//------------------------------//
// Catharsis 
// Story: Dented Silver 
// by Manaphy 
//------------------------------//

	It felt like ages since Silver Spoon last gazed at Diamond Tiara's mansion. The abode's combination of pink walls, three floors, and marble supports had a lavish taste to it; Silver Spoon wondered if there was such a thing as too much luxury whenever she thought about it.

The tall, metal fence surrounding the abode exuded power. An array of flowers and statues adorning the field exuded power. The spots of red rust running along them somehow added to it, almost as if it was dug out from a kingdom in Tartarus. The swimming pool she used to always swim in with Diamond sat off to the side, only a few pink umbrellas reaching for the sky visible at the moment. It was surrounded by a cleaner fence, though something about it tickled Silver Spoon's coat.

Nothing about it was different at first glance, but Silver Spoon raised an eyebrow as she continued examining it.

Maybe it was her imagination. Anxiety had a way of messing with the senses.

Nevertheless, Silver Spoon cracked the faintest of smiles as she surveyed the area. In the past, she'd find herself prancing about the garden and scrutinizing the statues to the smallest detail, but learning about the sculptures' history was also wonderful. It was enough to always make visiting the mansion an experience. The pool was the icing on the cake, jumping into it and those cool memories of her and Diamond splashing and giggling might be a possibility again.

However, just rekindling her bond with Diamond was more important.

Silver Spoon's shoulders then sagged as she approached the front door. Even during their friendship, getting words into Diamond's head was like finding a needle in a haystack. Perhaps reliving those memories was impossible.

It was now or never. Exhaling, Silver Spoon's chest puffed out.

Please be okay, Di.

If Diamond was ever going to smile again, Silver Spoon would need to beat the odds.

She just wished the odds weren't so bleak.

I'm coming to help you.

She trotted up to the door, adorned with golden trimming and flanked by glittering pots, and knocked on its frame.

"In a minute!" a voice called out.

Silver Spoon straightened her posture, head held up high. Precisely one minute later, the door opened, a brown stallion with a slick, black mane standing before Silver Spoon. He bore his signature tie and confident smirk, though the twinkling in his eyes was a new trait. At least Filthy Rich wasn't sporting a wrinkled frown, Silver Spoon loosening her muscles as a result. Almost nopony saw him with a deep frown.

"Hello, Silver Spoon," Filthy Rich continued. His cheeks were clearly strained, however. In a flash, Silver Spoon sensed a tension much like an anaconda latching onto her. "Are you looking for my daughter?"

"I am," Silver Spoon said. She nodded. "Is she here right now?"

"She is, though I haven't seen her leave her room since she got back. Well, I may have seen her out and about once, but that's it." Filthy Rich took a few steps back. "I don't know what's gotten into her."

With widened eyes, Silver Spoon's coat turned pale. No words left her pursed lips.

"I tried talking to her, but all she'd say was that school went okay." A sigh escaped Filthy Rich's mouth. "I know she's lying and all, but I just don't know how to help her." He assumed eye contact with Silver Spoon. "Do you have an idea you want to tell me?"

Any idea would've been welcome at this point. However, all Silver Spoon could muster was a shrug. While chatting with Diamond was undoubtedly one key to solving the problem, knowing what to say only drew blanks. Silver Spoon tapped the floor, clacks reaching her ears. And all Filthy Rich could do for the next minute involved pressing his weight against the door's frame and scrunching his muzzle.

Exhaling, Filthy Rich then stepped farther back. "Well, I'm guessing you want to talk with my daughter, right?"

Silver Spoon nodded again and donned an incredulous look. "I do," she said. Before, she'd call Filthy Rich something like 'Captain Obvious,' but now was not the time to do that. Then again, Filthy Rich was known for repeating himself and pointing out things almost everypony knew, so it wasn't unusual for him.

"So then, do you want to wait until she's okay with talking again?"

"Not exactly." Silver Spoon paused for a moment. She shivered as if a snowstorm was on the horizon. "I'm concerned for Diamond right now, and I can't waste any time. Can I see her, please?"

"Well, she's kinda—"

"Did she tell you anything about me?"

"Not really. She didn't want to hang out with anypony, though I didn't hear her drop any names."

Silver Spoon arched an eyebrow, head tilted. "Then what's with the hesitation, if you don't mind me asking?"

"She's deeply upset and bawled for at least five minutes." Filthy Rich rolled his shoulders and sweat dripped from his brow. "Believe me, I counted. I promised to not bug her about her feelings until she's ready."

"But she's upset right now. Filthy Rich, she needs somepony now more than ever."

Scrunching his muzzle, Filthy Rich shook his head. "My daughter wanted privacy. I'm not going to back down from that."

"And I'm not going to back down from giving her the help she needs."

"I'll handle everything from here, Silver Spoon." With a few steps forward, Filthy Rich then stretched his foreleg out, pressing his hoof on the door. Silver Spoon nudged back, eyes still locked onto the stallion. "You can go play outside for the time being and if you come by when Diamond's willing to talk, then I'll let you see her."

"But will you talk to her now? For me?"

"I'm not changing my answer." A groan left his lips. Sharp twangs covered Silver Spoon's chest for a second. "Goodbye."

"Wait, don't—"

A slamming noise cut Silver Spoon off, the filly jumping up in surprise and nearly landing on her back. She'd rant for minutes about how Filthy Rich was going about this the wrong way, possibly making it even harder for her to reach Diamond. Time wasn't on her side at the moment, however. With a downcast expression, Silver Spoon trudged away from the mansion, a grim frown painted on her visage.

Swiveling her head about, she noticed a small clearing to her right. As if fate was rewarding her, a gate rested over there, opened and unguarded. She recalled said gate leading to Diamond's swimming pool. One of the windows overlooking the pool was none other than Diamond's bedroom.

It was almost too coincidental. Was somepony expecting her to arrive?

Silver Spoon rubbed her muzzle and approached the gate. While having Diamond see her down below might be unlikely, it was her only shot. Something about slithering next to the swimming pool sent a chill down Silver Spoon's veins, however. Even during her friendship with Diamond, she'd rather fall into another fifty pigpens than blatantly disregard such universal rules. They always had some standards.

Yet, she knew nopony would get hurt if she broke the rules and, if successful, it'd be worth it. Her bullying in the past was probably more taboo than trespassing, and she knew the still beloved Cutie Mark Crusaders had done their share of trespassing before. Another sigh left Silver Spoon. She licked her lips and made a beeline toward the open gate.

"Sorry about this," she muttered. "Di needs me right now."

With light steps, Silver Spoon scuttled past a few bushes. Her head twisted in all directions and scanned the area for any passersby. Neither of Diamond's parents were out and about. None of the butlers who sometimes attended the family were even outside. The only voices Silver Spoon heard came from some singing birds and the slight breeze outside. It was as if everypony decided to leave Ponyville except for her.

Silver Spoon passed through the open gate, the swimming pool sitting before her devoid of any drops of water. The chairs and umbrellas were all present as they usually were. The raft perched on the pool's edge earned a raised eyebrow from Silver Spoon; Filthy Rich would always stuff things like that into storage whenever Diamond and she left the pool. Maybe it didn't cross his mind this time, but it prodded Silver Spoon's nonetheless.

Silver Spoon shuffled her hooves closer to the pool. A faint scent still lingered, Silver Spoon's nostrils twitching.

Breathing sounds reached her ears. However, they weren't hers. They were too muffled to be hers.

Her coat turned pale; the world becoming lighter to where Silver Spoon figured she might float away.

Somepony must've spotted her trespassing. Silver Spoon held her breath.

"Silver Spoon, I know you're there," Diamond murmured. "And I know why you're here. Like, let's just cut to the chase."

Silver Spoon exhaled, the tension in her muscles loosening. "Di, is that you?" She knew the answer, but making sure wouldn't hurt. "Are you okay?"

"Of course it's me." A sigh left Diamond's mouth; a pink foreleg stretched out. "Just because I forgot to close the gate doesn't mean I'm some incompetent changeling."

"Good point." Silver Spoon blushed. "But are you okay?"

"Take a wild guess."

Sulking, Silver Spoon then slowly approached where Diamond sat. "Well, I'm here to help you."

"Help?" Diamond glanced behind her chair, making eye contact with Silver Spoon. "I don't need help."

"I'm sorry, Di, but you do need help. I saw what you looked like after the incident with Rumble."

"Look, can't a filly just relax outside for once?" Diamond groaned; she then placed her hoof on her muzzle. "Gosh, I wanna just have time to relax."

"You can relax, but only after we've talked this over."

Silence filled the air once more. The birds ceased their singing, beaks sealed, and the wind screeched to a halt. Time had to have abandoned Ponyville by this point as well. Silver Spoon's throat tightened as she trotted up to Diamond, the latter donning a fierce scowl. But she had to press forward. She had to avoid breaking down into tears or fainting, even if the lightness urged her to tip over or bawl. Diamond was going through just what she'd gone through not too long ago, after all.

Silver Spoon sensed Cheerilee, Twist, Sweetie Belle, and even Blaze guiding her forward; it was as though they were right behind her, muttering words of encouragement despite being at home or at work.

"Why would I talk it over with you?" Diamond asked. She hissed. "You left me for a blank flank, remember?"

"Because we were friends, Di. I was in the same place you are right now and know how to escape it."

Diamond's brow sagged. She groaned, rolling her eyes. "Fine. Take the seat next to me, but this better be quick."

"It'll take as long as it needs to, Di." Silver Spoon approached the blue chair next to Diamond, plopping onto it seconds later. Sighing, she let her body sink into the plush cushions, her legs loosening ever so slightly. Even if the tightness still lingered, a little less tension was definitely appreciated. "Okay, so let's start at the beginning."

"The beginning?"

"If we're going to fix this, I need to learn the whole story. Otherwise, we'll just bicker and get nothing done."

"And who's to say we won't just do that?"

"I-I don't know." Silver Spoon tugged her braid for a second. "What was life like after we split up?"

Diamond pursed her lips, cheeks tautened. "Well, I did kinda ask Archer to spy on you."

"What?"

"Yeah, when I heard Cheerilee's announcement after the test was returned, I had a hunch something was up. I couldn't just wait for you, so I made a deal with her in order to find out."

"Find out about what?"

Diamond sighed. She glanced at the tiled floor below and then back to Silver Spoon. "I wanted to see if you'd admit to bullying. Also, I had a feeling you were still an egghead at heart." Averting her eyes from Silver Spoon, Diamond then gulped. "It turns out the answer to both was a yes, so I kinda got mad."

"I guess that's why you gave me the cold shoulder the next day."

Diamond nodded. "Yeah, I thought this meant our friendship was over. I made some new friends soon enough—Archer and Tootsie Flute, to be exact. And—like—they're fine and all, but something was missing."

"Maybe it's because you're guilty about what happened." Silver Spoon shrugged. "Do you think that might be it?"

"It could be that. Like, I could've gotten back at you if I wanted, but I didn't. I let you be until the Rumble incident today."

"And why did you call me a traitor?"

"Because—I think—you making friends with a blank flank was traitorous."

"Di, just because I'm friends with somepony doesn't mean you have to see them the same way as I do. See, Sweetie Belle is a nice pony once you get to know her. The same goes for Apple Bloom and Scootaloo as well. Just because they're noisier and different from us doesn't make them bad ponies."

"Okay, but why would I be friends with ponies like them?" Diamond pouted and scrunched her muzzle. "Like, they were rude to us, remember?"

Silver Spoon twiddled her braid. "How so? Did they call us names?"

Not a word left Diamond's mouth.

"Did they play pranks on us?"

Diamond slowly shook her head; her lips curled into a frown.

"Di, all of the bad stuff we've gone through with them was probably karma biting us back. I—I know it's weird coming from me, but we were probably wrong back then."

"But how could I be wrong?" Sniffling, Diamond wiped her eyes. Puddles shimmered like stars on her foreleg. "I was only doing what I thought ponies did."

"I thought the same way as well." Silver Spoon patted Diamond's shoulder, the latter cracking the slightest of smiles. While it amounted to almost nothing, just seeing Diamond donning such an expression warmed Silver Spoon's heart. She hoped it'd soon be wider. "But I learned something which changed my view on that. First, I realized we mistreated Prancy Drew. Then, I learned we mistreated other ponies. And when I became friends with them, I realized that kindness goes a long way."

"Kindness?"

Silver Spoon nodded. "That's right, Di." The world around Silver Spoon became a blur of watercolors, her eyes wet. "Please reconsider what it means to be a pony. There's a wonderful world outside of just us. And—and we'll need to be kind, generous, and loyal ponies in order to fully experience the world. With those and more, happiness will come about."

Pausing, Silver Spoon then blinked thrice. Nature became clear once more.

"Did—did you seriously memorize a self-help book?"

A snicker left Silver Spoon's lips. "Not exactly."

"Okay, but—thanks for the wise words?"

"You're welcome." Silver Spoon nodded again. "But do you see where I'm coming from?"

Diamond shrugged; she then ran her hoof across the chair's armrest. "Well, I kinda do."

"What do you mean, Di?"

"Like, I'm not going to go anywhere if I'm always sweet." Diamond assumed a slight scowl; Silver Spoon not even flinching at the sight. "I gotta be bossy. Otherwise, nopony will listen to me. My parents taught me that—and it got me attention."

"Well, you don't have to be nasty in order to be respected. Some of the most famous ponies in history, past or present, got to where they were by being kind or generous. They may not be perfect all the time, but they've shown that you don't need to be rude and bossy in order to get somewhere."

Pausing for a second, Silver Spoon pursed her lips. She dug through her mind, hoping to find an example of somepony kind and liked she could share with Diamond. There were plenty of candidates, though they all tended to have one or more flaws to where they wouldn't work.

Sweetie Belle and Twist? Diamond would just groan, roll her eyes, and order her to scram if she mentioned them.

Rumble? Silver Spoon didn't need to think for a millisecond to know why muttering his name again was a terrible idea.

Cheerilee, Twilight Sparkle, and Mayor Mare? Diamond may have had some incidents with all three of them, Cheerilee in particular given how she was their teacher.

Rarity and Spitfire? Their tongues were sometimes sharp and they weren't kind all the time.

Aches formed within Silver Spoon's head.

Maybe nopony would work as an example. She tapped her hoof on the ground. Wait a second, I think I know somepony who'd work.

If what she heard was true regarding Discord, perhaps Fluttershy was the pony to mention. While Silver Spoon never met Fluttershy, there was enough gossiped about her to where she had a general idea of her personality. Timid, but kind defined the pegasus.

The widespread fame for her more heroic actions and escapades must've had a role in this, Silver Spoon always remembering where she was whenever Fluttershy and her friends landed on the newspaper's front page. It was likely a byproduct of everypony barely surviving bone-chilling monsters which did this.

And why Silver Spoon took this long to realize why Fluttershy was beloved by most ponies crossed her mind. Silver Spoon winced a little, wishing she realized this prior to turning a new leaf, though it was better late than never for her.

Yeah, she's definitely the best one to choose.

"Um, what's on your mind, Silvy?" Diamond asked while tilting her head.

Silver Spoon exhaled. "You've heard about Fluttershy, right?"

Diamond quickly nodded. "Duh, of course I've heard about her. I've seen her around a lot and—like—acting all scared. How could I not know who she is?"

"You do realize that Fluttershy is respected by her peers in Ponyville—most of the time. Other than a few rare instances, Ponyville appreciates her efforts and how much she's given back to the town. More importantly, it's said that she got Discord to behave."

"Discord?" With twitching ears, Diamond rubbed her eyes. It was as though Silver Spoon just told her something which dealt with the fate of Equestria, not something everypony but Diamond had come to learn. "She's the one who got him to behave and not Princess Celestia? I thought Fluttershy doing that was a joke, but it was real?"

"You didn't know this until now?" Shrugging, Silver Spoon then chuckled. "Di, I thought you knew everything about what went on in Ponyville."

"Okay, maybe I didn't know that." A few seconds of silence had passed by. "I still don't know where you're going with this."

"I'll get there right now." Silver Spoon stretched her foreleg and locked eyes with Diamond. "Anyway, do you know how Fluttershy accomplished those things?"

Diamond rolled her eyes. "Let me guess, magic?"

"Not exactly. It was because she was kind to everypony and treated them with respect."

In a flash, Diamond sprung out of her chair and landed on all four hooves. "You're messing with me, aren't you?" She pointed a hoof at Silver Spoon; Diamond's muzzle scrunched. "That Fluttershy is known to be a doormat, so how was she able to do all of that?"

"Kindness, Di."

Standing upright, Silver Spoon then inched closer to Diamond. The thumping of her heart filled her ears, urging her to either seal her lips or descend into unconsciousness. Other plans were of the utmost importance, however, all of them needing her alert and ready to speak.

And if Diamond was ever going to start changing for the better, she'd need concrete evidence first. Silver Spoon knew finding evidence would be unlikely at best. Perhaps Fluttershy drilling the lesson into Diamond's head would patch things up. Repetition seemed to be an effective method of learning something, at least as far as Silver Spoon knew.

But if Diamond's former friend couldn't reach her, nopony could.

All Silver Spoon could muster was a deep sigh. Her shoulders drooped.

Maybe it's all hopeless. Silver Spoon's eyes shimmered as she clenched her teeth. Diamond doesn't want to change.

"Unless—" Silver Spoon's heart skipped a beat and her pupils widened. "Unless I fight fire with fire."

It was inevitable Silver Spoon's chest would twist itself into a knot. She knew it'd be the most painful experience in her life.

In order to make a few steps forward, she'd have to trot backwards.

Much to Silver Spoon's dismay, she needed to go months back.

Her cheeks burned a bright red; the world inside of her was set ablaze.

"Diamond Tiara," Silver Spoon muttered, the taste of poison on her tongue. "Rumble never loved you."

"What are you talking about?" Diamond questioned. "O-of course Rumble loved me—for a bit."

Then, Silver Spoon raised her head back up. She stomped closer to Diamond until their muzzles were an inch apart. "He never loved you, Di. He was only being polite and didn't want to hurt your feelings. Rumble was always a sensitive colt, and you knew this. You only saw him cute on the outside and wanted to brag about it. All it amounted to was a crush."

"I didn't want to brag about it." Beads of sweat dripped from Diamond's brow. "I actually thought Rumble was my special—"

"I can smell the lies coming from you, Di." Silver Spoon ground her teeth for a second. As she expected, sharp twangs formed in her chest, soon spreading throughout the rest of her body. "You did it for bragging rights." She took a quick breath. "Say it."

Diamond shook her head. "No."

"Say it."

"No."

Silver Spoon closed her eyes shut. "Say it right now, Diamond Tiara!"

Upon opening her eyes, Silver Spoon noticed the same paleness Diamond wore earlier. The same widened eyes and slightly agape mouth from before also returned, albeit less dramatic. Silver Spoon's left eye twitched, the lightheaded sensations returning to her.

However, apologizing wasn't an option. Silver Spoon would slap herself across the face every hour of every day if she screwed up then.

Wiggling her limbs with a frown plastered across her face, Diamond's pink color returned. She murmured, "Okay, so maybe some of it was for bragging rights." Another sigh left her lips. "You got me."

"Now then, did Rumble actually love you?"

Diamond shook her head. "No."

"Do you know why?"

"Because—" Diamond gulped. She brought her vision back to Silver Spoon. "Because I wasn't nice. I was a meanie. I'm sorry."

With the faintest of smiles, Silver Spoon then patted Diamond's shoulder. "That's what I've been waiting to hear. I think Rumble would like to hear it, too."

Diamond forced a chuckle. "Yeah, you're right. I was a rotten pony. I kinda had what was coming to me."

"And now you know the key to becoming happier."

Cocking her head, Diamond then arched an eyebrow. "Which is?"

"Kindness and being a fun pony to be around." Silver Spoon brought her hoof back to her chest. Sensing her muscles loosening, she took a step back "In other words, friendship. Look, I—I know I berated you there, but I needed to get my point across."

"I understand." Diamond wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry for not believing—"

"No," Silver Spoon interrupted. "I'm sorry." The environment turned into a hazy blur of watercolors, Silver Spoon's cheeks tickling. "I'm sorry for being mean to you like that. I'm sorry for not trying to patch things up sooner."

"And I'm sorry for refusing to believe you, Silvy. I couldn't accept the blank—I mean—the Cutie Mark Crusaders being nice, let alone becoming your friends." Diamond paused; she then sniffled for a second. "I was so caught up on keeping my attitude to where I forgot what was most important of all."

"What would that be?"

Without warning, Diamond spread her forelegs out and wrapped them around Silver Spoon. The filly's body warmed as if a fluffy blanket hugged her, her lips curling into the brightest smile she'd worn in ages. The wetness dripping down her cheeks intensified; these tears had a jubilant taste to them for some reason. It was as though something filled a hole in Silver Spoon's heart.

Silver Spoon refused to let go of Diamond.

Diamond refused to let go of Silver Spoon.

"Diamond Tiara," Silver Spoon whispered into her ear. "I'm so proud of you."

"Same here, friend," Diamond responded. "Say, do ya wanna get some treats at Sugarcube Corner?"

Silver Spoon snickered a little and blushed. "We shall." The pair released each other from their cozy embrace. "And this time, we'll have fun."

"Definitely! Let's not waste any time, Silvy!"

Raising her hoof, Silver Spoon gently poked Diamond's shoulder. "And one more thing, Di."

"Yes?"

"Don't worry if it feels like nopony else will be your friend at first. With kindness and generosity, you'll get there soon enough."

"And you know this how?" Diamond cocked her head.

"Let's just say that I have a lot to share with you right now." Silver Spoon took a deep breath. "This is my story of the past few days."

Both Silver Spoon and Diamond pranced away from the mansion and along the smooth road. Ponyville's streets were calm for once, everypony wearing a bright smile across their face and the sun above the sky glowing even brighter. These were paltry compared to the grins and widened eyes which decorated the two fillies.

Silver Spoon glanced over to Diamond, sharing the details of how she became who she now was. Everything, from her first meeting with Twist to her encounter with Blaze and everything in between, was mentioned. Diamond nodded and smiled throughout the whole story, sometimes asking questions and Silver Spoon answering them in a flash.

And once Silver Spoon approached where they were now in her story, Sugarcube Corner was only a few hoofsteps away. This time, they'd strengthen their bond instead of weaken it.