Finally, after what seemed like a million little distractions from the tale she was telling, detours into somewhat irrelevant territory and even a couple of unexpected customers in the middle of important passages, Pinkie reached the conclusion of her rather heated account of her encounter with Diamond Tiara earlier that day, leaving a stunned Silver Spoon time to reflect.
And, reflect she did, For the grey filly had no idea how emotionally wrought her former best friend had been feeling, until she heard it from the party pony's own lips. The fact Diamond had seen fit to visit Sugarcube Corner so early, and had chosen to confide in Pinkie Pie of all mares, showed how desperate Tiara really must have been.
She also wondered what bad blood must have passed between the Crusaders and Diamond, to make the pink filly feel so guilty about her behaviour that she almost had a breakdown in that very cafe. They'd obviously made up since, judging by the closeness of their bond at school. But the fact Tiara felt so awful about it, that Pinkie Pie herself was almost unable to cheer her up, began to demonstrate to Silver Spoon just how important her former bestie's new relationships were to her...
And here she was, trying to break them apart. The only real friends Diamond had made since... Well, her, years ago.
A slight pang of regret entered Silver's heart. but she wasn't quite ready to consider another option. Not yet.
"Hang on..." Spoon tried to justify her nefarious plan. "You told me that she turned up here in a really bad way. Covered in muck, her mane in a state and her foot bandaged. What other possible explanation could there be for that, other than her involvement in one of the Crusaders goofy little schemes? It shows they're a bad influence on her, and the only reason she's hanging around with them is she's out of her mind! She's not behaving like herself at all! I need to save her, from herself!"
In actual fact, Silver didn't mean a lot of that. She was just so used to it just being the two of them together, whether they be shopping, beautifying themselves or criticising others, she couldn't fathom other ponies muscling in on their camaraderie, especially ones with such diverse interests. She was looking for an excuse, anything, that would maintain the status quo as it stood, relegating the Crusaders back to occasional background annoyances.
If the grey filly was hoping for vindication from Pinkie though, she was asking the wrong mare. "Don't you think, that's the kind of thing you should be saying to her? If you two are as good friends as I know you are, you should be able to ask or tell each other anything! I'm sure if you both just spoke heart-to-heart, you'd find out what's going on, and your worries would soon disappear! Like this stale, unsold birthday cake from a week ago will, in a few minutes! Want a slice?"
Spoon indicated that no, she didn't feel like chipping a tooth that day. Even if Zecora could fix it. "Well, I kinda did try and have a chat with her outside in the playground, and I thought we were making some real progress. But then, I found out she was living with the Apple family without even considering moving in with me. Also, I heard some other stuff, sorta lost my temper, said we'd never be friends again, and just turned and ran away. When I left, she looked terrible..."
Silver suddenly felt the pang of regret in her heart turn into an ache. She recalled Tiara's horrified face, as Spoon relayed the devastating message that the two of them were no longer best pals. The look in her eyes. The silent tears rolling down her cheeks. The legs that seemed on the verge of buckling. She wondered what had happened in that playground, after her speedy exit...
It then came to Silver's attention that, away from her thoughts, something equally disturbing was happening at that present moment, too. As in, Pinkie hadn't said a word in at least two minutes. Glancing up, Spoon was confronted by the rather odd sight of a hyperactive pink mare as immobile as Discord was when he was still a stone prisoner. The only clue the stationary pony in front of her was ever alive, was the green icing sugar steadily dripping from her mouth.
Then, it happened. It started off slow, before gradually increasing in volume, until it made the entire room shake. Pinkie spat out the mouthful of gooey goodness she was chewing on, and uttered just one elongated word :
"wwwwwwwWWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTT?"
It was all Silver Spoon could do to remove her necklace, and use the elasticated string and beads as a makeshift pair of earplugs. Not to mention, attempting to stay upright as the mini-earthquake rocked all around her.
Finally, the trembling subsided and everything began to return to normal. Spoon breathed a sigh of relief, and went to wipe a bead of sweat off her brow...
Only for that same hoof to be caught in mid-air by her new confidante Pinkie Pie, who now wore an uncharacteristic frown on her face. The party mare had grabbed ahold of Silver's leg and the back of her neck, and was now unceremoniously frogmarching her to the exit.
"H-hey, what gives?!" Unused to this kind of rough treatment, Spoon struggled to assert herself in Pinkie's grip, but once again, as when she was being examined at close quarters by the older pony, it was all a wasted effort.
"Do you have any idea what you've done?!" Pinkie was in no mood for sugarcoating her words. "Do you know how sad your best friend was when she arrived here this morning? Her melancholy levels were off the chart! It nearly turned my mane straight, just looking at her! I won't pretend to know everything she's gone through, I've only heard snippets from some of my friends. But the point is, as her best friend you should have been there for her in her hour of need! She needed you to talk with, cry with, be with... But apparently, you were so busy thinking of your own needs, you failed to notice that, and it sounds like you might have made things even worse! You need to go and apologise, and make up with her now!"
With Pinkie's uncompromising tirade adding to Silver's growing doubts about her own actions, it finally happened.
One tear appeared. Then, another one.
The sniffling quickly escalated into something else...
And, before Pinkie knew what was going on, she found herself comforting her second ex-bully of the day.
"W-what have I done?!" Bawled Silver Spoon, weeping into Pinkie's midriff, as the party pony loosened her hoofhold in sympathy. "I-I said such terrible things to Di, e-even after I knew about everything s-she was going through with her m-mother. I-I was so determined to h-have her all to myself, I couldn't look f-further than my own s-selfish interests. I-I used to think she was the t-terrible friend, w-when all the time it was p-probably me..."
Realising she may have been a tad overcritical to such a small child, Pinkie decided to step back from her words a little, as she lightly patted the sobbing grey filly on the head. "Oh, don't say that! You know that isn't true! In fact, I get the feeling that without you in her life, things would have been so much worse for Miss Tiara! You were the one true friend she had for years, and now it looks like she's opened herself up to making all kinds of new ones, it's understandable you'd be feeling a bit left out! But, isn't this what you wanted all along, for her to stop picking on others, and be more social?"
Spoon looked up, teary eyed, from her comfortable spot on Pinkie's belly. "Y-yes, but, it's all happening so f-fast. I'm not sure if I c-can..."
"Well, you should go and see her, then!" Pinkie gave Silver an encouraging smile. "Hang out with her, and her new chums! Get to know them, too! If you have any concerns at all, discuss them with Miss Tiara on your own. Don't just stomp off like an old misery-guts, that doesn't solve anything now, does it? Just, be there when she needs you, and give everypony else a chance! That doesn't sound too difficult, does it?"
"I don't know..." Spoon conceded, unconsciously wiping her glasses with Pinkie's tail." I mean, you weren't there when I went into my tantrum. I said some really mean things, how can I even begin making up for that..."
"You know what, that's an area I have some history in myself..." Pinkie was apparently happy to be an oversized handkerchief. "Once, I blurted out some pretty harsh words to one of my friends who was trying out for a singing group. At the time I didn't realise how much I was upsetting her, but when my other pals came out and told me about it later, the next thing I did was say sorry. And, it worked! I really believe, if you're sincere in your apology, she'll come around in no time! In fact, I gave Miss Tiara the same advice earlier on about something cruel she told one of the Crusaders , and judging by how they seem to be interacting now, it must have worked! Maybe, it's your turn to give it a try!"
Silver gave the party mare a look of pure gratitude."Thank you Pinkie, for all your help. I've completely misjudged you. I'm just not sure I have the strength to face her right now, or the Crusaders come to think of it, I wasn't exactly very nice to them either..."
Pinkie listened to Spoon's apprehension, before appearing deep in thought. After a few seconds, she came to a decision. "Hey, Gummy..." She motioned to her reptile, who throughout all this had been amazingly active, blinking not once, but twice. "They comes a time in every young alligator's life, where he must put away childish things and become an adult. Today, my fearless pet, it is your time to shine. For I have decided to put you in sole charge of Sugarcube Corner, while I go off with Silver Spoon to help her with her friendship problem. Guard those macaroons with honour. Shield those banoffee pies as if your life depended on it. For duty calls, and I must heed it. I should be back in a hour, or so. Do you think you can cope with such an awesome responsibility?"
Spoon looked at the small lizard, then back at Pinkie. "Um, are you positive this is such a good idea? I really don't think...OOF!"
A miracle had happened mid-sentence, which cut Silver off due to Pinkie's excited hooves finding their way around the grey filly's windpipe.
You see, Gummy actually, believe it or not...
Blinked. Again. That made it: three times in twenty minutes.
We have a new record.
Of course, Pinkie also took it as confirmation of her pet's willingness to accept his essential mission. She was so over the moon, she began dancing around the eatery, with a protesting Silver Spoon as her unwitting partner. "Oh Gummy, I'm so proud of you! I knew you wouldn't let me down. Why Mr and Mrs Cake refuse to give you a job here, other than 'official mascot' I don't know! We'll be on our way now, but before we head out, rest assured this moment will be captured for all of eternity in my special photo collection. Everypony, say Cheese... Sandwich!!"
All of a sudden, Silver's impromptu waltz was abruptly halted, and she found herself thrust in front of a camera with Pinkie and the toothless alligator, so she could share in the 'special moment'. The lens was focused, the button was pressed and, the image of an ecstatic pink mare, an inert lizard and a flabbergasted grey filly was revealed to a watching world.
Pinkie went straight to stick it on her wall, tagging it ' Gummy's first solo shift' . Right between 'Twilight's Arrival In Ponyville.' and 'Rainbow Dash's Party.' Clearly, a historical event of great importance had occurred that day.
Pinkie blew her nose with emotion, in front of an increasingly bemused Spoon. "Much as I'd love to stay and celebrate, now I must depart. Be brave Gummy, for I shall be back soon. Hi-ho, Silver! We're going to go out together this afternoon, to win back your friend! Or, my name isn't Maud... I mean, Pinkamena Diane Pie!"
And with those words, the restless mare vaulted outside, while Spoon's ailing brain was still playing catch-up. Maybe, I didn't misjudge her that much, after all were her only thoughts, as she followed Pinkie through the front door, making sure to switch the OPEN sign to CLOSED along the way.
..................................................................................................................
Meanwhile, back in Spoiled Rich's office, Cheerilee was having a little difficulty digging up any dirt on the head of the school board.
She should have suspected as much. For all her faults, Spoiled was nothing if not a smooth operator, who knew better than to leave incriminating evidence of such importance lying around.
Like, for instance, her embargoing of Pipsqueak's proposal for new playground equipment even though the funds were there, just because her daughter didn't win the class election. Fortunately, Tiara had put her straight on that one. And, how!
Another reason for the paucity of documentation could be that her plans were at such an early stage, she hadn't got around to properly formulating them. She was sure Spoiled was up to something, she just wasn't sure what it was yet.
This might mean another trip back to this very room in a week or so for the teacher, which would require waiting for another extended absence from Spoiled, and another excuse to sneak in there to snoop. Darn it...
It was something she was more than willing to do, though. She'd taken a personal interest in Diamond's well-being since her rehabilitation, and to see it all in ruins just because her demanding mother refused to leave her daughter alone to evolve in her own way was not something the teacher was going to tolerate.
The only other oddity to be found in the many files Cheerilee perused that lunchtime was an abnormal amount of information regarding the lives of her pupils Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. It looked like Spoiled had practically raided their personal records to gather every little bit of data on the fillies that she could lay her hooves on. It was strange alright, but hardly anything that would help the teacher's current predicament. It was something worth looking into, though.
Cheerilee looked up from her administrations briefly, to check the time. Oops, she had to get going soon. Her students would be back in class shortly and Spick and Span, who she'd so woefully misled, would realise the princess was never coming, and return to their duties as cleaners. She still felt terrible about lying to them, even if it was for a greater good. Perhaps she'd get them some flowers as a gift. To chew on.
She had all of the papers on the floor from the cabinet carefully arranged, so that when she put them back, it would look as though nopony had tampered with them. Replacing the paperwork a stack at a time, the teacher pondered if Spoiled would notice the difference, when she eventually returned from the hospital. As long as Diamond Tiara was in danger, there was no way she could afford to take any chances...
And, that's when a sudden, startling connection hit her.
Diamond Tiara...
Spoiled Rich...
Hospital...
Oh Celestia! They were in the same building, unsupervised! What would happen if...
Cheerilee went into a state of absolute panic.
Forgetting to put the last file back where it belonged, she galloped headlong out of that room at a speed that might just have caused a Double Rainboom, if it had been in the sky.
She didn't stop when her curious students passed her on the left, as they came in from recess.
She didn't stop when Spick and Span tried to flag her down on her right, to ask what had happened to the supposed royal stopover.
She didn't even stop to see what was right in front of her.
This proved to be a bit of a mistake, as she collided headfirst into Applejack just outside the school, who'd decided to pay a surprise visit to see how her new foster child was getting on.
OUCH! Stars...