Chapter 21
“I'm not sure if I am up for any surprises since yesterday...” said Silver Spoon.
“Oh come on, ya' gonna love this one,” said Apple Bloom. “We'll do a surprise party.”
This did anything but rise Silver Spoon's enthusiasm. “For who?”
“Sweetie Belle!”
“Come again?”
“Sweetie Belle,” Apple Bloom repeated. “When she's back from her vacation. She's goin' to stay with Rarity for a few days after that. We'll wait for her there to welcome her home.”
Silver Spoon tilted her head. “You mean, because this worked out so well with us and Diamond Tiara?”
“Well, that gave me the idea, yeah. But this is different. At least we know what will happen and believe me, Sweetie Belle is not Diamond Tiara.”
Twilight Sparkle cleared her throat, reminding the two of her presence. When she had their attention she said: “Hello, Apple Bloom. Nice to see you.”
“Oh, right.” Apple Bloom smiled at the librarian. “Nice to see ya' too, Twlight.”
The librarian didn't bother with Apple Bloom's lack of embarrassment over her behavior. “Say, could it be that you asked Fluttershy for help with this plan?”
“Yeah, how'd ya' know?” the red maned filly replied.
Twilight closed her eyes. “Well, I had a very, let's say, exhausting discussion with her over breakfast. And I am not sure if there will be a party of any kind.”
“Oh, don't worry,” Apple Bloom dismissed the admonition. “Of course it won't be a huge party. Just Silver Spoon, me and Sweetie Belle.”
“Doesn't sound much like a party to me,” commented Silver Spoon.
But her friends also brushed that demur aside. “Then we'll call it a celebration. That's not the point.”
“The point is,” interrupted Twilight, “that you want Fluttershy to do something she doesn't want to do.”
“But, all Ah' want is to give a friend a nice welcome home. Is that so bad?”
“If you have to abuse another friend's trust for it, yes,” Twilight declared.
“How is that abusin'?” Apple Bloom objected. “She already has the key for Carousel Boutique.”
Twilight shook her head. “To take care of Opalesence. Not to let anypony she wants into Rarity's home.”
“But we're not anypony,” Apple Bloom insisted. “We're Sweetie Belle's friends.”
Now Silver Spoon had to clear her throat. “You are her friend.”
“And you will be,” said Apple Bloom. “If we can do this.”
Twilight looked from one filly to the other and back. Then she asked: “What are you trying to say?”
How many times more would she have to go through explaining this to other ponies? Trying her best to suppress any hint of dullness in her voice Silver Spoon said: “Let's say Apple Bloom and her friends didn't get along so well with Diamond Tiara and me. Now we are trying to fix that and so far I think it worked pretty good with the two of us.”
“More than good,” commented Apple Bloom.
Silver Spoon nodded. “We had some trouble with Diamond Tiara, to put it nicely. She came back sooner than expected and kind of surprised both of us. And since that worked out so well, I guess Apple Bloom wants to try it again with Sweetie Belle.”
“Ah' already told ya', this will be different.”
“I don't really think I understand all of it yet,” said Twilight. “But anyway, do you have to do whatever you want to do at Rarity's home? Can't you celebrate anywhere else?”
Apple Bloom rubbed her chin. “Then, what if we do give her a surprise welcome at Carousel Boutique and then go someplace else?”
“As long as it is really just the two of you and Fluttershy, I think that would be alright. But I can not guarantee that Rarity will let her sister go without her unpacking.”
Apple Bloom waved her hoof. “We'll think about that when it happens. But I'm glad we can do this.”
“Don't get settled on that too soon, Apple Bloom,” Twilight said. “This is my opinion, but I am not the one making this decision. And I still don't see Fluttershy being comfortable with your plan yet.”
“Oh, Ah'll convince her. Maybe we should go right now?”
Apple Bloom was about to dash off again, but Silver Spoon didn't move. “I think we should rather stay here and study. We didn't get to do anything yesterday. And it's still about a week till Sweetie Belle comes back.”
“Actually,” Apple Bloom said, “it's more like three days.”
Sweetie Belle's mouth fell open. It took her a moment to speak up again. “But didn't Scootaloo say something about two weeks?`”
“Yes, because she's gone for two weeks. Sweetie Belle will be back in three days.”
Silver Spoon swallowed. “And you couldn't have told me all of this sooner?”
“Well, Ah' kinda just got the idea yesterday. And didn't want to tell ya' unless we'd had a chance to do this.”
“No, not just about the surprising thing. I am talking about all of it happening so soon.”
Apple Bloom cocked an eyebrow. “Why does that matter?”
“It's... it's... Well, I'm not that fond of surprises right now. A little bit of a forewarning just would have been nice. But anyway, let's stay here and do some learning, okay?”
“Okay,” replied Apple Bloom, her eyebrow moving up even further. “Ah' guess we can still do it this afternoon. So, did ya' bring yer notes?”
“I... um... no.”
“Then what are we supposed to do here?”
“Well, it's still a library...” said Silver spoon meekly.
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “Yeah, but Ah'm sure it doesn't have a book on what ya' wrote down in class. Ah' say we'd rather get to yer place.”
Silver Spoon sighed. “What about Diamond Tiara?”
“Ah' guess she's already there. Don't worry. This time Ah' know what's comin'.”
“I am not so sure this is a good idea. But I have nothing better. Okay then, thanks for the help, Twilight.”
“You're welcome,” Twilight said. “I'll let you know when your book arrives.”
Waving a good-bye to Spike who was dusting off yet another bookshelf Silver Spoon followed Apple Bloom back outside. And for once, her energetic friend showed no intention to hurry. Her words might have sounded casual but Silver Spoon could feel a hint of tensed determination in her friend's step all the way to her mansion.
When they reached the front door Stickler greeted them in his usual fashion. When Silver Spoon asked about Diamond Tiara's whereabouts up he informed them that she was still asleep. At first this eased Silver Spoon's chest a little bit. But still, she would have liked to get the inevitable meeting between her friends over with as soon as possible. But neither she nor Apple Bloom had any intent to wake Diamond Tiara.
It didn't take long for the two to get wrapped in their school work. Now that she had an idea of what lay ahead of her, Silver Spoon was more focused than ever. She would get her grades up. That was no goal, that was a decision. This time, there were no distractions. Nothing that cluttered either her or Apple Bloom's mind.
Until a knocking at the door pulled them back to their surroundings.
Silver Spoon turned her head towards the door. “Come in!”
Her call proved to be unnecessary. The door was already open.
“Stickler told me you came back a while ago. And he told me to tell you that dinner is about to be served. But he neglected to tell me you weren't alone. I hope I'm not disturbing you?”
Diamond Tiara's voice defied the summer heat.
Silver Spoon forced a smile. “No, absolutely not. Is it really time for dinner already?”
She took a look at the clock over her desk. It was, in fact, even past their usual time for dinner. Then she looked back at Diamond Tiara. “Did you really sleep this long?”
“What would it matter to you?” her friend grumbled. “It's not like you missed my company.”
“We just didn't want to wake you up,” Silver Spoon tried to explain. “Stickler said you were still in bed. And then we forgot about the time. But you're more than welcome to join us.” She looked at Apple Bloom. “Right?”
“Of course,” said Apple Bloom. Her smile looked as natural as always yet Silver Spoon could hear how she had to force her tone to sound casual.
“Oh, so now I need her permission to enter your room?” Despite her defying words Diamond Tiara entered, making a point of not looking at the red haired filly. Then she let herself drop at the side of the table. “So, what are you doing?”
“Learning,” responded Silver Spoon. “We're almost done for today, but there is still some stuff about geography we wanted to go through.”
Diamond Tiara glanced over the notes and books scattered over the tabletop. Then she stared at Silver Spoon for a moment. “So, you've really been serious about this?”
“Of course,” Silver Spoon confirmed.
“But, since when do you even care about school? Did she force you to do this somehow?” Her head jolted in the direction of Apple Bloom.
“Hey!” Apple Bloom snapped. “If yer goin' to talk about me ya' can as well talk with me.”
“Fine.” Diamond Tiara closed her eyes for a moment and then turned towards Apple Bloom. “How did you make Silver Spoon do this?”
“Do we have to go over this again?” Apple Bloom groaned. “We had this yesterday. She asked me. Because she wanted to. And still does, obviously.”
“I still can't believe this,” Diamond Tiara declared. “The Silver Spoon I know never was interested in school.”
“Well, the Silver Spoon Ah' knew would've never been ma' friend. Fortunately, Ah' didn't know her as good as Ah' thought.”
Diamond Tiara gave Apple Bloom a spiteful look. The she turned back towards Silver Spoon. “I don't get this. Why didn't you ever ask me for help? I could have helped you with school.”
“Then why didn't ya?” asked Apple Bloom. “Ya've been her friend for years now. And ya' didn't even offer to help her once?”
“Of course I didn't,” Diamond Tiara snapped. “Because I am her friend. She never liked school. So the least I wanted to do was make her think about it even more. Friends don't force each other to do things they don't like.” Diamond Tiara stood up, eyeing the table's contents like it was rotten food. “Or so I thought. I had enough of this. I'm going downstairs and get some dinner.”
Silver Spoon jumped to her hooves. “Wait, we're coming with you.”
She glanced back at Apple Bloom. Her eyes spoke of reluctance yet she still followed them.
Knowing this, Silver Spoon said: “You know, Di, Apple Bloom isn't forcing me to anything. What would she even gain from doing that?”
There came no answer. Her friend just marched on silently. And they followed.
The silence held throughout their meal. Clanking, clattering, and occasional slurping was all that filled the dining room. Silver Spoon did her best to come up with something to say. Something she was sure that wouldn't make everything even worse. To calm Diamond Tiara. Something she hadn't said already. There was only a single thought that came drifting back into her head again and again. And she wasn't even sure if that had any chance at all. It wasn't witty, yet it was all she had.
Knowing she had to at least wait for the right moment to propose her idea, Silver Spoon endured the atmosphere until they had reached dessert. Then, just as Diamond Tiara had dunked her spoon into the vanilla pudding, she said: “You know, Di, why don't you help us with learning?”
“Why should I?” was the mumbled and much expected answer. “Looks like you already have all the help you need.”
“Maybe. But even if I didn't need your help, I want your help.”
Silver Spoon waited for her friend to say something. But when she simply kept glaring at her pudding, Silver Spoon said: “Look at it this way, the more help we get, the sooner we're done. And when we're done, the two of us can spend the rest of the day together.”
“You mean, without her?” Every word was dripping with fake disbelief. “She doesn't seem to like that idea.”
“Uh, no,” said Apple Bloom hastily. “Ah' don't have a problem with you spendin' the rest of the day together. But, um, what about Fluttershy?”
The last question had been directed at Silver Spoon. She grimaced. “Oh, right. I totally forgot...”
“Who is Fluttershy?” Diamond Tiara demanded with growing concern in her voice.
“A friend of Apple Bloom's sister,” Silver Spoon explained. “She let us camp in her garden and now we want to ask her if she helps us to plan a surprise welcome for... um...”
Silver Spoon's voice trailed off. She noticed too late – once again – what she was about to say. Cursing herself she stared helplessly at her friend's brows furrowing.
“For whom?” growled Diamond Tiara.
“Sweetie Belle.”
Silver Spoon held her breath as she heard Apple Bloom say that name. Her eyes were locked on Diamond Tiara. She seemed to swell with every passing second. A volcano about to burst. Silver Spoon braced for what was to come.
And then she heard the scraping of the wooden chair over parquet.
Before Silver Spoon's mind had caught up with reality Diamond Tiara was already on her way to the door.
“Where are you going?”
“Somewhere else,” hissed Diamond Tiara, not looking back.
The door closed behind her. Silver Spoon could do nothing but stare at it, caught between the hope it would open again and the knowledge that it would not.
Then Apple Bloom's voice reached her. “She took it better than Ah' expected.”
“You still don't know her,” sighed Silver Spoon. “Believe me, this is worse than I had expected. Why did you have to mention her name?”
“It didn't matter at that point. She'd have found out one way or the other.”
“I know,” Silver Spoon admitted. “But... well... Ugh, this is all my fault.”
“No, it isn't. It's hers.”
Silver Spoon sighed again. “Anyway, let's get out of here. I need to get away from her.”
“But, what about geography?” Apple Bloom asked.
“We'll do that at some other place. Maybe Fluttershy will let us stay at hers. But I don't want to hang around Diamond Tiara right now. What's best now is to give her some space and time to calm down. Anything else would make it even worse.”
“That's possible? Didn't ya' say it's already worse than ya' expected?”
“I've seen it only once, but yes. And I guess it's best you don't run into her so soon again. Just wait here, I'll get our stuff.”
With that, Silver Spoon left the room. She walked as fast as she could without breaking into a run. And stopped soon after. She hadn't reached the top the stairs yet when she heard Diamond Tiara's voice.
“We need to talk.”
“Uh, no, we don't.”
Her heart skipped a beat. She peaked through the stair-rail of the second floor. It was really her. Diamond Tiara was talking to Marecedes. Or at least, she had tried to. As far as Silver Spoon could see, her sister had ignored Diamond Tiara and walked on towards the the stairs. But she knew her friend wouldn't admit defeat this easily. As expected, she ran after Marecedes.
“Wait, I'm serious. This is important.”
Marecedes groaned. “Whatever it is. If it's coming from you, I don't care.”
“Decide that after I've told you.”
Silver Spoon couldn't help but admire her friend. Everything about Marecedes screamed that she wanted nothing to do with her, yet Diamond Tiara dared to step even closer. And then she kept talking, this time in a hushed voice.
Silver Spoon ducked. Was her friend whispering because she had seen her?
She tried her best to hear what was going on between them. But it was futile. She believed her name had been mentioned a few times, yet even that was mere speculation. But the answer that came was clear and simple.
“Don't ever talk to me again.”
Silver Spoon heard muffled steps coming across the hallway's carpet towards her. At same moment Diamond Tiara spoke up again. This time she didn't bother with secrecy.
“You'll see I'm right. Things can't go on like this. Or everything will get even worse.”
But those words obviously didn't stop Marecedes. A second later, she stepped on the stairs. And of course, there she saw Silver Spoon.
The filly tried her best to act natural. To not show she had just heard the few lines her sister and her friend had thrown at each other.
Marecedes's face remained as unreadable to her as ever. Only her voice betrayed her. The simple “Hey” that she offered as a greeting was carried by a hint of unease Silver Spoon had never heard from her sister. For the first time since she could remember it felt like Marecedes didn't know what to say. It wasn't like yesterday. There was no shock. No dumbstruck eyes staring through her. Just the uncertainty of somepony not knowing what was going to happen Silver Spoon was all too familiar with.
Silver Spoon hesitated. She had always asked herself what it was for the other side of this situation. Now the filly had to admit it didn't feel any less awkward. But as Marecedes didn't seem to come to any conclusion on what she had to say, Silver Spoon decided to take it upon her to break the silence.
“I, um, just heard you talking to somepony. Was that really Diamond Tiara?”
Marecedes looked as if a sudden pain had struck her. She closed her eyes and said: “Yes, it was.”
“Now that's a surprise. I didn't know you were on speaking terms.”
Silver Spoon immediately backed away under her sister's glare.
“I'm not on 'speaking terms' with the likes of her.” Her words were the hiss of cobra before its prey. “And neither would you if you knew what was good for you.”
“Hey, that... that was meant as a joke. I know you and her aren't friends, okay?”
“Damn right we're not,” declared Marecedes with anguished finality.
Silver Spoon still stared at her in shock. First Diamond Tiara, now her sister. She really had to work on her choice of words. But then Marecedes's look started to soften. Silver Spoon could have been wrong, maybe it was just a wish playing tricks on her eyes, still she could have sworn there had been a glimpse of regret sparkling in her sister's eyes. Marecedes looked away from Silver Spoon and mumbled something. Something that sounded like “Never that stupid again.”
Then she turned around. But before she descended the stairs she said something Silver Spoon would have never expected from Marecedes.
“Sorry about that.”
And then she left her little sister standing alone to wonder what just had happened.
It felt like she had stared after Marecedes for an eternity before Silver Spoon remembered why she had gone up here. She made haste to get to her room. Diamond Tiara was nowhere to be seen. Silver Spoon thanked Celestia for that. She stuffed all the school stuff, some pens and paper, and – just to be safe – some sweets from her stash into the bags still lying where they dropped them. Then she stormed down to the dining room again.
And there she found Apple Bloom and Marecedes sitting across from each other at the table. The latter was silently eating her meal, almost in a dream-like state, blankly staring past the filly in front of her. Apple Bloom on the other hand was eyeing her with uneasy curiosity. When she noticed Silver Spoon she stood up and came over to her. Silently they both threw a last look at Marecedes, then Silver Spoon closed the door and they left.
On the way towards the front gates Silver Spoon asked: “Did she say anything to you?”
Apple Bloom nodded. “Not much, but yes, she did. And Ah' still don't know what to make of it.”
“So, um, what did she say?”
“At first, all she said was 'Hey.' Then she sat down and stared at me like Ah' was some kind of riddle. And just when Ah' was ponderin' if Ah' should say somethin' she asks me why Ah'm yer friend.”
“And what did you answer?” Still sounding casual came close to impossible for Silver Spoon.
“Ah' told her that Ah' don't need a reason for havin' friends.”
“And then?”
“Nothin'. Well, nothin' special. She just nodded. Then came her meal, ya' returned and now we're here. What was that all about? Ah' mean, Ah've only seen yer sister twice before. But as far as Ah' can tell, she seemed different today.”
“I wish I knew. I saw her talking to Di when I went upstairs. No idea what they were talking about. When I asked her about it, she just snapped at me. And the weirdest about it, then she apologized for it.”
“That's the weirdest?” Apple Bloom wondered.
“Yes, she never does that. But I'd really like to know what Di had told her. To be honest, Marecedes didn't seem too happy about it. But then again, she's never happy about anything Di does.”
“Speakin' of her. Do ya' still think she'll show up at school tomorrow?”
“Oh, yes. I'm sure of that. She promised me. And she has never broken a promise before.”
“That's good. Ah' hope.”
Silver Spoon didn't know what she could add to that. Brushing her own doubts and fears aside became harder and harder. Of course, she trusted her friend. After all, it was true. Di had never broken a promise to her. When she said she would give Apple Bloom a chance Silver Spoon could count on it. Definitely. Still, her head wouldn't stop nagging her with the question what would be if it didn't work out. All her resolve that there simply was no way she would let that happen worked less and less to calm her own thoughts. She wished that Apple Bloom would say something. Anything. Just to get her distracted. Yet silence followed them once more until Fluttershy's doorstep.
They knocked and moments later, the pagasus greeted them. And her presence alone finally gave Silver Spoon something to focus on. She didn't even care about Angel. Just having something to distract her from what had happened was more than enough to make her happy.
As soon as they had set down on the couch, Apple Bloom said:
“So, did ya' think about ma' plan, Fluttershy?”
“Oh, yes,” answered Fluttershy, still busy with filling up the tea cups. “And I think is is nice that you want to surprise Sweetie Belle, but I know Rarity. She will want to have some peace and quiet. So I don't think any kind of party, even a small one would be possible.”
“Hm, Ah' see,” said Apple Bloom, tapping her chin.
Silver Spoon was baffled. The way her friend acted she could have sworn she really had no idea what could be done. She had expected her to simply lay out what they had talked about with Twilight Sparkle. Yet here she was, acting like she had to carefully ponder the situation.
Then, with a more than convincing tone of thoughtfulness, she slowly asked: “So, what if we, well, just greet them there? And then go somewhere else?”
“Oh, that's a wonderful idea, Apple Bloom,” Fluttershy answered with a much less convincing facade of admiration. “Why didn't I think of that?”
Silver Spoon was speechless. She couldn't decide what was more impressive – Apple Bloom's ability to sell all this as her own idea or Fluttershy's attempt to let the filly in front of her think it really was her own idea.
Then they kept looking at each other, both obviously expecting the other one to say something. It was Apple Bloom who broke the silence: “So, um, what about Rarity?”
This didn't seem to be what Fluttershy had waited for. “What about her?”
“Um, don't ya' think she might have something against this?”
“Oh, no. Why would she?”
“Well, maybe she wants Sweetie Belle to unpack her things first?”
Fluttershy simply kept smiling. “No, I don't think so. And if she does, I'll talk to her.”
For a second, Apple Bloom's show was slipping. But then her face was nothing but a wide, thankful grin. “Yer the best, Fluttershy.”
“Yeah, thank you!” Silver Spoon finally broke her silent viewership.
“Oh, no,” Fluttershy said with a shade of pink growing on her face. “I'd do anything to help my friends.”
“Well, in that case,” Silver Spoon said, deciding to cease this opportunity, “could we stay here for some time? We need a place to study.”
Fluttershy didn't even hesitate. “Of course. Just make yourself at home.”
At first it felt strange to sit at somepony else's home and study. But soon they were both so wrapped up in their notes and books they completely forgot about their whereabouts. If Flutteshy hadn't come in from time to time with tea or snacks Silver Spoon could have sworn she had been at home the whole time. In fact, even that felt more familiar with every time.
After what felt like hours Silver Spoon put down her pen. A quick glance at the clock confirmed that it had indeed been hours, though not as many as it felt like. Her mind told her it had to be evening already, yet it was barely a late afternoon. Nonetheless, she groaned in defeat. “That's it. I'm done.”
Apple Bloom nodded. “Yeah. Me too. Ah' think we came pretty far this time. So, what are we goin' to do with the rest of the day?”
Silver Spoon shook her head. “I'm afraid we won't do much with it. I'll have to go home.”
“What? Why?” Apple Bloom asked. “Did that butler put up any other rules?”
“No, that's not it. Remember, I promised Di-” Silver Spoon clasped her hooves over her mouth. “Oh no.”
Apple Bloom and Fluttershy exchanged irritated looks.
“What is it, dear?” the pegasus asked cautiously.
“Stickler. I forgot.” Silver Spoon jumped to all four. “I have to go home. Now.”
Now Apple Bloom's eyes widened too. “Don't tell me...”
“What? What are you talking about?” Fluttershy asked, now looking more and more like she had done something wrong.
“I forgot to tell where I was going,” Silver Spoon explained while hastily stuffing her books and notes away.
“You didn't...” Fluttershy started, then a moment of understanding went over her face. “Oh, your agreement. Oh my...”
Silver Spoon threw the saddlebags onto her back. “Gotta run!” was all she could spare as a good-bye.
“Wait, maybe I should...”
She heard Fluttershy start talking behind her but never got to know what Fluttershy should do. Her mind was set on getting home. She bolted from the cottage straight onto the market. Dodging legs and carts she maneuvered herself through the crowd. A few times she stumbled into somepony. Had to squeeze through smaller groups, brushing other foals aside. But there was no time for apologies. She pushed on, sometimes scraping corners with her saddlebags. Once she heard somepony yelling after her, telling her to stay. But she couldn't even look back. Had she broken something? She would pay whoever it had belonged to. She just had to do that later.
Once she had passed this mass of obstacles all that was left was a head-on sprint towards her home. Splashing gravel left and right she dashed from the gates towards the front-door. And there he already waited for her, standing in the open doorway like Cerberus before the gates of Tartarus.
“Welcome home, Lady Silver Spoon.” Stickler's greeting was as dry as always, yet carried by an unknown chill. “Is there anything the young lady would like to explain?”
Oh yes, there was. But she couldn't. Still trying to catch her breath she decided that she would extend her newfound efforts in school also to PE classes. As she tried to at least give her butler an apologetic look she saw another pony heading towards them.
“What does she have to explain to you, Stickler?”
The butler turned around. “I am sorry, Lady Diamond Tiara, but this is a matter not concerning you.”
“Everything that concerns my friend also concerns me. Right, Silver Spoon?”
The filly eyed her friend carefully. Was she up to some scheme of revenge for what had happened at noon? Or was she really here to help a friend? After a moment of panting, she decided that it couldn't get any worse either way. “Right,” said Silver Spoon between her gasps. “You can... tell her.”
Unmoved, Stickler let his look rest on the filly for a moment. Then he said without even a hint of emotion: “Very well, as you wish, Lady Silver Spoon. The matter is that, after certain difficulties on the young lady's behalf concerning her ability to keep set curfews, we came to an agreement that she would inform the house personnel about her whereabouts and intended time of return whenever she were to leave the mansion. Unfortunately, it only took two days until this agreement was broken, as it seems.”
“Oh no,” answered Diamond Tiara, her eyes widening. “I'm afraid this is my fault then.”
“How so?” Stickler asked.
Silver Spoon simply stared at her, having the same question on her mind. And still marveling how her friend had understood so quickly what Stickler had just said.
“I'm so sorry, Silver Spoon. I just forgot to tell him. You see, Stickler, before she and Apple Bloom left, Silver Spoon asked me to tell you they were going to the library once more. And that she wanted to come home as soon as possible. But then I laid down for a moment because I was so full, I think I even dozed off for some time. I completely forgot about it. If I had only known that it had been so important... Oh, I am so sorry, this really is all my fault.”
Stickler looked like he was trying to read Diamond Tiara's mind. Yet she held the most convincing visage of guilt and regret Silver Spoon had ever seen. After a while he simply declared: “Very well then, I shall overlook this instance. But let that be a last warning to you that I was and am serious about this matter, Lady Silver Spoon.”
He didn't wait for an answer and left them at the door.
As soon as he was out of sight Silver Spoon sat down right on the doorstep. “Thank you, Di.”
“You're welcome,” Diamond Tiara answered, still looking after the butler. “This is what friends do, right?”
Silver Spoon eyed her carefully. There was, surprisingly, no sign of malice or spite in Di's voice. Even the smile she wore now was as friendly as ever.
Cautiously, Silver Spoon said: “So, Di, how should I say this... Are you not mad at me anymore for, well, what has happened the last days?”
Her friend waved a dismissing hoof. “Oh no, of course not. I had some time to think now. And I came to the conclusion that you are right. Before I start driving them off I should give your new friends a fair chance. You see, I was simply surprised before. I thought you were coming back from the library alone and I had you all for myself the rest of the day. All I want is some time with my best friend.”
Some part of her subconscious started to poke her. It desperately tried to get her attention. But Silver Spoon's joy over what she heard subdued it. There was no space right now for doubt. Those words had to be true.