“All right,” Cheerilee said, closing the book on her desk. “Everypony please remember to read pages 8 through 12 for tomorrow. That’s all for today.” She waited for a moment as books and desks clattered with students packing up. When the noise had subsided, and ponies began to file out of the schoolhouse, she spoke again. “President Pipsqueak, student council members, please stay. We’ll begin the meeting in five minutes. Could everypony else please move outside so we can have the space to ourselves? Thank you.”
Diamond Tiara shifted the weight of her saddlebag, and trotted out the door. She quickly caught up to Silver Spoon and hesitantly tapped her on the side. “Silver…?”
Silver Spoon turned around. As she saw Diamond Tiara a flash of surprise crossed her face before her expression darkened. “What do you want, Diamond Tiara?”
Diamond winced, and softly said, “I wanted to know we’re okay. You and me. Sugar lump.”
Silver shook her head and turned away. “No. We’re not okay.” She began to walk away.
Diamond followed, protesting. “But I – and Pip –”
Silver suddenly stopped and whirled around. Her eyes burned with anger. “What, you think you can sing a song and it’s all over? Everything forgiven? Equestria doesn’t work like that, Diamond. You can say anything. Sing anything.”
Diamond Tiara recoiled. “Then how do I…”
Silver Spoon turned around again, and started walking. “I don’t know. I’m not sure you can. But it’s not my problem, now, is it? Figure it out.”
Diamond Tiara slumped down to the ground. She stared for a few minutes at the hoofprints on the road, the patches of mud at its edges, and the fuzz of green grass beyond. It took her a minute before she could bring herself to her hooves again. She trudged home in stunned silence.
The next day, Diamond Tiara walked in the schoolhouse door with a box on her back. She walked up to her desk, set down her books, and slid the box into her hooves. Then she approached Silver Spoon.
Silver Spoon saw her coming and spoke first. “Tiara.”
“Hey, Silver.” Diamond answered. She lifted up the box and set it on Silver’s desk. “I, uh, got something for you.”
Silver lifted an eyebrow. “That what’s in the box?” She opened it and unfolded a few sheets of tissue paper. She looked down at the present. She looked over at Diamond Tiara. She looked down again and closed the box. “No.”
“What do you mean, no?”
“I don’t want this. Go away, and next time try to do something less self-centered.”
Diamond Tiara threw the box to the ground and kicked it violently under her desk. She sat down hard and slammed her head on the desk.
Sweetie Belle, who had just come in, pulled herself into the desk next to Diamond. “What’s wrong, Diamond Tiara?” she asked quietly.
Diamond didn’t lift her head to respond. “Rrgh. Don’t… just leave me alone.”
“Are you sure?” Sweetie asked worriedly. “I’ve never seen you like this before.”
Diamond grunted. “Me neither. Get used to it.”
“If you want to talk about it, you can, you know. How about you come talk to my friends and me at recess? We want to help if we can.”
“Don’t count on it,” Diamond growled, and turned her back towards Sweetie Belle.
Cheerilee tapped on her desk with her hoof to call attention. “Good morning, everypony. I’d like to start with an announcement: the student council and president have decided we should have a camping trip. We’ll be going next week, for three days. I want you all to ask permission…”
Scootaloo was the first out the door for recess. She dashed over to her scooter and was already strapping on her helmet when Sweetie Belle called to her. “Scoots! Hold on!”
Scootaloo nodded and waited for Sweetie to arrive, with Apple Bloom right behind her. “What is it, Sweetie?”
“Diamond Tiara’s having a bad day. I saw her banging her head on her desk this morning.”
“Oh. You have an idea?”
“I told her she could talk to us if she wanted to. She didn’t like the idea at the time, but I was hoping she would change her mind.”
“So we should stay here, you’re sayin’,” Apple Bloom interjected.
Sweetie Belle turned to face her. “Yeah, pretty much –”
Scootaloo pointed behind Apple Bloom. “Look, girls. Here she comes.”
Diamond Tiara walked dejectedly down the schoolhouse steps and turned towards the Cutie Mark Crusaders. She came over slowly and dropped into a sit. She stared at the ground, took a deep breath, and sighed in defeat.
Sweetie Belle approached her first, putting her hoof on Diamond Tiara’s shoulder. “Diamond, what’s going on?”
“Silver Spoon doesn’t want to be my friend anymore,” she answered softly.
“I asked her yesterday. She said no. I brought her a present today…no.”
“What did you get her?” Apple Bloom asked.
Diamond gestured at her head. “A tiara. Like this one.”
“I… see,” Scootaloo said. “And she didn’t like it.”
Diamond shook her head. “I don’t get it. What does she want?”
Apple Bloom came a little closer, and brought her head down to try to catch Diamond Tiara’s gaze. She did so without success, but answered anyway.“Ah don’t think she wants stuff, Diamond. She used to be your friend – why? What did you do together, what made you like each other?”
“I… don’t know.”
Scootaloo approached as well, exclaiming impatiently, “Come on, you must have done something. What were you up to when you weren’t teasing us?”
“Or other ponies?” Diamond asked.
Scootaloo sighed. “Or other ponies.”
“That’s not a good start,” Sweetie Belle muttered.
“Well, we – we, uh – we would try to figure out who was richer.”
Scootaloo threw a look at Apple Bloom containing a mixture of bewilderment and disgust. Sweetie Belle leaned down, also trying for and also failing to make eye contact. “Anything else?”
“Not… really, no.”
“You know, I’ve learned a lot about friends from Applejack.”
Sweetie Belle looked up, beaming enthusiastically. “And I’ve learned a lot from my big sister too!”
“And me from Rainbow Dash. I think we can help.”
Apple Bloom put her foreleg around Diamond Tiara’s shoulders, and brought her head down until she achieved eye contact. “Diamond, your friendships can’t just be about you.” Apple Bloom stood back up, and Diamond raised her head to follow her.
Sweetie Belle leaned in next to Diamond. “You have to think about the wants and the needs and the feelings of your friends, not just your own.”
Scootaloo stepped up in front of Diamond Tiara, leaning in almost nose-to-nose to her former bully. “Your decisions should be what’s best for both of you, and for the friendship itself.”
“So… what should I do?” Diamond asked.
Apple Bloom let go of Diamond Tiara and circled around in front of her. “Ah’ve got a plan.”
The weekend interrupted regular routine, and Diamond Tiara spend most of it in her room. It used to be that Silver Spoon would come over, or sometimes Diamond would visit her. Now, without her friend, Diamond had nothing to do. She considered visiting the Cutie Mark Crusaders in their clubhouse, but she didn’t know them all that well yet and didn’t want to show up unannounced. Furthermore, she couldn’t help but be uncomfortable with them. Just two weeks ago, they had been her prime targets. She still saw the fear in their eyes at her approach, and now that she knew how it felt to be ignored and ostracized, it hurt her all the more.
Therefore Diamond Tiara spent her weekend alone. She avoided her parents as best she could, except to ask permission for the camping trip. She spent the time packing and thinking over Apple Bloom’s plan to repair her friendship with Silver Spoon. It wasn’t what she had hoped for – it was certainly no quick fix – but it might get her what she wanted. Besides, who was she to argue with three ponies who’d had more, better friends, for longer than she had?
The next morning, Diamond Tiara arrived at the schoolhouse laden with her luggage. The train ride and subsequent walk was particularly tiring and a novel experience for her, as she was used to having everything carried or done by a servant.
While the class was setting up their tents, Silver Spoon marched up to Cheerilee. “Miss Cheerilee, I think there’s some mistake.”
Cheerilee turned around. “Yes, Silver Spoon?”
“You put me in a tent with Diamond Tiara. I don’t want to be with her.”
“But you’re always with her. Aren’t you friends?”
“Not anymore. Not since the election.”
Cheerilee thought for a moment, then said, “Well, dear, I’m afraid I can’t change it now. Go on and set up your tent; it’s only two nights, then we go back.”
“Fine,” Silver Spoon said, “but I’m not happy about it.”
When Silver Spoon returned, Diamond Tiara had already finished putting up the tent. “Look!” Diamond exclaimed.
Silver rolled her eyes. “Amazing. Just get in and go to sleep.”
Diamond obeyed as Silver Spoon pulled out her sleeping bag. The two were soon settled in and about to go to sleep when Diamond Tiara spoke. “Are you asleep?”
“No,” came the reply. “I wish I were.”
“Silver Spoon… I have something to say to you.”
Silver Spoon shifted, turning her back to Diamond Tiara. “Well, I have nothing to say to you. Except ‘go to sleep!’”
“But… will you hear me out?”
Silver Spoon rolled over to face her tent-mate. “What, Diamond?”
“I wanted to say, I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For everything… I’ve done. I was a bad friend, I always tried to outshine you. I refused your help when I could have used it. Even when I tried to give you a present, I managed to be selfish. It was all wrong, and I’m sorry.”
“That’s very true, you were horrible.” Silver Spoon answered.
“I don’t expect us to suddenly become friends because I apologized,” Diamond continued, “but maybe this can be a turning point. I’ve been trying to be a better pony, and I might be able to be a better friend too. I’m hoping… you’ll give me a chance.”
Silver Spoon sighed. “All right… a chance. Now go to sleep before I change my mind.”
Cheerilee’s head popped into the tent. “Rise and shine, my little ponies! We’re going on a morning walk!” Her head slipped out again and she walked off to the next tent.
Diamond Tiara rubbed her eyes and sat up. She stretched and yawned, and looked over at Silver Spoon. “Come on, Silver, get up. We’re going walking.”
Silver Spoon groaned. “I’m not… awake…”
Diamond Tiara walked over and puller her upright. “Come on now. Can’t have you lagging behind.”
Silver Spoon batted Diamond’s hoof away. “Don’t – touch me.” She shook her head. “Just go, I’ll be right there.” Diamond joined the other fillies and colts as they gathered around Cheerilee.
The walk began, with Diamond near the front and Silver Spoon, still groggy with sleep, in the rear. Scootaloo trotted up next to Diamond Tiara. “Morning.”
Diamond nodded. “Good morning.”
“So. Did you sleep well?”
“All right. I was with Silver Spoon.”
Scootaloo frowned. “Yeah, I know. Was that… okay?”
“She was kind of upset, I guess, but… she said she’d give me a chance.” Diamond smiled. “Better than nothing, right?”
“Yeah. That’s good.” Scootaloo steadied Diamond Tiara as they came around a bend. “Watch your step. Kind of steep here.”
Diamond smiled. “Thanks.”
“No problem. Hey, no friend left behind, right?”
“… Right.”
“So. What else?”
“Who’d they put you with?”
“Twist. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were together, and Pipsqueak and, uh… that colt with the propeller hat.”
“Button Mash?” Diamond offered.
“Yeah, that’s him. Gee, you know everyone, don’t you?”
“Well, no.” Diamond looked down dejectedly. “I know about everyone, because I was figuring out how to threaten them. The only ponies I know are you, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle.”
“Not Silver Spoon?”
Diamond shook her head. “I thought so, but… I don’t know, anymore. Maybe not.”
“Speaking of Silver Spoon, maybe you should go talk to her.”
“I’m not sure. She wasn’t in a great mood last night. Not this morning either.”
“I’ll bet some walking has sweetened her a little. Go on, give it a try. Can’t hurt.” Scootaloo nudged her towards the back of the group.
Diamond walked back along the path, coming quickly to the end of the group. She looked around – Silver Spoon was nowhere to be seen. She gasped and shouted back up to the front. “Stop! Stop!”
Everypony turned to look at her, and Cheerilee called to her from the front of the group. “What’s going on, Diamond Tiara?”
“Silver Spoon’s gone!” she said, and looked around one more time. There was no mistake, she had disappeared. “I’m going after her!”
“No!” Cheerilee shouted, running back along the path. But Diamond Tiara had already left at a gallop.
Diamond Tiara raced back, retracing her steps. She’d been so engrossed in talking, she realized, that she hadn’t taken stock of the world outside the path. Patches of morning light flashed across her face, filtered through the branches of trees stripped bare by the autumn winds. Her hooves thumped on the dirt path, but occasionally crushed a yellow-brown leaf with a crunch. In her hurry, she came around a sharp curve, lost her footing, and went tumbling down a hill.
The world rolled and spun in front of Diamond’s eyes as she bounced and bumped down the hill. Branches tugged at her hair and bushes scratched her skin. She landed at the bottom of a ditch, intact. And on top of something soft. She shifted to see what was under her. A patch of dark grey was suddenly visible between her legs. She rolled off and spotted a cutie mark of a shining spoon. Silver Spoon’s hind legs and flank were visible, but her front end seemed to be buried in a pile of leaves. “Ohno,” Diamond gasped. “Silver Spoon. Silver Spoon! Are you okay?”
Without an answer, Diamond Tiara began to pull Silver Spoon out by the legs. Once she had been removed from the pile, Diamond circled around to her front. Silver had a nasty cut on her forehead, and blood had stained her coat dark red and soaked one side of her glasses, which had somehow remained on her face.
Diamond Tiara shook her head in disbelief. “Nonononono…” she murmured. “Come on, Silver Spoon. I’ll get you out of here. Just… hang on.” She lifted Silver carefully onto her back, and started to climb up the hill.
Silver Spoon woke up back in her tent. Cheerilee was leaning over her, and Diamond Tiara sat at the foot of her sleeping bag. She put a hoof to her forehead. “Ooh… what happened?”
Cheerilee gently pushed Silver’s foreleg back down. “There there, it’s all right. You took a bit of a fall.”
“It was a big fall,” Diamond Tiara interjected. “And you hit your head and you were bleeding and I was scared to death.”
“You… how am I…”
“Then I brought you back here, and Cheerilee gave you a bandage, and…”
Cheerilee interrupted. “Now, Diamond Tiara. Calm down. There’s no need to be nervous, she seems fine. I’m going to let her rest. You can talk to her a bit.” She stood up and walked out of the tent. Silver Spoon could just barely see the rest of her classmates gathered outside, tense with worry and fear. She turned to look at Diamond Tiara. “… You rescued me.”
Diamond stood and walked over next to her. “Uh huh.”
Silver reached up, plucked a stick out of Diamond’s hair, and looked at it for a moment. “You’re all… scratched up.”
“I fell down right where you did. Rolled all the way to the same ditch. Then I picked you up and climbed back to the path.”
Silver Spoon seemed to consider for a moment. Then she smiled. “That’s… really brave of you, Diamond.”
“A friend of mine told me today, ‘no friend gets left behind.’ I couldn’t ask you to be my friend if I wasn’t ready to do that for you.”
“Well, you did it. Thanks… friend.”