The Secrets of Equestria

by Manaphy

Diamond Tiara: The Cloak and the Goblet

The group stared at the cloaked figure looming above them with only her wide grin visible under the cloak. The clacking of her hooves against the floor echoed in the room and darkness enveloped the area the closer she got. Diamond Tiara clenched her teeth and scrunched her face. Her heart was beating faster and faster as the figure trotted closer. She blinked, only to then notice that the figure's limbs had frozen in place. The figure tugged her cloak's hood and cleared her throat.

"Now then, what brings you kids here?" she asked in a sharp tone.

"Well, um, we were just on an adventure and found this place," said Scootaloo as her body shivered. "We didn't mean to cause any trouble. Honest!"

"I know trouble, and I have a feeling you're ready to cause it." The cloaked figure whipped her tail, still covered by the cloak. A little dust kicked up and floated into the air. "I'm here for a treasure, and I don't want anypony stealing it."

Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. "Huh?" She stepped back a little and then tilted her head. "What treasure?"

The cloaked figure chuckled. "Silly filly, I'm here for the Royal Goblet, or that's what I think it's called, and it's mine!"

"What's so special about it?"

The figure groaned and then audibly clenched her teeth for a moment. "It's valuable! That's what!"

"What do you mean by valuable?"

"It's just valuable."

Diamond stretched her forelegs and let out a yawn, just quiet enough for nopony else to hear. Looking at the figure, a tingling feeling formed in the back of her head. Something about this mare wasn't right. She was as dumb as Scootaloo was. Diamond grimaced a little before her lips then formed a sheepish grin.

Diamond turned her head to the left and stared at a corner of the room. It felt different when she entered, but she couldn't quite form the image in her head. She tapped her hoof on the floor and turned to the right. There was a large, tan blanket off to the side of the room, hastily folded and appearing to be left in the room as an afterthought. Its color was faded and a gray sheet of dust covered it. She looked back to the rest of the group and stared at Sweetie Belle, who gazed at the figure with wide open eyes and a pale face, and then at Silver Spoon and Scootaloo, who were staring at the figure with looks of bemusement. Another tingling feeling formed in the back of Diamond's head, this one sharper than before and enough for her limbs to become as solid as stone.

Something, no, somepony else was missing, and that somepony was Apple Bloom. Something was going on, and the more Diamond thought about it, the more confused her mind became. She tilted her head and raised both eyebrows, but before she could utter a single syllable, she noticed a gray cloud forming around the cloaked figure before it touched her nostrils. She closed her eyes and sneezed, but upon opening her eyes once more, something small leaped from the shadows.

"Gotcha!" Apple Bloom shouted at the top of her lungs. The cloaked figure turned around and in the blink of an eye, she was then covered with a large, tan blanket. Apple Bloom latched onto the figure's neck, her face forming a wide grin as the figure bucked around and bumped into the bookcases, groaning and cursing as she meandered throughout the room.

"Let me go!" the figure yelled in a muffled voice. She then took off into the air and flew towards an open door. Apple Bloom's body shook as she let go and fell to the floor. She produced a thud the moment she collided with the floor. The figure kept going and left the room as she wiggled her forelegs around, trying to pull the large blanket off of her body.

"Hurry!" Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle rushed towards the opened door, slamming it shut so hard to where it felt like the room vibrated a little. The two fillies then placed their backs against the door, huffing and puffing with wide, nervous grins. Silver Spoon trotted up to the two with shimmering eyes, her teeth chattering.

"What if she comes back?" asked Silver Spoon, her legs wobbling. "More importantly, who was that?"

"Do I look like I know?" Diamond asked with a question of her own. Her breathing returned to normal and her lips formed a slight smile. "Still though, what a creep."

"Creep? More like freak," said Scootaloo with ruffled eyebrows and a smug grin. She then looked around the room and back to the rest of the group. "By the way, what's a Royal Goblet?"

"It's probably an ancient artifact that's somewhere inside this castle," Silver Spoon said as a matter of fact. "Given how that figure was acting, it has to be of immense value."

Diamond's ears twitched at the mention of the words "immense value". Everypony, even the richest of the rich, would look at her with gaping mouths if she ever trotted with that thing in hoof. She giggled at the mere thought of it and her eyes sparkled. Her face then brightened up and she leaned towards the rest of the group, gazing at them. "I think I know what I want to find," she said as though she sang.

"I don't," said Apple Bloom as she shook her head. "What if that thing is the Pony of Shadows?"

"The what of the what?"

"The Pony of Shadows is said to haunt this castle, or at least that's what I was told." Apple Bloom shuddered and her eyes twitched. She looked to her left, then to her right, and finally back to Diamond. "I don't want to mess with that thing."

"If it is the Pony of Shadows, you've already messed with it!" Diamond trotted towards Apple Bloom and glared at her. "Congratulations, moron! You might be the cause of us all getting killed!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!"

Diamond leaned closer to Apple Bloom. She felt a wildfire raging inside of her as she gritted her teeth for a moment and her legs tensed. "Well then, what are you going to propose, blank flank?"

"We look around and try to find a place to flee."

Diamond planted a hoof on her face and sighed. She wished she could plant that hoof onto Apple Bloom's face as hard as she could, but as she raised her hoof up, her foreleg froze. Violence would just cause more issues. She groaned, rolled her eyes, and then lowered her hoof back down. "We don't have another choice, do we?"

Silver Spoon nodded and her shoulders sagged. "Looks like that's the case."

Growling, Diamond trotted over to the door with the turquoise light behind it. "Let's get this over with." She crept closer to the door, her heart pounding more and more for every step she took. She shook her head and cringed a little. What was there to be afraid of? Taking a deep breath, Diamond placed her hoof on the doorknob, its cold, metallic form causing her body to shiver, and she opened the door.

Creak!

Diamond peeked at what was behind the door. As she stared at it, her eyebrows shot up and her eyes shimmered. Behind the door was a radiating pedestal emitting a turquoise light. Sitting atop the pedestal was an elaborate cup made of a shiny material and had a thick stem with emeralds adorned on it. Diamond's mouth watered as she stared at the cup. That glistening material was a fine platinum, there was no mistaking that, and the rubies that went around the circumference of the cup's rim glowed like little fireflies. Diamond glanced behind her, noticing Silver Spoon and the others looking around the dusty room, a fine contrast to the one before her. She gazed at the cup once more and then licked her lips. It wouldn't be wrong to bring a little souvenir with her, would it? Forming a wide grin on her face, Diamond galloped towards the cup and swiped it with her hoof.

"At least this trip was worth something," she muttered to herself. She looked back at the rest of the group, focusing on the three meandering Cutie Mark Crusaders. "Hmm. Maybe they're not so bad after all. Silver Spoon seems to be getting attached to one of them, Sweetie Belle I believe. They probably still loathe us, and I still don't like them either." Diamond sighed and rubbed her head. "I actually kind of had fun, even if Scootaloo is the biggest of morons. Apple Bloom isn't much better, but she's at least less crazy. So maybe, just maybe, there's room for more adventures with riches to be found, but how in Tartarus am I going to convince those three to join us again?"

"Diamond Tiara, come quick," said Silver Spoon as she waved a foreleg to her. "Apple Bloom found something."

Diamond clenched the cup to her chest and smiled, trotting with a skip in her step. "What is it?"

Silver Spoon gazed at the cup in Diamond's hoof. She froze for a few seconds, only for her eyebrows to ruffle. Diamond tilted her head with a look of bemusement on her face. "Diamond Tiara, what's that?" Silver Spoon asked in a blunt tone.

"It's just a souvenir I found." Diamond chuckled and then shrugged as a sheepish grin forming on her face. "No harm in that, right?"

Silver Spoon pouted and her face scrunched a little. "Didn't that figure say something about a Royal Goblet?"

Diamond nodded. "So?"

"So? What you have there might be it. She's going to be furious if she sees you with it."

Diamond looked down at the goblet in her hooves, the sheen so fine she could see her own reflection in it. Her lips formed a smile, which only grew the longer she stared at the goblet. "We'll be fine."

Silver Spoon bit her lip and trotted closer to Diamond. "Diamond Tiara, you said that we shouldn't mess with that figure, right?"

"If she doesn't know we have it, there shouldn't be a problem." Diamond trotted backwards, away from Silver Spoon and keeping the goblet as close to her chest as possible. "Besides, the Pony of Shadows probably doesn't exist. It's probably just some pesky pony."

"I agree that the Pony of Shadows is just a myth, as I haven't read anything alluding to the matter, but we still need to be careful."

Diamond raised an eyebrow. "What do illusions have to do with this?"

Silver Spoon sighed and planted a hoof to her face. "Allusion. It's a word that means referring to something."

"You're a bigger egghead than I thought, Silver Spoon."

Silver Spoon rubbed the back of her neck and blushed. "I did tell myself that my readings would come in handy one day."

Diamond rolled her eyes. "Readings? You mean thesauruses."

"Forget it." Silver Spoon turned around and pointed at the floor. Diamond trotted towards the direction Silver Spoon was pointing, and before them was a small hole with a ladder going down. Diamond's spirits soared as she stared at the passageway, her body unable to remain still as it shook. The goblet would be her's without a doubt.

"How did you find this?" Diamond asked in a heightened tone. "I never would have suspected this."

"I kind of tripped on the latch for the secret passageway," Apple Bloom said with a wide grin as she blushed.

"Your clumsiness will be our ticket out of here!" Diamond leaped towards the ladder and slid down, the goblet still in her hoof. "Follow me!"

"Wait for me!" Sweetie Belle shouted as she joined Diamond in the descent down the ladder.

"Don't forget about me!" Scootaloo shouted upon grabbing onto the ladder and then sliding down it.

Apple Bloom and Silver Spoon then joined the three, but they were too far above Diamond for her to hear what they said. She looked down as she continued descending down the ladder. A small puddle of water waited for her, surrounded by a smooth layer of light gray bedrock. She squinted as she stared at the ground. Even if it was smooth, landing on it hard wouldn't be fun. Diamond's eyes widened and she gulped. She then looked up at the fillies above her. "Slow down!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. The four other fillies did as instructed, but Sweetie Belle kept descending at the same rate, only to slow down at the last possible moment.

Only it wasn't the best timing, as her buttocks slammed into Diamond's face, the latter screaming and shuddering as she slid down to get away.

"Sorry about that," said Sweetie Belle, looking down at Diamond. "Are you okay?"

Diamond, grimacing as she looked up at Sweetie Belle, shook her head and her eyes twitched. "Of course not!" she whined as her legs shook. "My face was just greeted by your—"

"It was an accident," Silver Spoon interrupted as she raised her hoof. "Let's just get to the bottom and keep on going."

Diamond rolled her eyes and then continued down the ladder. She glanced back at the rest of the group, focusing most of her attention on Sweetie Belle. After an uneventful minute of descending further and further down, the group's hooves made contact with the cold, damp floor at last. Diamond's legs wobbled for a brief moment, but she shook her body and then regained her composure.

Silver Spoon crept ahead of the group, her breathing audible, and squinted at the small light up ahead. She looked back to the group and her lips formed a small smile. "Looks like we might get out of this alive after all," she said. "Still, we need to be careful, so try not to do anything stupid."

"Well duh," Diamond said. "I don't do stupid things, but Scootaloo, um, I mean the blank flank with the wings might."

Scootaloo's eyebrows ruffled and her face scrunched up. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Diamond turned around in a huff and groaned. "It doesn't matter. Let's keep going."

"Wait a second." Scootaloo rubbed her mane. She didn't budge an inch and gazed at Diamond for a minute before groaning. "Okay, let's go. But first, I have something I want to show everypony."

Diamond froze in place for a second. She then turned to Scootaloo with raised eyebrows. "What is it?"

Scootaloo lifted a solitary, light turquoise feather up into Diamond's face. Her lips formed a smile as she moved the feather closer to Diamond's face, causing the latter to step back a little. What was so important about a feather? Maybe there was something nefarious behind it. The back of Diamond's mind tickled, wondering what prank Scootaloo had in store for her this time. But what would a stupid feather have to do with anything like that?

"Okay, what now?" Diamond asked in a blunt tone.

"I found this shortly after Apple Bloom forced the cloaked figure out of that room," Scootaloo said with shimmering eyes. "I bet this will help us find out who the cloaked figure is!"

"A feather?" Diamond clenched her teeth for a moment and trotted closer to Scootaloo until their faces were separated by a mere inch. Scootaloo shuddered for a moment as Diamond glared into her eyes as though she was peering into her soul. "How does a feather help us in any way?"

Scootaloo stepped back. "Hear me out, but I remember Rainbow Dash talking about a mare with this coat color. I just need to remember what her name was."

"Everything is about Rainbow Dash for you, isn't it?"

Scootaloo shrugged. Her body remained still for a moment, staring at Diamond with a blank expression. "Maybe."

"Well then, show that dumb feather to Rainbow Dash when we get out of here."

Scootaloo sighed and placed the feather close to her chest as Diamond whipped her tail and marched forwards, the rest of the group following close by. The cracked walls of the secret passageway, slowly chipped away by the constant flow of time, grew lighter and lighter the further they progressed. A slow drip of water echoed in the passageway, the noise occurring every other second without fail. Diamond counted the sounds of the drips as she continued trotting along. The rest of the world around her was silent, so it wasn't like she had much to do. Her hooves ached as she kept trotting, crying out to her for something comfortable to trot on for once. Her ears wiggled a bit, as the sounds of huffing and puffing behind her then joined the drip's chorus. The light at the end kept growing and growing the closer she got to it, but that's all it ever did. It just grew.

"How much longer?" Scootaloo asked in a whining tone. She then clenched her teeth and grimaced. "We've been doing this forever."

"T-this passageway has to end soon," Silver Spoon said as she panted. Her legs wobbled and she grunted just trying to stay upright. "I think I'm going to faint."

"Stamina was never your strong point," Diamond said in a teasing tone. "Lean on a blank flank if you have to."

Diamond glanced back at the group. She noticed Silver Spoon, her tongue sticking out, wrapping her foreleg around Sweetie Belle, who embraced her with a slight smile. "C'mon, Silver Spoon," Sweetie Belle said in a calm tone. "We're almost out, and maybe we can find a place to rest."

"I-I hope," Silver Spoon said, glancing at Sweetie Belle with a wide smile. "But thanks for helping me. It means a lot."

Sweetie Belle blushed and covered her lips with her hoof. "You're welcome. That was nice of you to say!" Silver Spoon then blushed herself.

Diamond turned back to the path ahead, her lips forming a wide grin once she was certain nopony was looking. Once again, Diamond wondered if maybe the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and blank flanks in general, aren't that bad after all. To care for her friend like that, after everything they had done to them, warmed her heart to the point her eyes shimmered and her vision blurred somewhat. Perhaps she should hang out with them more often, but how would she do this? Diamond shook her head. Now wasn't the time to think about such things. She needed to get back to Ponyville first. Rubbing her eyes, Diamond's vision became clear once more, but something appeared within the light.

It looked like a palm tree, or that's what Diamond thought. Her ears twitched at the sound of roaring waves, which prompted her eyes to widen a little. Just where did that road lead her and the rest of the group? The secret passageway couldn't have been that long, could it?

"Finally!" Apple Bloom cried out at the top of her lungs. "We're done with this place!"

Diamond turned around and raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that, Apple Bloom?"

"You can hear that noise, right?" Diamond nodded. "That's a waterfall. I'm almost positive!"

"Apple Bloom is right," said Silver Spoon, leaning against Sweetie Belle's body. "That sound most likely belongs to a waterfall." She then let go of Sweetie Belle and her body tipped from left to right for a moment. Her legs wobbled, but she soon managed to stand up straight. It was enough for her to form a slight smile on her face. "This must have been an emergency exit at one point. However, don't rush out in the open, because the cloaked figure might be waiting for us."

Scootaloo nodded. "Makes sense," she said. "Let's do this!"

The group charged out of the secret passageway, all huddled up together in one blob made out of pastel ponies. Diamond squinted upon taking her first steps into the outside world since she entered the castle, however long that was, and rubbed her eyes. Everything was a bright blur to her, but the roaring water and some chirping birds nearby rang in her ears.

"This is amazing!" Apple Bloom shouted. Diamond turned to her and as her vision became clear once more, she saw her with her eyes shimmering and her mouth forming a large, wide open smile. Diamond turned back to what was ahead of her, and she too formed a wide smile. Her eyes sparkled at the scenery around her, which was composed of a tall waterfall that descended from the top of the cliff, leaping over her and the fillies standing on a cobbled stone staircase, and down to the abyss below. Trees swayed in the slight breeze like dancers. Birds glided off in the distance and other kinds of wildlife, such as bunnies and cats, roamed across the grasslands up ahead. Diamond rubbed her eyes and blinked. How could she, no, everypony, miss such a sight. Her body remained perfectly still, her mind taking in the sights around her.

"It looks like a sanctuary of sorts," Sweetie Belle said as she skipped around with a smile on her face.

"Maybe it was a long time ago," said Silver Spoon. "In a way, this is a treasure in of itself. The beauty of nature." Silver Spoon's smile grew wider as she looked around. "I don't think I'll ever forget this experience." She then turned to Diamond and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "Thank you, everypony. I know that today was a bit scary and tough, but there's so much to cherish here. I'm glad I got to see this, and sharing it with all of you feels wonderful."

"Um, you're welcome," said Apple Bloom in an uncertain tone. She shrugged for a moment and then raised an eyebrow. "Say, does this mean you're going to stop bullying me. In addition to Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, of course."

Silver Spoon's shoulders sagged, her smile faded away, and she let out a deep sigh. "I-I don't know."

"Just keep trying to become a better pony, and you'll get there," Sweetie Belle said as she trotted next to Silver Spoon. She knelt down next to her and massaged her back. "I believe in you."

Silver Spoon's smile returned and she wrapped her forelegs around Sweetie Belle for a moment. "Thanks again, Sweetie Belle."

"You're welcome!"

"Shouldn't we be focusing on getting back to Ponyville?" Diamond asked. She lifted the goblet she had with her high in the air and waved it around before pressing it against her chest once again. "Remember why we got that stuff in the first place?"

"Of course," Silver Spoon said as she nodded. "I'm feeling better now." She then rubbed the back of her neck and grinned sheepishly. "Shall we get going?"

"Drat!" a voice shouted in the distance. A nearby tree swayed from side to side more intensely than the others. "Stupid trees!"

Diamond then felt a chilling sensation run down her spine and her eyes widened. She turned to her left and then to her right, her body shivering. "Hide!" she shouted.

"Over here," Sweetie Belle said, pointing to a large, light green bush. Diamond and the rest of the group rushed towards the bush. Her heart pounded louder and louder the closer she got.

Thud!

A brown cloud of dust kicked up in front of the group. Diamond jumped up and her chest tightened. Something was also fluttering in the air. She looked up and saw a ragged, brown cloak descending down to the earth. The dust cleared, and the silhouette of a pegasus could be made out.

"Not you again," the pegasus said. She then sighed and her shoulders sagged. The dust cleared, revealing a pegasus mare with a light turquoise coat and a sharp, amber colored mane. She rubbed her eyes and stretched her wings, grimacing the entire time. The mare then froze, her eyebrows shot up, and she stared at the fillies in front of her. "Well, at least you're not Lamebow Trash."

"Lightning Dust!" Scootaloo shouted at the top of her lungs. "You were that cloaked mare in the castle!"

Lightning Dust blushed and stepped back a little. She chuckled for a moment and then shrugged. "You got me."

"Wait a second," said Sweetie Belle. "You know her?"

Scootaloo shook her head. "I don't, but Rainbow Dash told me about her."

"Looks like she still doesn't shut up." Pouting, Lightning Dust then focused her gaze on Diamond. "Why do you have the Royal Goblet?"

"It's just so pretty," Diamond said, pressing the goblet closer to her chest. She then moved the goblet away from Lightning Dust and scowled at her. "I found it first, so it's mine!"

Lightning Dust extended her forelegs towards Diamond, her lips puckered up somewhat. "I really need that goblet. I need it to get the money I need to rebuild my home."

Diamond raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. "What?"

"Remember the Tirek incident?" Diamond and the rest of the group nodded together. "That jerk caused all sorts of destruction, my home among those damaged." She then shuddered and her eyes twitched. "Then he stole my magic." Her eyes then shimmered and a cascade of tears flowed down her cheeks. "Do you know what it's like to almost die? Do you know what it's like to have the one thing you treasure doing more than anything taken away from you? I found out that day."

"How did Tirek find you?" Apple Bloom asked.

Lightning Dust's shoulders sagged, only for them to perk up once more and her lips formed a smile, though something about it felt a little off. "I was the big hero that was going to save everypony, but that demon cheated!" Her eyebrows then furrowed and she got back up on all four legs. "He cheated, that's what!"

"It was Discord, wasn't it?" Silver Spoon asked.

"Sort of."

"What do you mean by that?" Scootaloo asked, trotting towards Lightning Dust with a scrunched face. "Is there something you're not telling us?"

Lightning Dust shook her head at a rapid pace. "I'm telling you everything. As to the 'sort of' thing, well, it's hard to explain."

Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. "Right," she said in a sarcastic tone.

Diamond couldn't help but smile a little. Maybe Scootaloo wasn't such a moron after all. A tingling feeling then formed in the back of her head. Diamond looked at Lightning Dust and smirked. No, Scootaloo was still a moron, it was just that Lightning Dust was an even bigger moron.

"Listen, can I have that goblet?" Lightning Dust asked. She then knelt down to Diamond as though she was about to bow to her. "I really need it."

"No is no!" Diamond retorted. She wasn't going to have this trip mean nothing. Everypony knew that she was the one who should leave with the goblet. She looked over to Silver Spoon and winked at her. "It's mine. Right, Silver Spoon?"

Silver Spoon's shoulders sagged. She stared at the goblet and then shook her head. "To be fair, it belongs to none of us," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"Diamond, we're friends, but this pony needs it to repair her home."

Diamond's cheeks blushed. Did Silver Spoon just do what she thought she did? A ferocious fire lit inside of her chest as she trotted over to Silver Spoon, unable to prevent her face from scrunching like an accordion. "Have you lost your mind? Are you gullible?"

"No, but I am being a generous pony." She then turned to Lightning Dust, her lips curling into a smile. "Sorry about my friend, but I, and the three other ponies will let you have the goblet. Right?"

"Of course," said Sweetie Belle. "You need it for a good reason." Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both nodded alongside her.

"You can have the goblet."

"Awesome!" Lightning Dust jumped up and down before doing a loop in the air. She then froze and turned to Diamond with a glare and ruffled eyebrows. "Are you done being greedy yet?"

Diamond gulped, her heart lodged itself into her throat. She stared at the ponies all around her, each one with a piercing gaze. She looked to Silver Spoon, then to the goblet, and then to Lightning Dust. Diamond then rolled her eyes and groaned. Her shoulders then sagged. It wasn't worth splitting up with Silver Spoon just for a stupid goblet. What else was she going to do aside from show it off? She placed the goblet down on the grass beneath her hooves. "You can have it once you complete the deal," she said in a deep, melancholic tone. She then looked up at Lightning Dust, whose face formed a wide smile. It was enough to warm even her heart, so maybe she did the right thing after all.

"Thank you," Lightning Dust said as she took the goblet.

"I knew you could do it, Diamond Tiara," Silver Spoon said, wrapping her foreleg around Diamond.

"I never wanted the goblet to begin with," Diamond said. She then winced a little and grinned. Silver Spoon looked into her eyes and raised an eyebrow. "Okay, maybe I did."

"If you go straight through here, the path will take you back to the outskirts of Ponyville," said Lightning Dust, pointing in the direction the fillies needed to go to. "I'm at one of the hotels there, so maybe we'll meet each other again." She then flapped her wings and hovered above the ground. "I'm selling it to somepony in Canterlot, and then my home can finally be repaired." She then took off into the sky, the boom enough to cause the five fillies to cover their ears and cringe. A sharp pain entered Diamond's ears, which then dissipated as she saw Lightning Dust become a smaller speck in the sky.

"Let's head on home," said Silver Spoon. "I can take the two books back to my home, so just drop them off with me when we get to my house."

Diamond nodded. "Got it." She then turned to the Cutie Mark Crusaders, all with grins on their faces and relaxed postures. As she stared at them, a sudden thought popped into her mind. What if she could befriend them by impressing them? They did plan on seeing Celestia in Canterlot and the trains that went there weren't the most luxurious things out there. But she had something that could drop their jaws, something that would make them want to go on more adventures with her. All she needed to do was pull a few strings.

Comments

[OmniFox]

Is the reason why Silver Spoon so smart and intelligence is because she has a crush on a certain baby dragon?

[NobleValor]

Seems too easy. I mean yes, that goblet has gold and jewels and such to it, but I bet there's more to it than that.