to move to a large city, perhaps Manehatten or Fillydelphia, and train to open and manage a restaurant of her very own. Ponies would travel from all over to try her high class food and beverages, and her place would be well known throughout Equestria. Silver dreamed about her restaurant all the time. She couldn’t wait to grow up, but for now, she thoroughly enjoyed her catering job. It was such a rewarding routine; collecting the orders, taking them to the tables, being praised, and then repeating the process. “Enjoy your meal,” Silver Spoon bowed her head politely after delivering a delicacy to a well-dressed unicorn family, “Please let me know if you need anything.” “This looks delicious!” A posh mare complimented the food placed before her. “Sure does!” Agreed her husband, who was slightly more rugged looking. “Y…yeah,” A much higher pitched voice spoke up, “Thank you…. Silver Spoon.” Silver froze. Her grey ears pricked up in shock - she knew that voice. Reluctantly, the filly glanced wide eyed into the face of the young customer. Into the face of… Sweetie Belle. For a few seconds, Silver Spoon couldn’t speak. She couldn’t move. Her heart began to pound as she tried to come to terms with the situation - and once she had, she instantly regretted it; Sweetie Belle couldn’t know she worked here! Diamond couldn’t know! She had to make up some sort of excuse… but… how? “Oh um, hello Sweetie Belle is it?” She stuttered nervously, clearly knowing the young filly’s name. “W…what are you doin… erm I mean it’s odd to see yo…” Sweetie Belle looked confused for a few seconds, but then replied happily, “My sister Rarity designed some amazing dresses for a performing arts company last month.” She motioned toward her sister; a beautiful unicorn with a swirling purple mane. “They paid her a lot, and so she’s treating us all to a luxury meal!” Silver gulped, “Oh I see. Urm, well, you see I don’t work her, I don’t really work here… I’m just um…” “Silver Spoon these need taking to table four!” A waiter nearby shouted impatiently. Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow, and Silver gave an uneasy smile before darting over to collect the meals. For the remainder of her shift, Silver Spoon was on edge. Her entire body was shaking, and her heart thumped like a drum. She just couldn’t relax, her head was a total mess as she wondered what on earth Diamond Tiara was going to say when she found out about her little job; Sweetie Belle was surely going to mention it at school on Monday. Silver’s mind was going crazy. She was playing out scenarios in her head, imagining Diamond laughing at her, calling her a loser, and the rest of the class joining in. She began to feel light headed, and her breathing became heavy and uncontrollable as she tried her best to continue with the shift. And then, it happened – Silver Spoon crashed into a table and fell, dropping four meals all over the floor, and over herself. ~*~ “Silver Spoon? Silver Spoon, can you hear me?” Finally, the young mare opened her purple eyes. Silver’s vision was blurred, but she could just about make out the bushy moustache of the head chef. He seemed incredibly worried. “Wh... where am I… what happene…” As she steadily regained consciousness, Silver Spoon noticed that she was in the restaurants first aid room, lying on the small bed on top of clean white sheets. Her apron was stained with sauce, and she smelt of garlic and herbs. “You had a little accident my dear.” The chef spoke softly, “Don’t worry, your father is on the way.” “But… what about my shift… who’s going to… what about….” Silver stuttered. Then it hit her, “Oh no! Sweetie Belle!” The filly suddenly lept to her feet, much to the surprise of the chef. Her heart pounded violently, and she darted out of the room without thinking. Silver raced across the diner, toward the table where the unicorn family had been sitting... but Sweetie Belle and her family were gone. Silver Spoon was in a mad state of panic once more. All of the customers were staring at her, wondering why in Equestria one of the professional waitresses was dashing around so manically. She began hyperventilating, as scenes of Sweetie Belle cackling evilly played through her mind, followed by images of Diamond Tiara scolding her and calling her a loser. Tears welled up in Silver Spoons eyes, and it was through these tears that she saw… them. Sweetie Belle’s family were still in the restaurant. They were standing near the door, about to leave. In a panic, Silver Spoon headed in their direction, and Sweetie Belle turned to face her. “Sweetie Belle, can we talk?” Silver panted as she felt the sweat dripping from her forehead. Sweetie Belle looked totally confused, “Talk? What do you mean talk? About what?” The rest of the unicorn family were looking down at Silver Spoon, shocked by her behaviour. Silver hesitated for a moment before shouting, “It’s about school!” She grabbed Sweetie Belle by the hoof and dragged the unicorn outside. The restaurant was surrounded by beautiful plants and magnificent large trees. Silver Spoon pulled the young unicorn behind a hedge out of sight. Sweetie Belle was completely bewildered as she stood staring at the breathless grey earth pony. Back inside the restaurant, Sweetie Belle’s family looked at each other in confusion for a moment. Then her father - a laid back, rugged unicorn, spoke up; “Sounds important,” He concluded, “it’s nice to see two young fillies taking their school work so seriously.” His wife nodded in agreement, but Sweetie Belle’s sister Rarity rolled her eyes at their lack of concern, and headed off to find her sister. Silver Spoon struggled to collect herself. She frowned at Sweetie Belle, who maintained a puzzled expression. Silver really despised Sweetie Belle right now. She wasn’t sure what to do, or what to say, she simply stood there fuming with rage, looking hatefully at the young white unicorn. It was in fact Sweetie Belle, who spoke first. “Silver Spoon, whatever it is…” She began to say, “Listen here you little blank flank.” Silver snapped. She tried to look as threatening as possible, but it was difficult with her being in such a state of panic. “If you tell ANYONE, I mean ANYONE that you saw me working here, you will… I will… just don’t you dare or else!” Sweetie Belle was not intimidated in the slightest; she couldn’t understand Silver Spoon’s behaviour at all. “What? Why? Wait… or else what?” She asked, “Or else…” Silver was stuck; she had never actually threatened someone before, and had no idea what she was doing. She felt her knees beginning to shake, her eyes welling up once again, and then, she broke. “Just, just please don’t tell them Sweetie Belle.” She begged, “If anyone found out… if Diamond found out, just don’t tell them, okay?” Sweetie Belle couldn’t believe her ears; Silver Spoon was actually asking her nicely to keep a secret? This was the best! She struggled not to laugh but couldn’t prevent her mouth from forming a tiny smile. Then, the unicorn had an idea; “Alright, alright, Silver Spoon, calm down. I won’t tell any pony.” “You wont?” Silver’s face lit up, “Oh thank you Sweetie belle… you don’t know…” “I wasn’t finished.” Sweetie Belle interrupted. “I won’t tell any pony, under one condition.” Silver Spoons face dropped, she nervously waited to hear what the young unicorn had to say. “You leave me and my friends alone.” Sweetie said sternly, “No more calling us names, no more teasing us about not having out cutie marks, no more insulting us for no reason, just don't pick on us anymore, full stop.” “What?” Silver hated to admit it, but this request was far more reasonable than she had imagined it to be. Sweetie Belle had the ability to blank mail her, and yet this was all the filly was asking for? “Um okay.” She replied, “but what if Diamond Tiara…” Once again Sweetie Belle interrupted. “Just because Diamond Tiara does something, doesn’t mean you have to join in. Can’t you think for yourself?” This sentence rendered Silver Spoon speechless. She often felt as though, sometimes, she was indeed just going along with whatever Diamond Tiara was doing, but Silver didn’t realise that this was so clear to other ponies; and especially not to an air head like Sweetie Belle. Was she really that transparent? Suddenly, Rarity’s voice could be heard close by, “Sweetie Belle, come on it’s time to go, where are you?” Silver Spoon realised she had no time to argue, “Oh okay… deal.” She answered. “Great.” Sweetie Belle smiled, “Well, goodbye Silver Spoon!” The young unicorn pranced off merrily after her sister. Silver felt as though she was about to pass out with relief. She took a deep breathe, and made her way back to the restaurant, to apologise to the Chef and the rest of the staff. When Silver Spoon arrived at the entrance, she noticed that father had arrived, and was standing at the door with the head chef, who was undoubtedly telling him about his daughter’s odd behaviour. Silver Spoon anxiously raced over to the two of them, “Daddy! I’m so, so sorry for what happened. I just suddenly felt really light headed, and then, when I woke up I needed air, that’s why I ran I just… I’m not feeling well Daddy, that’s all.” “Aw poor kid,” The head chef replied, patting her on the head lightly, “The restaurant business can get very stressful at times, and for such a young filly like yourself...” Silver’s father, however, was not impressed. “Silver Spoon, you should have mentioned earlier if you were feeling unwell. You must have caused quite the ruckus in there, that kind of behaviour could be very bad for the business.” He sounded very annoyed. “Did you know we had a professional editor dining with us today? Imagine what she must think of your display. Do you know what something like that could do for our restaurants reputation?” Silver looked sadly at the floor, “I know Daddy... I...I’m sorry.” Her father then turned to the chef, “We had better be going. I’m very sorry for the trouble my daughter caused this evening.” The two left silently. Silver Spoon felt much calmer now, but she was extremely unhappy. Her dad was was clearly disappointed, and did not say a word during the walk home. As Silver gazed sadly up into the night sky, the stars twinkled back at her. She hadn’t felt this way in a long time; Silver often felt anxious, unappreciated, and down trodden, but this was the first time in years she had felt like such a… fraud. On top of that, she had let her father - and his business – down. She had let her silly pride get the better of her, and ironically made herself look ridiculous in front of everypony. Silver started to cry; she couldn’t imagine what the other staff at the restaurant must think of her now. Suddenly, the filly caught something in the corner of her tearful eye. It was there and gone in a second, but it was like nothing that Silver had ever seen before. A dark blue star appeared from the darkness. It glided across the sky, descending rapidly, and then vanished. “D…dad…” Silver Spoon turned to see if her father had noticed the strange light. The stallion ignored her, he looked straight ahead coldly, with a displeased expression upon his long face. When they arrived at home, it was getting quite late. “I…I’ll go to go to bed,” Silver said sadly, she began to walk upstairs, then looked back at her father and added hopefully, “Goodnight Daddy.” The stallion did not respond. He did not even look at her. Silver Spoon felt miserable; she wasn’t going to sleep well tonight. The distressed filly lay awake, tossing and turning, thinking about her job, about her father, and about whether Sweetie Belle was really going to keep her little secret. Silver wondered how she could possibly not join in if Diamond Tiara wanted to pick on the crusaders. It would look very suspicious, Diamond Tiara would get angry with her again, and perhaps even fall out with her completely. She had to find a way to avoid them, but Ponyville was such a small area, they saw the crusaders out and about all the time - how could she ever keep her friend away from them?