Half-Hour Horses

by HoofAndQuill

Serendipity [Romance?]

(Prompt: None, FFAF)

(Is the last ship in this even something that has ever been done? Should it ever be done to begin with?)

Silver Spoon slowly pushed her muzzle past the doorway. It was dark in her home, but just enough moonlight filtered through the thick curtains that she could see the hallway was empty. She crept out into the hallway on her slipper-shod hooves, carefully making as little noise as possible.

She'd done this before of course, so she knew just which boards to avoid and just how to get down the stairs silently. She kicked off her slippers as she reached the door downstairs, and a few seconds later, she was outside with no pony any wiser for it.

The elite, wealthy district of Ponyville was kind of creepy and quiet at the best of times, and in the middle of the night it was just spooky. Silver Spoon actually found herself happy for the clip clop of her hooves on the cobblestone street as she walked alone down the darkened path. The sound echoed weirdly as she passed by Diamond Tiara's house, and she broke into a gallop without even thinking.

Ponyville rushed by her in a blur as she galloped through the silent and still streets. All good ponies stayed inside at night, or at least most of them, and she had the town to herself. Nopony was likely to hear a little filly running around in the middle of the night, so she didn't bother with creeping anymore.

By the time she made it all the way across Ponyville and into Whitetail woods, she was icky with sweat and her legs ached. How the other fillies and colts in her class managed to run around like this all day, she didn't understand. She slowed down as she got closer to the agreed-upon place, looking around carefully for that snatch of coat she hoped to see.

A quiet "Psst!" sounded from a nearby bush, and Silver Spoon smiled and darted into the greenery.

She was immediately pulled into a close and happy hug, and she returned it gladly, even though she knew her friend would probably react badly to the dampness of her coat. To her surprise though, Sweetie Belle didn't even comment. She spoke in a quiet whisper even though they had to be the only ponies for miles. "You made it! I didn't know if you would tonight."

Silver Spoon sighed and folded her ears back. "I'm sorry about Diamond today, I don't know what got into her saying those things about your horn."

Sweetie Belle's bottom lip trembled, and Silver Spoon got ready to cover her ears from the inevitable high-pitched crying squeal, but after a second, Sweetie shook her head and hugged Silver close again. "It's okay, I know you didn't mean what you said. But I really think we should just tell everypony that we're friends! They'll understand!"

Silver Spoon felt herself blush a little as the hug pressed her muzzle into Sweetie Belle's pink and purple mane, and only managed to answer her after a couple dazed seconds. "But I can't! Diamond Tiara... you don't know her like I do, she'd never forgive me!"

Sweetie Belle just sighed and held her friend tightly. Silver Spoon rested in that soft embrace for a moment, before getting the wits to speak again. "How did you find this place anyway?"

Sweetie Belle giggled. "We had to hide here for a few days once, after we set Apple Bloom's family's barn on fire trying to get our marks in glassblowing."

Silver Spoon giggled along with her friend, even as she felt keenly aware of the feeling of their hooves touching. Her ear perked as a new sound caught her attention, and she tackled Sweetie Belle quickly to the leaves lining the ground, pressing a hoof over her lips.

"I jus' don't see why you gotta go actin' like that."

Sweetie Belle's eyes widened. It was Apple Bloom's voice, and both fillies knew it. They'd been found out!

"Ugh, whatever. Fine, I'm sorry I said her stupid horn doesn't work, but it doesn't! And besides, you know I have a reputation to maintain! If I just went soft on you, Silver Spoon wouldn't even be my friend anymore."

Silver Spoon pulled her hoof away from Sweetie Belle's mouth, and they both crept slowly and carefully through the underbrush, until they came across a small clearing. There in a little patch of moonlight sat Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara. Apple Bloom was wearing Diamond Tiara's diamond tiara, and Diamond was holding Apple Bloom's hairbow in her mouth as she deftly braided the other filly's mane. She re-tied the bow around the end of Apple Bloom's new braided mane. "There, see? If you put some work into it, you look really pretty."

Apple Bloom looked down into a mirror that was laying in front of her, with a fancy gold handle that marked it as most likely Diamond Tiara's. "Wow, I guess you're right. But it ain't like I can wear my mane out like this on a date if we can't even tell anypony."

Silver Spoon took Sweetie Belle's tail in her teeth and pulled her friend back from the scene and into the bushes again, being as quiet as she could. After they managed to get far enough away in a random direction into the woods, Silver Spoon hugged Sweetie Belle happily. "Did you hear that? If we tell them, Diamond Tiara can't be mad, she's dating Apple Bloom!"

Sweetie Belle squealed happily, and then leaned in and kissed Silver Spoon on the cheek.

A second passed, and both fillies blushed madly, looking away in the suddenly awkward quiet. Silver Spoon stammered a moment, and then spoke quietly. "Uh... I-uh... I guess we can tell them we're dating too?"

Sweeite Belle giggled nervously, but then folded her ears back. "Oh no! What about Scootaloo?"

Almost on cue, another voice drifted through the bushes of what was quickly becoming obvious as the Cutie Mark Crusaders' favorite hiding place. "Come on, Thcootaloo, thtop being so thilly! Nopony can hear uth way out here! Just have thome more of these delicious thweets! I made them jutht for you!"

Silver Spoon looked over to Sweetie Belle, who just giggled innocently. Silver Spoon smiled, and decided that from now on, honesty might be the best policy. "Okay... let's just tell them now."

Comments

[Esle Ynopemos]

Thcootaloo. Hehee.