Silver Platter paced up and down the hallway nervously; he didn’t know what to do. His daughter had caused a huge scene at the restaurant that previous night - how could he possibly let her work that evening's shift? The colt knew that Silver’s job was important to her, but it was even more important to him that the restaurant ran successfully. Platter scratched his head, he didn’t understand why his daughter had behaved the way she did. Her actions were so spontaneous, so uncontrollable, so much like… her mothers.
Silver Platter approached the enormous oak cabinet which stood in the entrance hall. He opened one of the glass doors, and took out a beautiful heart-shaped locket. Inside the locket was a picture of a stunning unicorn, with a purple coat and pale white mane. This was Platter’s ex-wife - and Silver Spoons mother. Her name was Destiny Dream, and she was the love of Silver Platter’s life.
As a young mare, Destiny Dream was a free spirited pony, always looking for adventure and excitement. She was very popular due to her outgoing personality, and she had many friends throughout Ponyville and beyond. Silver Platter - being an incredibly shy colt in his younger days - had a strong, growing crush on Destiny Dream, but kept his feelings a secret for years. He would sit and watch her from a safe distance, too afraid to approach or speak to the mare.
Then one day, Platter decided that he couldn’t bare it anymore. Watching that beautiful unicorn prance around happily, completely unaware of the feelings he held towards her, was driving him crazy. Destiny didn’t even know who he was, and at this rate, she never would. He might just be some nerdy, timid little colt - but he didn’t want to be a coward on top of all that.
Silver Platter decided to make a Hearts and Hooves day card for his crush, and bravely deliver it to her face to face. He spent a long time on the card, covering it with glitter and gemstones and drawing a cute pencil crayon picture of Destiny Dream on the front. Then, Platter gathered all of his courage, and set off to hand the card to his beloved Destiny Dream, before Hearts and Hooves day was over.
As Platter was nervously trotting along, he thought about what he was going to say to Destiny, and how he was going to present the card in a cool and collected manner. Platter was so caught up in his thoughts that he wasn't really looking where he was going, and he trotted smack into a dull coated, snooty looking earth pony.
When Platter apologised, the colt just looked annoyed, but then he noticed the card that Silver Platter was carrying. He chuckled at the drawing of Destiny Dream, and made fun of Platter’s ‘pathetic attempt’ to woo her. The taunting soon caught the attention of a few other ponies nearby, who joined in. And soon, to Platter’s horror, it caught the attention of Destiny Dream and her friends. As the unicorn approached to see what all the commotion was about, Silver Platter dropped the card out of fear and fled to the outskirts of town.
Platter sat under a tree just outside of Ponyville, sobbing and wondering how he could ever face any of those ponies again. Suddenly, a purple hoof patted his shoulder, and the colt turned and looked up into the most beautiful crystal blue eyes in all of Ponyville.
Destiny Dream didn’t say anything at first, she smiled and leaned forward, giving Silver Platter a peck on the cheek. Then, whilst the colt was frozen in a state of shock, she thanked him.
“That card was really sweet." She said gently, "I never get Heart’s and Hooves day cards! Usually just ridiculously over the top gifts, from colts trying to compete with Filthy Rich’s latest artifact.”
She pulled out a glistening golden horn ring, with a magnificent diamond that was almost too big for the frame. Platter thought it was incredible, but Destiny looked unimpressed.
“It’s okay,” She commented, “but it’s not me, I don’t wear jewelry at all.”
Silver Platter said nothing. The lump in his throat was so huge; it was impossible for him to form words. His heart was pounding, and he had absolutely no idea what was going on. He only knew one thing – that Destiny Dream was actually talking to him.
“You’d think he would realise this.” The mare continued, “Anyway, thank you for the card, it looks like you worked really hard on it. To me, this is what Hearts and Hooves day is really about!”
Silver Platter could hardly believe his ears. He wondered if this was some kind of joke, but Destiny was such a nice mare, and she spoke so sincerely. What the unicorn said next almost made him pass out,
“Hey, would you like to hang out sometime?”
Platter gulped, and shakily nodded his head, blushing like crazy.
Over the next few months, the two started spending time together, and grew closer and closer. Destiny Dream adored Silver Platter, and supported him on his life goal; to open and run his own restaurant. The two saved some money and went travelling all over Equestria, trying the most popular cuisine and learning how restaurants operate. Destiny was really excited about travelling, and encouraged Silver Platter to follow his dreams. It was during their travels that Destiny fell pregnant, and the two returned to Ponyville to open the restaurant and start their family.
Platter found a nice place to start his restaurant. At first it was a bit of a struggle, as he didn't have a whole lot of cash. He began by cooking the meals himself, steadily gaining recognition and customers. Soon the business expanded, and Platter started hiring other ponies to work there. It was difficult, but Platter dedicated himself to his dream, and put all of his time and money into it.
At first, Destiny Dream was delighted at the thought of having a baby; she felt there was nothing more exciting than raising her own little filly or colt. However, as the months went by, the mare found her body failing her. She couldn’t move around as easily anymore, and therefore she could no longer do the things she enjoyed. She couldn't go out exploring the countryside, or go running, or dancing.... and she found it very hard to enjoy her new sheltered life.
When their daughter, Silver Spoon was born, she was the most beautiful baby that Platter had ever seen. She had his coat and eyes, and her mother’s long, delicate mane. Destiny Dream loved Silver Spoon more than the world, but due to her wild, carefree attitude, being a mother was no easy task for her either. She had to stay in all day, taking care of her foal, constantly watching her and attending her every need. Being relatively young herself, and new to responsibility, she found this very, very difficult.
Silver Platter had been so busy starting up his restaurant that he failed to notice his wife’s struggles. The two barely saw one another anymore, as Platter would leave early for work, and then return late at night. Destiny Dream would usually still be up with Silver Spoon, but she was always far too tired and agitated to talk. And so Platter would simply say goodnight, and head off to bed. He too was exhausted, and rarely managed to get enough sleep.
Years passed by, and the pair continued on with the same routine. Until one day, when Destiny Dream snapped.
Silver Platter rubbed his head as he recalled the painful memory: plates flying everywhere, smashing on the floor, and his terrified daughter hiding under the kitchen table while his wife cursed him.
"It's your fault!" She screamed, "I never wanted to settle down! I never wanted this!!"
Platter was stunned by Destiny Dream's sudden outburst; what could she possibly have to be so stressed about? He was the one who worked all the time, he was the one providing this family with everything they needed. He thought he was doing a pretty good job; he thought things were perfect.
"What's gotten into you?" He asked, "has something happened?"
These words only enraged the mare further,
"What do you mean 'has something happened'?!" She snapped, "Things have beenhappening for years! You would know that, if you were ever here! Oh by the way you have a daughter, do you realize?!" She pointed at Silver Spoon,
The filly, now in Kindergarten, was clutching to a table leg bawling her eyes out.
"I never wanted any of this!!" Destiny Dream bucked a cupboard, smashing the wooden door.
Then, she fled.
~*~
“Why…” Platter whispered as he held the locket, “Was it really… my fault?”
Suddenly the front door opened, and his daughter entered the house, looking rather cheerful.
“Hi Daddy.” Silver Spoon greeted him politely, “How was your day?”
“It was fine, thank you.” Platter replied, quickly placing the locket back into the cabinet.
“Glad to hear it.” Silver smiled happily, “Well I’ll just go upstairs and get ready for work.”
No sooner had Silver Spoon stepped hoof on the staircase, when her father spoke again.
“Wait.”
The filly turned. She was expecting some kind of lecture about keeping her head together tonight - but what she actually got was far worse.
“Silver Spoon, I think it would be better if you took the rest of this weekend off.” Her father stated coldly, “I’ve spoken with the chef, and he agrees that it would be best for your own health. We have found a replacement waitress to cover your shifts.”
“Cover… my…” Silver Spoon couldn’t believe her ears. She messed up once and her father replaces her for the whole weekend? What in Equestria would he do if she told him she was planning on going to Manehatten for five months?
“B… but Daddy! I’m fine!” She replied, “I’m feeling much better today!”
“Even so.” The stallion answered, “It’s for the good of my business Silver Spoon.”
There was no point in arguing, Silver knew that. Her father was firm, and wouldn't change his mind. The saddened filly turned away for a second, in an attempt to hide her disappointment. She was going to head straight upstairs and be miserable out of sight, but.... she just had to know.
“This other waitress" She asked, "who is she?”
“She’s a unicorn who used to work at the Ponyville café.” Her father explined, “She’s very professional. We hired her to cover weekday shifts, but she’s going to be doing a weekend or two when one of the other staff… isn’t up to it.”
“But… I am up to it!” Silver Spoon couldn't help herself. Hearing about this 'professional' was making her flustered. “Please Daddy, you know how much I love…”
The colt sighed, “It’s one weekend Silver Spoon; it’s not like she’s replacing you for good. Please don’t make a big deal of this, daddy’s got a headache.”
Silver Spoon remembered that she wasn’t going to win the argument, and so she quietly headed her room.
“…but it is a big deal.” She muttered under her breathe as she climbed the staircase.
~*~
Silver Spoon had a stylish bedroom. It was smaller than Diamond Tiara’s, but beautifully decorated. The wall paper was lilac with a floral pattern, and a light grey boarder complimented the curtains and carpet. Her double bed had a metallic frame, with hearts welded into the base. In the corner of the room was a large dressing table, similar to the one Diamond had in her room.
Silver sat down at the dresser, and tried to cheer herself up by looking at the Manehatten ticket. She couldn’t wait to go with Di and her family to visit the magnificent city. However, Silver Spoon had no idea how she was going to tell her father about this five month trip. Would he be mad? Would he even allow her to leave?
She looked bitterly into the eyes of her own reflection.
“Nah,” She reminded herself, “He’s got that other waitress now…a unicorn.”
Silver couldn’t help it - she was jealous. They had new staff ponies every now and then, but none had ever covered one of her shifts. Silver never had days off, she never wanted days off, and she certainly didn’t want this day off.
The more she thought about it, the more Silver Spoon became desperate to find out just who this new waitress was. Then, she had an idea. She was going to visit the restaurant that evening anyway, to thank the head chef for looking after her when she collapsed. She would arrive just before the other staff turned up for their shift, and hang around long enough to meet the new waitress.
And so, after carefully thinking through her plan, Silver headed downstairs to talk to her father once more. She found the colt in the sitting room, enjoying a cup of tea.
“Daddy,” The filly timidly approached her dad. “I’m sorry for being so difficult earlier. I was out of line. I understand that you don’t want me to work anymore shifts this weekend.”
Silver Platter turned his head, “I’m glad to hear that Silver Spoon.” He replied, then continued sipping his tea.
“Anyway,” Silver replied. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to go to the restaurant anyway, to apologise to everypony and thank the chef for looking after me.”
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea for you to visit the restaurant just yet.” The colt replied coldly,
Silver Spoon hesitated before responding;
“Yeah, you’re probably right. I just thought that I should make a formal apology to the staff, and clear things up. They might be talking to the head supervisor about me, you know how loud she can be. I just didn’t want any more ponies knowing. It could be bad for the business if any customers overheard.”
At those words, Silver Platter’s ears pricked up.
“That’s a good point.” He pondered for a minute, “Don’t be long, and if you feel the tiniest bit ill, leave immediately.”
“Y…yes Daddy!” Silver Spoon tried not to sound too happy about her father’s change of heart; she didn’t want him getting suspicious.
The filly left her home, and headed over to the restaurant.
Silver had to play it cool; the chef would be too busy preparing the kitchen to chat with her for long, and the head supervisor seemed to be busy doing something in the other room. The other staff hadn't arrived yet, it was a little early. Silver Spoon wasn't sure she was even ready to face them after last night's events, but she had to meet the new waitress, she just had to.
She calmly entered, and made her way over to the kitchen.
The plump chef was overjoyed to see her,
“Silver Spoon! What are you doing here? How are you feeling?” He asked considerately,
“Oh I’m fine than you,” Silver smiled, “Great actually, but my father says I need to take the weekend off.”
“Yes my dear, your father was quite adamant; he must be very worried about you.” The chef replied. This surprised Silver Spoon; her father told her that he and the chef had made the decision together.
Silver shook it off; she had to remain cool. “I’m sorry about all the trouble I caused. Thank you so much for taking care of me.” She bowed her head politely.
The chef chuckled, “It’s no problem at all, my dear. Take care of yourself today; don’t want my top waitress getting ill.” He gave a quick wink.
Silver smiled, that jolly stallion had a way of making her feel content. Suddenly, Silver heard the door of the restaurant open, and a group of ponies entered.
The other workers lived much closer than Silver Spoon, and usually arrived together. When they saw Silver, they all hurried over to greet her, and to make sure she was okay. A small semicircle gathered around her,
“Silver Spoon, what happened? Are you alright?” Cocoa asked, concerned.
“I’m fine" Silver smiled, "it was just an accident.”
A stallion put his arm around her, “We were so worried, are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes Trigger, thank you for asking, but I’m really fine.” Silver convinced them,
Silver Spoon then looked over the group; she recognised every pony there, so... who was doing her shift that night? She wasn’t sure how to ask about the new waitress, but she had to drag this out a little longer if she was going to find out.
“I felt a bit light headed yesterday, but I am alright now, I’ll be working here next weekend.”
To the young ponies’ disappointment, the other staff didn’t mention anything about her replacement. They did however looked incredibly relieved, and happy to see her. Then one of the waiter stallions added,
“That’s great news; we sure are going to miss you today.”
Realizing she wasn’t getting any information; Silver thanked her co-workers for their kind words, and said her goodbyes. She felt disappointed, yet strangely content; the other workers weren't angry with her at all. They didn't think she was 'strange' or 'unruly', they were just glad that she was okay. Even if she hadn't gotten to meet the new waitress, visiting the restaurant that evening had still been pretty worth it, and put her mind at ease. The filly was about to leave and let the staff get on with their work, when suddenly the head supervisor pony entered from the diner.
The head supervisor - Mrs Sizzle, was in charge of all the staff. She trained them up, and gave them their positions. She too was a unicorn, just like the chef and the majority of the staff. She had a tall, slender figure, and a dark crimson coat. Her light mane was tied in a neat bun, and her tail had been trimmed. Mrs Sizzle was a very loud-mouthed character, and Silver hoped with all her heart that she didn't know too much about last night's incident.
Mrs Sizzle was followed by a teenage mare; one whom Silver had never seen before, and yet instantly recognized as 'the new waitress.' The amber coated unicorn looked mature, beautiful, and professional. Her dark black mane that was platted in a similar way to Silver Spoons, and tinted with orange highlights, giving her a fashionable yet elegant style. Her bushy tail was wavy and streaked in the same way. Her cutie mark was a candle, but the flame was shaped like a heart.
The group of work ponies lifted their heads, intrigued - they had never seen this new mare either. It was now clear to Silver Spoon that none of the staff were aware there even was a new waitress. Mrs Sizzle had been showing the new employee around the diner all morning, and talking her through her duties, so she had yet to meet anypony. The head supervisor was usually stern and rather snooty, but appeared to be in a good mood this morning for some reason.
“Every pony, this is Candlelight.” She approached the group, followed by the unicorn. “She has a lot of experience, and I think she will be a great asset to the team.”
Candlelight smiled at the group,
“It’s great to meet you all. I’m very eager to get to work!”
Silver Spoon’s mouth fell open. This new waitress was magnificent; she seemed full of confidence, very presentable, and to top it all off, she was a unicorn. Silver was beginning to notice that unicorns seemed to be the preferred race for jobs like that. They had no trouble carrying numerous meals and drinks at one time, as they had magic to help them. Silver couldn't help feeling a little bitter; if she had been born a unicorn, she could probably have caught the meal she had dropped the previous night.
As the other ponies greeted Candlelight excitedly, Silver Spoon remained silent; she wasn’t sure quite how to feel. She watched them all give a warm welcome to her replacement, and tell Candlelight how happy they were have her, and became a little agitated. Silver reminded herself that Candlelight was from Ponyville café; so maybe she would crack under the pressure of working at a busy high maintenance restaurant. Thoughts went through her mind of Candlelight being overly stressed, crashing into tables, taking the wrong orders - and she began to feel a little better, when suddenly the unicorn addressed her;
“You must be Silver Spoon. Your father told me all about you. It’s very impressive that a young filly like yourself is so successful in the catering industry. I’m sure I can learn a lot from you.” She smiled politely,
Silver suddenly felt guilty. Great, Candlelight was nice too? That made it much harder to dislike her.
“Thanks, I look forward to… working with you,” Silver Spoon smiled awkwardly. “Well, anyway… I’d better be going, good luck on your first shift.”
She hurried past the group and out the door. The other ponies didn’t seem to notice; they were all busy introducing themselves to Candlelight. After everyone had met, the head supervisor spoke up;
“Alright every pony, I know it’s rare that we ever have new employee’s here, but excitement's over, time for work! Get to your stations.” The group separated, and entered the diner and kitchen depending on their duties.
The supervisor then turned to Candlelight, “Why don’t you go and lay out the menus? Four on every table, just like I showed you.” The chef gave a wink of encouragement. Candlelight nodded, and the head supervisor and chef left her to it.
~*~
Meanwhile, outside, Silver Spoon was trying to look in through a window to the diner. She wanted to see this new mare in action; she wanted to see if she really was as perfect as she seemed to be. The windows were quite high up, so the filly climbed onto a plant pot and held the trunk of a small pear tree for balance - but she was still too short. Silver tiptoed on the edge of the pot, and tried to lift herself up using the window ledge.
Suddenly the window opened outwards, and the young pony fell, hitting the stone ground.
“What do you think you’re doing?” An angry voice snapped at her.
Startled, Silver looked up - into the cyan eyes of the new waitress, Candlelight.
“Are you trying to spy on me squirt?” The unicorn suddenly didn't look so friendly - she looked downright menacing. Silver wasn't sure whether or not to get up. Candlelight lifted an eyebrow, then grinned, “Aw what is it? Do you think I’m taking your job?”
Silver was speechless - how did she know? Candlelight continued talking in a rather hushed manner, just in case one of the other staff entered the area and overheard.
“Your father said that you were far too young to handle this much responsibility." She taunted, "He said that you look tired out after work, and your teacher says you’re always late for school; children should take their studies seriously.”
Silver Spoon couldn’t believe her ears; her father had never even seen her work. He owned the restaurant, and had worked in it for a while when he was younger, but now he always hired other ponies to manage and run it for him. How could he possibly decide that she couldn’t handle her job?
“You see, the other staff seem to like you, but really they’re just being nice to you because you’re a kid. They need someone older; someone who won’t screw up and collapse halfway through a shift." Candlelight continued "So your father gave me the job. He said if I do well enough, I could even become the next supervisor.”
Candlelight talked fairly quickly and without hesitation; it was as though she had been planning this speech for a long time,
“I need this job. That stupid café wasn’t paying nearly enough for my services. I’m not going to be outshone here by some little brat. You just stay out of my way and try not to mess up and cause a scene again, or I’ll have to have a word with your father. Understand?”
Silver gulped, she was terrified.
“Good.” Candlelight slammed the window shut just as Mrs Sizzle entered the diner.
Silver lay on the ground outside, and felt herself welling up. What on earth was she going to do? She wished she was brave like Diamond Tiara; Diamond would never let any pony push her around.
~*~
The following day, Silver felt extremely on edge. She wanted to be happy about Manehatten, but felt as though her job at the restaurant was in jeopardy. There was absolutely no way Silver Spoon was going to turn down her trip with Diamond Tiara. Di was her best friend, and her family had already paid for Silver Spoon to go with them. Besides, Silver wanted to go, more than anything; even if it meant that Candlelight would be covering her shifts for five whole months. Besides, Silver Spoon was pretty sure that working at the restaurant wasn’t going to be all that fun anymore, with that bossy, hot-tempered unicorn around, who apparently already hated her.
Silver Spoon had another day off work, which meant that today she could spend more time with her best friend. Usually on a Sunday, Silver and Diamond Tiara would hang out in the morning, but Silver would tell Di that she had violin practice in the afternoon. She had chosen this lie carefully; Di herself played the grand piano, she had lessons after school, which her parents arranged to keep their daughter out of trouble. Therefore, although Di could brag about how much cooler it was the play the grand piano than it was to play the violin, she couldn’t really look down on Silver Spoon too much.
Silver headed over to her friend’s house. She expected Di to be getting ready in her room like usual, but oddly enough, when Silver approached her friends manor, the front door flew open, and Diamond stood there with beaming grin.
“Oh hey Silver Spoon!” She greeted her friend.
“Hey Di.” Silver had never seen Diamond Tiara looking so happy before - she was a little concerned.
“Nice day!” Diamond commented, looking at the sky, “You wanna go for lunch?”
Silver couldn’t believe it; Di was asking her if she wanted to do something? Usually, Diamond would just announce what they were doing that day, and Silver Spoon would go along with it.
“S…sure.” She replied cautiously,
As the two set off for Ponyville, Diamond Tiara's mood didn't change at all. After walking for ten minutes without Di insulting anypony or making any rude comments, Silver Spoon just had to know what was going on.
"You seem really happy today Di." Silver Spoon commented.
Her friend grinned wider, as though she had been dying for Silver Spoon to point out her good mood all morning, “My parents said they have a huge surprise for me.” Diamond told her, “Do you know what that means?”
Silver could only imagine; Diamond’s parents bought her all kinds of expensive things on a regular basis. If they had built something up to Di as a 'huge surprise' it was bound to be something pretty huge indeed.
“They went to collect it this morning, and they won’t be back till tonight." Diamond answered her own question, "They must be travelling a long way, it has to be something really incredible!" The filly skipped a little, “Daddy always promised he would buy me my own jewelry store some day! That must be what it is! I'm so excited!"
Silver Spoon was relieved to hear that Diamond's sudden pleasant attitude was nothing to be concerned about.
The two visited Lucky Charm Café, a country style eatery in the middle of town. Diamond Tiara was normally a lot fussier about where they went for lunch, but today her mind was on one thing. This was fine with Silver Spoon, and she decided to make the most of her friend’s good mood. Diamond Tiara continued to talk about her new jewelry store,
"It's going to be the best jewelry store in all of Equestria!" She insisted, "With gold and silver, necklaces, broaches, earrings. Don't even get me started on the gemstones, I'll have rubies, crystals... oooh and sapphires, a whole section dedicated to sapphires!"
"That's amazing Di!" Silver said when she could finally get a word in, "I wonder where it's going to be based."
"Hopefully no where around here." Diamond replied, "I was wondering if it's in Manehatten. Maybe when we go there this summer, I'll already have my own shop. Then he can run it until I'm old enough to take charge. Maybe that's what he's going to be working on with those top business ponies! I wouldn't have to leave Manehatten! I can stay there, forever!"
"Wha..." Silver Spoon was taken back by those words. It hadn't hit her that if Diamond Tiara was getting her own jewelry store, she might not be able to live in Ponyville anymore. Diamond didn't seem to notice her friends face suddenly drop.
“So… your dad would be running the place, but you would technically own it?" She asked, forcing herself to look happy.
“Probably.” Diamond Tiara answered, “I wouldn’t want to do the manual work anyway. I’d just choose what they sold, decide on the designs and the prices - cool stuff like that. And of course it would be named after me.”
“That… sounds fun.” Silver was finding it more and more difficult to sound genuine.
“Yeah, I figured I’d be better at that kind of stuff.” Di boasted,“As for all the financial mumbo jumbo, I think you’d be able to handle that.”
Suddenly, Silver Spoon lifted her head.
“M…me?”
“Well, yeah.” Diamond said, as though it was obvious that she wanted Silver to work with her, “I get my say on the staff, and you are my best friend after all.”
Silver Spoon felt overwhelmed with joy when Di said those words. It felt as though a new door was being held open for her. Leaving the restaurant would be tough, but those guys didn't need her anymore; not now that they had Candlelight. Silver loved waitressing; it was her life, but then again, she had never really tried any other line of work. Perhaps she would enjoy working at Diamond Tiara's jewelry store, alongside her best friend. They could head for the top, together, making customers happy and becoming successful throughout Equestria.
And so, Silver Spoon made a mature decision, putting her past dreams and ambitions behind her to make way for new ones. Her future restaurant could wait for now - her best friend needed her.
"Thank you so much Di." She smiled, "I would love to live in Manehatten with you, and work at your jewelry store."