The Silver Standard

by PatchworkPoltergeist

Cutie Mark Mania & The Tarnish of Youth

Silver Spoon peeked into her saddlebag for another inventory check. Fifteen paper bags crowded against each other, all labeled and categorized by color and potency. It would be better to have individual bags for each type of flower petal, but Roseluck said she didn’t have that many bags to spare, so it was three to a bag.

“Sheesh, Silvie.” Diamond Tiara’s nose crinkled at the powerful aroma. “What’d you do, buy the whole stand?”

“Of course not. I didn’t get any passionflower, since there’s plenty in the pantry already.” She frowned, wondering if they had enough jars for forty-five types of petals. “But maybe if I got less they wouldn’t be all mixed together like this. Ugh, I’ll have to sort them all out by hoof.” Silver took a quick whiff for herself. Good thing she didn’t mind her saddlebag smelling like a flower shop. It smelled pretty nice, actually. She tilted her ears in thought. Maybe mixing them up wasn’t such a bad idea.

She slowed to a stop. “It’s like I have ready-made tea blends. Like jasmine-anise-rose, maybe.” Her little smile spread into a grin. “Or ginger-hibiscus-sunflower!”

“Uh-huh.” Diamond stepped to the side, but not fast enough to keep Silver from grabbing her shoulders and squeezing close. The pink filly rolled her eyes and sighed.

“Oh! Or lavender-daisy-dandelion! Carnation-lilac-honeysuckle! Bluebell-baby’s breath-begonias!” She closed her bag, swooning into the market like a lovesick ingénue in one of Mother’s operas. “Oh Diamond, the possibilities are endless! They’re, like, totally, absolutely endless!”

Diamond wiggled out of Silver’s grip, smoothing back her mane. “Sure you don’t want to go back and buy out the herbalist, too?”

Silver Spoon paused in mid-swoon, hooves still over her chest. “Now that you mention it…”

“I was kidding.”

“Maybe we should go back for more peppermint. I mean, I have some at home but what if we run out?” Silver glanced towards Cardamom’s stand. “If Twist comes by for tea, she’ll want peppermint and if I don’t have any it’ll look totally rude.”

“Kidding, Silver Spoon.” Diamond Tiara grabbed Silver’s head and forcibly turned it back to the path. The summer heat turned her face a hotter shade of pink. “Look, are we done yet? I finished my geraniums forever ago and I’d like to get to Sugarcube Corner sometime today and not next year.”

She had a point. They’d left at high noon and now it had to be close to three. Maybe it’d be best to wrap it up. “Just one more stop, okay?”

Diamond grunted, dragging her hooves in the dirt several steps behind Silver’s skipping canter. The powertrot dissolved hours ago. Her ears sunk against her wilted, sweaty mane. She hadn’t smiled all day.

Yeah, better make this quick. Silver scanned the market for the cart. She knew it wasn’t too far from Sugarcube Corner and the cart should still be open, so it had to be somewhere around… there! Silver Spoon picked up the pace. The sooner she got there, the sooner they’d finish.

Diamond Tiara squinted as if she were seeing things. “Apples?” She frowned at the mare in the cowboy hat and her rows of redstreaks and golden russets. A familiar tacky bow hovered behind an apple barrel. “I thought you were getting stuff for tea. And since when do you even like apples? You said they taste weird.”

“The green ones taste weird. That’s why I want red ones.” Plus, red ones were prettier. Silver rose to her hind legs to scope out the apples. Bright, shiny peels on all of them—good candidates.

“Well, hey there, you two!” Apple Bloom’s sister (Apple… jack, wasn’t it?) finished counting out Mr. Breezy’s change and smiled down at them. “How’s yer daddy doin’ these days, Diamond Tiara?”

“Fine.” Di slouched against the stand, shutting down the conversation before it could start.

Silver flicked an ear. Weren’t the Apples friends of the family? It seemed bad manners to not at least fake niceties. Maybe their families were too close for it to be a problem.

Applejack didn’t seem too bothered by it. “So, what can I do ya for? Ya’ll lookin’ for Apple Bloom?”

Apple Bloom’s head poked out from behind a wheel. She blinked at them curiously. Her big ugly bow smushed against the wooden spokes.

“Not right now,” said Silver Spoon. “I’m here on business.” She sniffed at her round red reflection in the redstreaks. “How are your skins?”

Applejack looked at her coat in confusion. “Uh.”

“I mean the skins on your apples. Do you have any? Or can you peel some for me?” Silver tapped her hooves on the apple barrel in anticipation. “I’m going to make tea with them!”

Diamond hunched her shoulders. “Hmph. You’d think we’d go to a tea store for tea but nooo, not us, we gotta go all over Equestria. Surprised we didn’t go into the Everfree Forest…” Her blue eyes glinted dangerously at the shadow hovering at her hooves. “Have a nice time at your other party, Bloom?”

Apple Bloom ducked back behind the wheel.

“Oh, I already did that.” Silver Spoon rolled an apple between her hooves, smiling down at her friend. “The first thing we did after the slumber party was visit Miss Tealove’s new place—did you know she’s opening a Ponyville shop, like the one in Canterlot?—and Father got me one of everything. He got me some infusers, too, and a tea set that came all the way from Neighpon! Did you know they have their own special rules for tea there, too? There’s even ceremonies.”

“No, Silver Spoon,” sighed Diamond Tiara. “I didn’t.”

“And besides Neighpon, there was tea from Trottingham and Zebrabwe and… a lot more.” She rested on the cart, her hoof pressed against her cheek. “So many varieties, it’s hard to keep track, and that’s not even counting the herbal teas. You can make herbal teas from just about everything, like fruits and flowers… I mentioned the flowers, right, Di?”

“Only about fifty times.”

“Tealove says she can be my mentor in a few months when she’s done setting up our schedules. She knows so much about tea parties—way more than me—and she’s so nice and always polite. I never met anypony else that knew all the rules about what to do with your tail at afternoon tea.” Silver buried her face in her hooves, squeaking like an excitable dormouse. “There’s so much to learn!”

“Mmhm. The ol’ cutie mark craziness.” Applejack tipped back her hat, looking down at her with a nostalgic sigh. “When I first got my cutie mark, why I couldn’t leave nothin’ on Sweet Apple Acres well enough alone. Just wanted t’get in everythin’ and do everythin’ about apples and apple farmin’.” She chuckled and winked at Silver Spoon. “Feels like you gone plumb crazy with happy, don’t it?”

That was a coarser choice of words than Silver would’ve liked (what did plums have to do with it?), but she nodded anyway. “It feels…”

She searched for the word. It didn’t just feel happy or exciting; this wasn’t like a roller coaster or getting a new kettle. It didn’t feel new, either. It felt old; something always there, something she’d always been… but better. A cutie mark polished off the tarnish of youth to reveal the shining young mare underneath.

“It feels correct,” Silver Spoon told her.

“What, so it was wrong before?” The tip of Diamond’s tail twitched, her voice lilting a deceptive sweetness. “Not good enough?”

Silver blinked. That tone of voice was supposed to be for ponies like Berry Pinch and Twist. “Um. Not really.” She must have misstepped. “I just mean it feels… better?”

Diamond Tiara’s eyes narrowed.

“In…vigorating?”

Diamond pinned her ears.

“It’s more, er…” Each word dug Silver deeper, and she couldn’t think of a polite dodge. Not one that would work, anyway. “Having a cutie mark is…”

“It’s the best!” cried somepony.

Above them, Cotton Cloudy bounced along the apple cart’s awning, buzzing like a hummingbird. She giggled and fluttered down for a soft landing, wings splayed to flaunt the little grey cloud on her white flank. “Check it out!”

Saved. “Congratulations, Cotton.” Silver made a mental note to give Cotton a really good cuteceañera present. “What’s it for?”

“Rainstorms!” Cotton Cloudy twisted to get a good look at her flank, but it ended up as chasing her tail. “I was just helping my mom and dad put the clouds together for the big storm today and I said ‘We should move those nimbuses to the right’ but nopony was ‘round to do it so I arranged ‘em myself and this appeared!”

It made sense Cotton was the first pegasus their age to get a cutie mark; Featherweight said she’d been first to fly, too. A perfectly acceptable filly to associate with. Perhaps Silver could invite her to tea later.

“Oh, wow, Cotton!” Apple Bloom popped out from behind the wheel, circling Cotton like a dog looking for a place to lie down. “That’s so amazin’! Can I touch it?” Even though Cotton Cloudy never said yes, Apple Bloom poked the cloud with her hoof anyway. A light touch, as if she suspected the new mark could smear.

Silver Spoon stepped back, guarding her own cutie mark in case Apple Bloom got bright ideas about touching other ponies’ flanks with those dirty, chipped hooves of hers.

“Yeah.” Diamond shrugged. “S’okay, I guess.”

“Y’all are growin’ up so fast.” Applejack shook her head with a laugh. “Why, just the other day, Snips an’ Snails came rushing past here with brand new cutie marks, too. And Carrot Top tells me lil’ Peachy Pie just got hers at camp.”

Diamond Tiara’s ears pricked.

“Heh, wouldn’t be surprised if you had yer own cutie mark before too long, Apple Bloom.” Applejack ruffled her little sister’s hair, making the bow go all lopsided. Apple Bloom grinned under a mop of red mane.

Cotton’s tail playfully flicked Silver’s shoulder. “Silver Spoon got hers first, so now everypony wants one.”

“Mmhm, that’s city ponies for you,” said Applejack. “Gotta be trendy with everything.”

Before Silver could answer, Diamond Tiara pushed between them. “Are we gonna get anything or are we just gonna hang around and talk about butt symbols? Maybe you didn’t notice, but it’s a million degrees outside. I’m gonna get sunburned!”

The pink filly whirled on Cotton. “And if you’re such a big-shot weatherpony now, why can’t you make it not so hot?”

“Oh, that’s right.” Cotton went aloft in one smooth stroke. “Applejack, Medley sent me to ask if you can help pull down some branches and stuff so the storm won’t blow all over the place. She says it’s gonna be a big one.”

“Tell her I’ll be comin’ along soon as I’m done here.” Applejack leaned over the barrel. “’Fraid there’s no peels for you, Silver, but I can still sell you some fine apples.”

“Why don’t ya just peel ‘em yourself?” piped Apple Bloom, though nopony was speaking to her. “It’ll be fresher that way. Besides, it’s your tea, so you should be the one peelin’.”

“Hmm.” Bloom had a point, though peeling apples really sounded like something Brass Tacks was supposed to do.

Diamond Tiara tapped her hoof.

“Just make it two apples for now.” Silver swept the apples into her bag, tossed out five bits, and let the farmer keep the change. “Okay, let’s get to Sugarcube—” She turned to find her friend slogging in the opposite direction. “Corner? Hey, Di?”

“I don’t feel like Sugarcube Corner anymore. Let’s just go back to your place.”

“But it’s just a few feet away.” They could see the cupcakes and candy cane banister through the window. At the register, Snips and Snails fell over each other, probably trying to see all the candy and place an order at the same time. Dorks. “Are you sure?”

Diamond Tiara drew her lips tight and picked up the pace. “Positive.”

---

Blue eyes peeped over the Battleclouds board. “Who’s it from?” Diamond looked back to the board and flicked a game piece. “S-17, by the way.”

“Miss.” A very near miss. One square from Silver’s gull.

The blue and white envelope smelled of hoof polish and perfume. In the return address was a pair of linked horseshoes. “Looks like Miss Shoeshine. C-11.”

“You stomped my cirrus.” Diamond watched the letter opener slice the sides to avoid the teacup seal. Out fell a glossy black card with gold trim and lettering. “Since when does Shoeshine use fancy stationery? She just sends Dad boring white ones.”

“Since now, I guess.” Inside, curly mouthwriting congratulated Silver on discovering her talent, growing into a lady…futures…horizons…proud of you, blah blah blah. Same as all the others. The half-off coupon for new shoes was nice, though. It joined the flock of cards on Silver’s dresser, next to the one from Twist and Bon Bon.

Diamond kept her eyes on the board. “Hm. C-9.”

“Miss.”

“Are you sure it’s a miss?” The tip of Diamond’s tail swished across Silver’s hooves. One pink ear cocked left as her neck reached around the board. “I wanna check.”

Silver pulled her board close and frowned. “You can’t. You’ll see where all my clouds and stuff are. It’s a miss.”

Diamond’s cheeks puffed like balloons. “Knew I shoulda brought my Oligarchy board…” Her eyes slid to the fish tank. Ferdinand weaved in and out of the turrets of his new castle, a present from Fluttershy the last time Silver dropped by to get fish food. Blue fins swished over the teaspoon emblem. “It’s a special edition, you know.”

“I know,” Silver said.

“With gold lettering and game pieces and platinum stables. The board’s imported wood and it came with an authenticity certificate. There’s only forty of them in the whole world.”

“I know. We played it last time I was at your house, remember?” And the time before that. And before that.

In fact, since the slumber party, Diamond hadn’t wanted to do much else. She’d won every game. Silver shouldn’t have taken so long getting tea stuff; Sugarcube Corner would have been a welcome change of pace. The same walls day in and day out got old fast.

“It’s so much better than Battleclouds. You actually need, like, skill, you know? No offense, Battleclouds is cute and all, but it’s all luck. Anypony can win with luck, but it’s whatever. If that’s what you’re into, fine.” Diamond rubbed the back of her neck with a sigh. She leaned back in her white chair and blinked at the rows of cards. “…Are you really sure it’s a miss?”

Silver Spoon double-checked Cloud fifty-two, a bright blue square of nothing flanked by more blue squares of nothing. “Positive.”

“Hm. Some ponies are just lucky I guess.” Her eyes never left the dresser.

Silver motioned to the lines of cuteceañera cards. “You want to see? I have one from everypony in class except Snails.” Snails and one other foal.

Diamond Tiara sank into the cushion, her mouth tipping down and down into a perfect little frown.

“So… no?”

“Who wants to sit around and look at a bunch of cardboard from ponies too cheap to send a real present? So lame.”

Silver tapped her forehooves together. “I was just wondering.”

“And now you’re not. Can we just get back to the game?”

“You were the one looking at them, I just thought—”

“I don’t even know what the big deal is. Everypony gets a cutie mark eventually. And who sends cards by mail?” Diamond’s ears pricked in thought. She sat up. “They should be giving you those at your cuteceañera, right?”

Silver Spoon glanced away, suddenly quite interested in her game pieces’ paintjobs. “You’re right... they’re just dumb old cards. Let’s get back to the game. S-13.”

Diamond Tiara didn’t hear her. “Come to think of it, you got your cutie mark two weeks ago… you should have had your party already, right?” She frowned. “Are you not having one?”

This was a very fine game board. Under the new paint, the pieces seemed a bit old, perhaps an antique? Perhaps Father could appraise it to check. Silver Spoon felt Diamond’s eyes on her. “Still having one.”

“Oh, good. Hate for my new saddle to go to waste. I guess it’s just really exclusive.”

Silver’s tail curled over her flank. “Very exclusive. It’s, um… this Wednesday. In Canterlot.”

Waiting until the last minute was so rude, but with all her excitement over tea, she’d forgotten and never found the time to bring it up before. She gulped and looked up, bracing for the worst.

It was worse than she thought. Diamond was smiling.

“Wow, I bet the best ponies are gonna be there, like celebrities and noblemares. I’ve never been to Canterlot before.” She paused. “Well, I have, but... I was just too busy to mingle, you know? Daddy and I are very busy ponies. When are we leaving?”

“Yeah, um. About that.” For a moment, Silver considered bolting from the house and dragging Mother from her voice lessons to ask again. But Mother had been quite clear on the prospect.

“What sort of plus-one?”

“Diamond Tiara, Mother.”

Mother looked up. “Who?”

“My friend, Diamond Tiara. I was at her slumber party, remember? She’s pink and her father runs that big store?”

“Mm. The loud little prima donna.” She turned back to her breakfast. “No, dear. Not this time.”

She could wire Father and ask him, but after the move from Manehattan, Father was in no hurry to break tradition.

Diamond Tiara’s smile vanished. She was no idiot.

“Di…” Just do it fast, like ripping off a bandage. “You’re not invited to the cuteceañera, I’mreallysorry!”

Diamond blinked. Her ears waved gently, as if she understood those individual words but not in that order. She chuckled under her breath. “That’s so weird... for a sec I thought you said I couldn’t come.” She chuckled again, waiting for Silver’s laugh to join her.

The overcast sky made Silver’s room feel unnaturally bright for four in the afternoon. Trees rustled by the window. Ferdinand’s tank bubbled. Diamond’s chuckle dried up.

“My parents said it’s just the Silver family. Nopony else.”

Still, she could have sworn Mother and Father cleared Wondermint when they spoke of future cuteceañeras last year. And wasn’t Golden Gavel at Silver Spade’s cuteceañera a few years ago? Maybe she misremembered.

“I’m really sorry, Di.” Silver Spoon flattened her ears.

Diamond’s chin shook. “But you said—”

“I know. I shouldn’t have.”

Diamond Tiara’s mouth twitched, but she didn’t say anything after that.

Silver Spoon had no idea Diamond Tiara could get that quiet. Most days she did more than enough talking for the both of them, with plenty of words left over, some never said aloud. Di had a way of speaking loud and clear without ever opening her mouth, and Silver always heard her.

Sliver’s tail curled tighter. She heard nothing now. “I’ll just be gone a couple days.” They should have played Oligarchy after all. “You know, Snips and Snails got their marks a little while ago. So did Cotton.”

“And?” The edge in her voice sliced through bone. No mistake of the message boiling underneath: Quit while you’re ahead.

But Silver had been so rude already; she had to at least try to fix it. At least Diamond sounded like herself again. That was good, right? “And I was thinking since their mark mitzvah’s around the same time, maybe—”

The chair toppled with a sharp, wooden smack. “Maybe what?!” Diamond’s hooves slammed the cherrywood table. She loomed on two legs, strands of corkscrewed mane dragging along the edge of the board. “Maybe you’d just pawn me off on some other two-bit cutie mark party? You think I’m just so heartbroken ‘cause I don’t get to fawn over somepony’s butt?” A snap of her neck flicked her mane back into place. “Please.”

Silver Spoon shrank behind the board. “Di, come on.”

“Come on, what? You’re the one that can’t shut up about tea and cutie marks. What, you expect me to cry just ‘cause I can’t go to your dumb old cuteceañera?” The twitch at her mouth curdled into a sneer. “Get over yourself.” Her scoff wobbled.

Diamond dragged the chair back up and fell into it with a hard thump. She jammed a peg into the board. “S-5.”

“I thought…” Silver wiped her lenses and took a breath to steady herself. “I just thought I’d suggest other plans for the weekend.” She tried to smile. “It can get kinda boring around here, you know?”

“There’s other ponies here besides you, Silver. I spent nine years here without you already. I’ll live.” She folded her hooves and flicked the table with her tail. “We playing Battleclouds or not?”

“We are.” Silver Spoon stared at the wood grain, up at Diamond’s steely scowl, and back to the board. “Um… what was the last move you made?”

“Sky five.”

A shot into the clear blue, five squares from the nearest cloud.

Silver shrugged with a sad little smile. “Aw, darn. You burned my cumulus. Guess your luck’s turning around.”

Diamond’s hoof tapped out the seconds on the tablecloth. “Is that so.”

The little smile wobbled into a grin. Silver Spoon fluttered her eyelashes. “Mm-hmm.”

The wind bent into a low groan. Tree branches scraped against the windowpane. Silver found herself grateful she’d plucked petals from the rosebushes before the storm hurt them.

“Well, lucky me.” She didn’t even blink. “Next turn’s yours.”

So it was. “Um… Cloud fifteen.”

“Hit.” The chair pushed out before the words left Silver’s lips. “You downed my battlecloud, Silver. You win. Congratulations.” Diamond swung her saddlebag over her shoulder and turned for the door. “I gotta go.”

Silver trailed behind, tail dragging along the carpet. “Already?”

“Yeah, but my dad wants me to, like… do stuff.”

“Stuff?”

“He’s been on this father-daughter kick since Berry doomed Equestria.” Diamond glanced at the dark window as she turned the knob. “Besides, I should get back before the rain.”

“Oh,” said Silver Spoon. “Okay. You wanna walk home, then? Or Brass Tacks could give a ride.”

“I’m fine.”

“Okay. See you later, then.”

“Yeah.” The door clicked shut.

Silver slumped against the table, halfheartedly picking out pegs and gathering pieces. Diamond’s game pieces sagged out of their pegs, twisting lopsided and upside down. Her last battlecloud, a wispy stratus, popped out with a slight touch.

The coordinates read “C-10”. Cloud fifteen was an empty patch of blue sky.

---

Long ago, it became apparent to Silver Spoon that all offices smelled the same. It didn’t matter if it was for the headmistress, a CEO, or a nine-to-five pencil pusher. A home office, as it turned out, was no exception. Nice to know some things never changed.

She nudged the door open. “Hello? Is anypony in here?”

Mr. Filthy Rich peered out from behind the mountain of papers, notepads, binders, and files, a fountain pen between his teeth. Encompassed by shelves, paperwork, and little golf trophies, he seemed different than what Silver remembered.

He didn’t have his tie on, maybe that was it. Or it was because his mane lay loose and natural today, with a curl and a slight frizz that made him look kind of like a lion. Adults had a way of being different ponies in different places, like how Father never talked much at Granddad Silver Tongue’s house, or when Berry Pinch’s mom got loud and smelly at parties.

Mr. Rich tilted an ear and blinked at her; he seemed surprised. “Morning, Silver Spoon. Something I can do for you?”

“Good morning, Mister Rich. Um, I was just passing by and was wondering…” It might have been politer to just wait at home and let her make the first move instead. But it had been over a week already… maybe she just didn’t know Silver was back. Or was sick. Plenty of reasonable explanations, no need to get worked up. Just ask. “Can Diamond Tiara come out and play?”

Mr. Rich’s bushy eyebrows lifted. He put down his pen.

Maybe Diamond got grounded while Silver was away. “If she can’t play, can I just go up for a second and say hi? I got back from Canterlot a little while ago, and I wanted to thank her for my cuteceañera present.” She touched the string of pearls at her neck. Their light blue sheen complemented Silver’s coat and glasses so well she couldn’t imagine how she’d gone so long without them. Father verified them as Aquastrian imports, very rare. “It came in the mail yesterday.”

“Yesterday, you said?” Mr. Rich frowned. “Huh, I thought we sent that out weeks ago… must’ve got lost in the mail. Anyhow, I’m afraid Diamond Tiara’s not in right now, Sil.”

“Do you know when she’ll be back?”

“Oh, not for a few weeks at least. Diamond’s in Applewood, getting ready for nationals with her coach and visiting her mom. I thought you knew.” He rubbed his chin, leaning forward and accidentally toppling a small tower of files. He managed to catch them with his hooves before they scattered across the rug. “Actually, I figured she was taking you along. She’s always goin’ on about how good you are to have around.”

“Not lately, I’ll bet.” Silver slumped against the doorframe, staring at the tasteful rug. She glanced up as Mr. Rich rose from his desk and made his way across the room. “She’s mad at me.”

Filthy Rich’s booming laugh shook his shoulders. “At you? Hogwash!”

Silver’s ears sagged and she didn’t laugh at all.

“Just because she didn’t take you along doesn’t mean she’s mad at you. You know she didn’t even want me along this time?” He glanced at the row of perfectly-posed Diamond Tiara photos on his desk. “I thought she’d practice here and wait until pageant week so we could leave together, when my vacation started.”

Mr. Rich tried to slick back his mane, but without any pomade, it just popped up again. After a couple more feeble attempts, he gave up. “She wanted to get to work right away, said she wouldn’t start without her coach. Practically jumped in the cab last Wednesday and almost forgot her lucky scrunchie. I’ve never seen her so focused.”

Wednesday. During Silver’s cuteceañera. She sat on the stiff, fringed rug and sighed. “She hates me.”

Mr. Rich snorted. “Diamond’s nuts about you, Silver Spoon. She dragged us around for three hours in Karats’ picking out those pearls.”

Silver lifted the necklace with her hoof. Perfect heft: not heavy, but dense enough to feel. That was how Father knew they were authentic. “With all due respect, Mr. Rich, that was then and this is now.”

At Wisteria, allegiances turned on a dime and Silver knew the signs. “The last times we hung out, she didn’t want to talk to me at all. She wouldn’t let Tacks drive her home and got mad whenever I talked about… well, anything. And when I tried to make it better—”

“It just got worse?” Mr. Rich sighed and kneeled to meet her at eye level. Adults only did that before they either said something important, or something patronizing. Usually both.

“Silver, listen.”

Definitely both.

“Diamond Tiara can get a little… tense when a pageant’s coming up. She wants everything to be perfect, herself most of all. Trouble is, nopony’s perfect and nopony wins all the time.” In a blink, his ears went stiff and his voice darkened. “Despite what other ponies might tell her.”

“But I knew fillies who went to beauty pageants all the time,” Silver said. “None of them ever acted like this.” Taffeta was the complete opposite: obnoxiously happy and loud.

“Not everypony reacts the same way, Silver. Especially not when they’re nervous.” Mr. Rich ran his hooves through his mane again. The tired look came back to his face. “And when Diamond’s nervous, it comes out looking like anger… or worse. But it’s not you she’s mad at, Silver Spoon. I guarantee it.”

The blue pearls rolled in the hollow of Silver’s hoof. She glanced at the spoon on her flank. Not for the first time, she considered wearing a skirt. “You really think she doesn’t hate me?”

“Kid, if she hated you, even the diamond dogs would know it.” Filthy Rich glanced at the necklace, chuckling under his breath. “And for six hundred bits, she better not.”

---

Silver frowned at the rock pile. The tasteful arrangement of white limestone broke up the great green sprawl that was the Rich estate lawn, and its flat blocks formed convenient stairs. She’d have a better view up there… along with chipped hoof polish and scuffed shoes. Presuming the blazing stone didn’t roast her hooves first.

Silver Spoon paused at the sound of hoofbeats, but didn’t turn to look. The pace dawdled and meandered on the road, not the steady clip-clop of a cabpony. It wasn’t them.

“Whatever,” she sighed. “I’ll just get a hooficure later.” Silver wiped the sweat from her neck, gripped her parasol between her teeth, and made the climb. On tiphoof, she barely saw over the horizon’s edge. Still nothing.

Diamond would have been here hours ago if this stupid town had a train station. Train stations had shade and benches and fans. Manehattan had shade all over the place. A little crowd of small-town dawdlers broke over the horizon, chittering amongst themselves. Silver laid back her ears with a huff. “How’s a carriage supposed to get through all this traffic? Gotta be like ten ponies out there, this is an outrage. This town is so dumb.” Silver cringed, hopping from hoof to hoof. “And why does it have to be so hot?”

Another voice piped, “Because we don’t get rain until next week?” The Dink stood at the edge of the lawn, a big pink inner tube hanging from her neck and a white spot of suntan lotion on her nose. Featherweight, Truffle Shuffle, and Rumble stood to her left. On the right, Sunny Daze peeked out from behind her brother, Shady Daze.

Silver crouched to pop open her lace parasol. She twirled it over her shoulder, casting filigree shadows over the rock. “Could still use some breeze now and then.”

“I guess. Anyway, we’re all going to the swimming hole.” Dinky smiled. “Wanna come with?”

Silver Spoon shook her head.

Sunny Daze frowned. Something seemed off about her today, but Silver couldn’t tell what. “Why not?”

Because stuff’s only worth attending if the right ponies come. And when Silver was with Diamond, that meant the right ponies did. Besides, Diamond had a pool. A pool was much better than a swimming hole full of algae and fish poop.

The Dink spun the tube around her neck. “You sure, Spoons? We’re gonna swim and look for the lake monster.”

“It can’t be a lake monster if there’s no lake,” Featherweight pointed out. “It’s a pond monster.”

“The point is, it’s a monster.”

Silver’s voice took an edge. “No thanks.” How was she supposed to listen for the carriage with all this talking? “I’m busy.”

Dinky shrugged. “Eh, suit yourself.”

Sunny paused as the crowd pulled away. “Don’t those rocks hurt your hooves? How come you don’t come down?”

“I want to see.”

“See what?”

“The carriage.” Silver nudged up her sunglasses, sparing the yellow filly a glance. “Diamond Tiara’s coming back today. She’s been gone all month.”

“Oh.” Sunny Daze stepped onto the lawn and grew quiet. Her tail flicked over the manicured grass. The thrum of cicadas echoed through the faraway trees. “My friend’s gone, too.”

Silver Spoon looked down. Indeed, Sunny was alone. No bright orange mane at her shoulder, no syrupy voice finishing her sentences, nopony holding her hoof. It was like looking at half a pony.

“I could wait with you,” Sunny whispered. “If it’s okay.”

Silver glanced at Shady Daze, who was busy laughing with Rumble and Dink. Sunny’s older brother didn’t even bother to look back.

“Fine. Just don’t be too loud.” Her voice muffled as she took the parasol handle in her teeth. Silver Spoon pulled her forehoof from the limestone with a hiss. Her shoes burned like four mini-furnaces. She hopped back into the cool grass. “I want to hear the carriage.”

“Okay.” The yellow filly crept into the parasol’s shade, staring at the teaspoon handle. Her eyes trailed to Silver’s flank. “Did you get that at your cuteceañera?” she whispered. “It’s pretty.”

“I know.”

“I wonder if Peachy Pie’s gonna get anything neat like that with peaches on it.”

The bits Auntie Silver Frames spent on this custom lace parasol could put a pony through a semester of fourth-tier university. “Yeah.” Silver rolled her eyes. “Can’t wait to see peaches sewn on her old burlap saddlebag.”

“Me neither!” Twenty seconds before Sunny forgot the quiet rule. Point to her, that was longer than expected. “Peachy got her cutie mark at camp; she’s been sending me lots of letters and pictures and stuff.”

Silver crossed her forelegs and sat higher to see more horizon. And I’m supposed to care because?

“See, there was this peach tree there and the tree got sick but then Peachy Pie pulled some weeds and spread some stuff around and gave it water until the peach tree got better and made some peaches and everypony ate the peaches in a cobbler!” Sunny Daze panted, out of breath and a big smile on her face. “Peachy Pie’s so talented, Silver Spoon.” The smile dimmed away. Her ears sagged. “…I w-wish I was talented.”

Sunny’s lower lip trembled. She sniffled with a little whimper.

It was too hot for this nonsense. Silver wrapped her tail out of range of snot and tears, and fixed the filly with a stare. “If you start crying, you can’t sit with me. You’re too loud.”

“S-sorry, Silver Spoon.”

“Don’t be sorry, just stop doing it.” Silver Spoon lashed her tail. Somewhere in the distance, a mockingbird called. “Everypony gets a talent. Don’t even know why you’re making such a fuss about it.”

“I dunno. I was just thinking…” Sunny chewed her lip. “What if Peachy Pie comes back different or doesn’t like me anymore?”

“Make it work or make new friends.” Silver glanced back. Sunny’s annoying milksop face blinked at her with big blue eyes. “Ugh. How am I supposed to know? Cutie marks aren’t that big a deal, Sunny Daze, sheesh. Peachy won’t be a new pony because she’s got a mark, she’ll just be really excited about pear trees.”

“Peach trees.”

“Whatever.”

“Maybe you’re right, Silver Spoon.” Sunny Daze wiped her sweaty nose and sat up.

Of course I am. Silver Spoon’s ears pricked. Over the mockingbirds and cicadas, she heard hoofbeats. Smooth, focused hoofbeats… and wheels. She rose to her hooves.

The smile returned to Sunny’s face. “After all, Diamond Tiara doesn’t have a cutie mark and nothing changed between you guys, right?”

A yellow cab roof blazed bright in the afternoon sunshine. Silver huddled against the parasol handle. Her heart tried to crawl into her throat, tea-laden talks and Battleclouds memories along for the ride.

A few feet away, Randolph stepped out of the gates pushing along a dolly. “Oh, I think I see it!” said Sunny Daze somewhere in the background. Silver hardly registered it.

Gravel crunched under the carriage wheels as the cab squeaked to a stop. The doors clicked open.

Silver’s stomach dropped a centimeter.

What if Mr. Rich was wrong? What if Diamond never stopped being mad? Could her social standing weather it? Would she need to start climbing the social ladder all over again? Maybe Diamond wanted her necklace back and Silver would have to go back to solo tea parties, but it wasn’t a party with just one pony and tea parties were her special talent, so did that mean—

Diamond Tiara’s head popped out of the door, practically sparkling. “Hi, Silver Spoon!”

“Hey, Di.” It had been so long since Diamond smiled, Silver had almost forgotten what it looked like. The smile was contagious. For a stupidly long, yet incredibly short moment, Silver felt like the silliest pony in the world.

A blue satin cape shimmered on Diamond Tiara’s shoulders, the edges embroidered with interlocking white roses. On the other side of the cab, Mr. Rich helped Randolph load out a platinum cup big enough to fit three fillies and their dog.

Silver raised her sunglasses. “You took Nationals with no mercy, I see.”

“Like there was any doubt. Still, I tried not to make the competition cry too hard.”

The steel tiara atop Diamond’s mane gleamed like a sword. Small but sturdy, it reminded Silver of the steel beams that held up Manehattan for generations. Little diamond and aquamarine studs sparkled at the top; truly a quality piece.

Diamond Tiara leaned on Silver’s shoulder and sighed, “Poor things never stood a chance. I like, almost felt bad for them, you know?” She wiped away a pretend tear. “Just how could they compete...” In a flourish of hot summer air and sequins, the satin whipped away to reveal a blue tiara upon her flank. “When the best filly gets her cutie mark in the final round?!”

“Nice!” Silver high-hoofed her up high, then down low, east-Manehattan style; a little something she’d taught Diamond the first week they’d met. “It totally matches you!”

“It does, doesn’t it?” She twitched her tail, still stiff from the hairspray. “I got it because I’m a winner, and I’m a winner because I’m the best.” Never one to pass up an audience, Diamond tilted her head towards Sunny. “You know why I’m the best?”

Sunny tilted her head. “Um. Money?”

“Wrong.” Diamond’s dressage canter returned in full force, circling the yellow filly with a smooth and speedy high-step. “It’s because when other fillies stop practice at eight, I go ‘till midnight. When they say it’s lunchtime, I say it’s crunchtime. Winning takes work and willpower.”

“And look, we match now!” Silver curled her tail and pressed their flanks together. “Two perfect cutie marks for two perfect little ponies.”

“Better than perfect. We’re us.” Diamond grinned with all her teeth. “Just older.”

Silver nodded. “Smarter.”

They jumped up for another high-hoof. “Better!”

“Wait…” Sunny Daze waggled her ears, frowning. “I thought you said cutie marks weren’t a big deal.”

“I did not! What a stupid thing to say.” Silver waved her off with a flick of the tail. “You must have imagined it.”

Sunny blinked. “But—”

Silver’s frown cut off Sunny’s blabber. “I remember when I was a little blank flank, making up stories and junk. Then I grew up.” She blinked slowly. “Weren’t you going to the swimming hole?”

“Oh, right… yeah.” Sunny Daze shuffled her hooves. “My brother’s probably looking for me.”

Diamond lifted an eyebrow as Sunny trailed away. “Blank flanks, go fig.” She glanced down and pointed. “Oh, hey! You’re wearing the necklace I got you!”

“It came right after we came back from Canterlot and I haven’t taken it off since. Thanks, by the way.”

Randolph gently cut between them, wheeling the trophy and a small mountain of pink and purple luggage. Diamond untied her cape and tossed it in the winner’s cup as it passed. “Hang that up somewhere nice, okay?”

“Did you do anything fun in Applewood?” asked Silver Spoon. She fetched her parasol from the lawn and propped it against her shoulder. “Besides pageant stuff, I mean. Meet any celebrities?”

Diamond Tiara shook her head. “No time. Mom and my coach took me shopping, but that was business. When Dad showed up, he talked about going on a tour or to a spa… something about de-stressing. We never got around to it, though.” She stepped into the parasol’s shade, the steel tiara wobbling with her movement. Diamond nudged it deeper in her mane. “Winners don’t get crowns by slacking off.”

“Couldn’t you have gone after the pageant?”

“Coach Razzle had to go back home and Mom and Dad were…” She rubbed her shoulder and shrugged. “We just didn’t get around to it. Anyway, how was Canterlot? I bet you got to see a lot of stuff, right? Was Celestia’s castle as fancy as the pictures? Did you see her?”

“I didn’t really see it.” Silver Spoon vaguely remembered seeing the architecture and some royal guards when the carriage passed it. It seemed nice enough, from what Silver saw between the topiaries.

“Oh.”

“I told you Di, it’s just a family cuteceañera. Just Silvers and Silver stuff. Aunt Frames introduced me to her friend Fancy Pants, though. He’s a very important pony.” Silver Spoon had never heard of Mr. Pants before, but Auntie said he was very important, so he must have been.

“We just stuck around Silver Tongue Estate, since that’s where the family tree is.” Silver Spoon closed her eyes and sighed at the memory of her own little teaspoon engraved below Father’s laurel and Auntie’s picture frame. A real Silver at last.

The parasol’s lacy edges flickered in the summer breeze. That should have made it cooler, but it just shoveled warm air around. It was far too hot and sweaty out here for fillies of their caliber. They made their way into Diamond’s house.

“Hm. I was gonna have a Canterlot cuteceañera, too, you know. With clowns and acrobats and—and an elephant.” Diamond spread out her hooves to gesture an elephant’s size, as if Silver had forgotten. “I had it all planned out. It was gonna be epic!”

Silver Spoon leaned into the cool breeze of ceiling fans as they entered, sighing at the smooth, chill marble underhoof. Oh, beautiful indoors, I’ll never leave you again. She paused to see the trophy room, its violet walls coated in plaques, posters, diplomas, and a single golden golf club hanging above the window. Inside, Randolph and Mr. Rich rearranged the ribbons and sashes to make room for the new platinum colossus still sitting in the hall.

Diamond frowned and lowered her voice. “But when I told Dad about it, he was all like, 'No, we gotta have it here ‘cause you’ll have school', blah blah, blah. 'There’s nothing wrong with Sugarcube Corner and Pinkie Pie’s gonna get hurt feelings', blah.” She kicked over a corner of rug fringe. “S’not fair.”

Why was Di so hung up about boring old Canterlot? It was a nice city and all, and sure, Celestia lived there, but the city itself was nothing to lose sleep over. Now, a Manehattan party... that would be understandable. “I dunno, Diamond. I think I would have liked a Ponyville cuteceañera more.” She’d heard nothing but good things about Pinkie Pie’s parties.

Diamond Tiara climbed onto the wide ledge by the bay window, frowning at the thatched roofs and brick façades down the road. “Really?”

Silver nodded.

“You’re just saying stuff.” Diamond flopped down, head and hooves dangling over the ledge. The tiara dipped forward, teetering on the edge of her head. “Why would anypony want a little party when they could have a big one? What’s the point?”

“Cupcake frosting’s tastier than vinaigrette, for one.” Silver Spoon tipped the tiara back into place with her nose.

“And for another?”

“I could have invited more ponies.” Silver hopped up on the shelf and rolled on her back to see Diamond’s silly upside-down face. She nudged up her glasses to keep them from falling, her braid dragging along the carpet. “Ponies like my best friend.”

Silver’s back hoof pressed against the warm windowpane. It was way too hot to be outside. They should stay indoors and have some lemonade, maybe iced tea. She could get Brass Tacks to bring over the photo album and they could share pictures from their trips.

Then again, going outside might not be so bad. They could go for a dip in the pool, maybe even for a night swim. Were the other foals still at the pond? Truffle’s backstroke might be worth a couple of laughs… or they could prank The Dink while she was looking for that pond monster of hers.

Or they could just stay here by the window and do nothing. So maybe they didn’t have all summer vacation to hang out. They still had the rest of the weekend. The weekend was enough.

“Yeah.” A little smile flickered over Diamond’s face. “A Ponyville cuteceañera’s good, too.”

---

Diamond Tiara coiled in the middle of the Cakes’ stairwell, the perfect view to watch the world collapse in on itself as the cuteceañera partied on without her. The tip of her nose poked between the banister bars, a prisoner of her own party. She hadn’t moved or spoken in ages.

“Well. It could be worse,” lied Silver Spoon. She tried to smile, but Silver was relatively new to the art of lying without words, so ended up closer to a grimace. “I guess?”

Tactically speaking, the top of the stairs, where nopony could see, was the better spot to lick their wounds. Eyes honed on the three nasty little upstarts dancing below, Diamond Tiara let the wound fester.

“How?” The word ground between Diamond’s clenched teeth.

Silver didn’t have an answer for that. All three blank flanks earning their cutie marks at once while Diamond cut the cake would still be better than this. Silver’s ears flattened. The nerve—the outright gall—to say being blank was special... even admirable! Which, of course, meant that having cute marks wasn’t. And at somepony’s cuteceañera! Fillies got plenty of birthdays and Hearths Warmings, but a cuteceañera happened once in a lifetime.

Silver Spoon allowed herself an unladylike snort. It is beyond rude. Beyond vulgar. Beyond bad form. This… this is vile! Still, Silver couldn’t say she was too surprised. “That Scootaloo’s always had it in for us. Bet she was waiting all day to trot out that ‘endless possibilities’ junk.”

“Tch. Please.” Diamond spared Silver a side-glance and a scowl. “That loser couldn’t plan her way out a paper bag in the rain. They just got lucky.” She zeroed in on a pink bow bobbing happily through the crowd. “Or at least one of ‘em did.”

The bow stopped at one of the tables. When Silver stretched, she could barely see a small white horn and a bit of purple mane. “Hmph. Full of potential... sure full of something, alright.” Silver Spoon’s ears sank lower. Now she knew why good houses needed gates. Without them, the riffraff got pushy and forgot where they belonged. “They have no right.”

“Yeah.” Diamond Tiara pulled back from the banister and slumped against a stair. A stray blue streamer fluttered down on her tiara. “So what else is new?”

Silver stood up. She adjusted her glasses, analyzing their classmates and neighbors as they laughed and mingled through what was supposed to be Diamond’s party. Nopony looked worried or sad or even happy they were gone. It was like none of them even noticed… and it had been a whole seven minutes.

Silver Spoon spun back to Diamond, light glinting off her lenses. “We need to go back downstairs.”

“No.” Diamond kicked a stray balloon down the stairs. She tried to wave the streamers away, but they’d become tangled in tiara tiers. “I don’t want to.”

The streamers slipped off with a flick of Silver’s tail. She arched her eyebrow. “Yeah, so?”

Diamond Tiara’s glare could have melted all three ice cream cakes downstairs. It would take more than that to melt Silver.

“It’s not like before, Di. We’ve got our cutie marks; we’re mature now. More than that, we’re the best fillies this little town has to offer. We’ve got reputations to uphold, appearances to keep. What we feel doesn’t matter.” Silver clicked her tongue and flicked an ear. She heard Diamond’s name float through the crowd, and she didn’t like the sound of that tone. “We need some damage control.”

Diamond Tiara sat up and took a long look at the pile of confetti at the bottom of the stairs. The scowl dissipated into a thin, neutral line. She met Silver’s eyes.

Silver Spoon leveled her glasses. “Unless you want to let some old blank flanks telling everypony else what to think of you.”

“Hey, there you are!” Pinkie Pie vaulted over the banister, cupcake in one hoof and a party hat in the other. The hat strap snapped under Silver’s chin before she could protest. “Silly fillies, the party’s down there! Unless…”

She squinted and leaned in between them. Her mane smelled like cake batter… was that frosting on her ear? “Are you having a super-exclusive stair party?” Pinkie bopped a balloon Diamond’s way. “You know, if you wanted a party on the stairs, you coulda just asked.”

“We were just taking a party break.” Diamond caught the balloon in her hooves and bopped it back. “We were just going back. Right, Silver?”

Silver Spoon grinned. “Right.”

Comments

[ferventwilight]

A stair party. I want that for my party.

[psychicscubadiver]

6121683
You'll get a mountain of RSVPs from King Sombra.

[Hobbestc]

I had forgotten about this story. I can't stand SS & DT, but I like the story...lol.

[howard035]

I like this, we've caught up to the start of the adorabullies, now we can see how things progress from their perspective.

[Seether00]

I love the depth you've given them. DT is still intolerable though.

[Alondro]

DT and SS eventually mature... and become supervillains: The Mistress of Beeyatching and her henchpony The Skank.

[Sleepysandman]

I want to hate them... But I don't... But I do hate them, I sincerely hope they get 'solved' at some point

[Lurks-no-More]

Oh Silver Spoon, for a filly so socially adept, you can be dense at times. Good job showing Diamond Tiara's anxieties, and why her cuteacenera meant so much for her.

Loved the line about cutie mark polishing away the tarnish of youth. It was such a fitting way of seeing it!

[Norad2]

Diamond Tiara’s glare could have melted all three ice cream cakes downstairs. It would take more than that to melt Silver.

That's some slick writing right there!

[Snow]

Beyond vular

Vulgar.

[oak-tail]

Waiit, twitht is bon-bon's daughter? That makes... a lot of sense actually.

[celesteef]

She slowed to a stop. “It’s like I have ready-made tea blends. Like jasmine-anise-rose, maybe.” Her little smile spread into a grin. “Or ginger-hibiscus-sunflower!”

“Oh! Or lavender-daisy-dandelion! Carnation-lilac-honeysuckle! Bluebell-baby’s breath-begonias!”

rereading this fic and these little tea blend snippets have just fired up something in my artistic brain... they would be so fun as prompts to interpret and illustrate as character designs!! i'm doodling a ginger-hibiscus-sunflower owl griffin as i speak. totally unrelated to the fic but hey, i'm having a good time :)
i love how your writing in general is so descriptive, it helps me imagine the whole story visually and little details like this then pop out as inspiration!

[BirdsBooksBrownies]

9882621
Silver Spoon should have gotten her cutie mark in tea-making.

[ilubatar nuctemeron]

ZZZZZzzz.... :/

[PropsValroa]

As this is a story from DT and SP's perspective, it is understandable why they are the way they are. The show just makes them look bad because we were never told much about them. I really enjoy how they have evolved as characters, even if it's only a few chapters in so far, they've grown.