Dented Silver

by Manaphy

Visiting Apples?

Silver Spoon couldn't recall the last time she read a book without a lingering tightness in her chest. Sure, the fracturing relationship she had with Diamond left a bitter aftertaste, as did the lingering question of the spy's identity, though she couldn't help but smirk through it all. Being inches away from becoming friends with Twist filled her with a peculiar, fresh warmth. She knew about the playful and warmth, the romantic and enigmatic warmth, and the warmth of the sun glowing overhead, but this warmth was different. She slipped a smile through it all as usual; this new warmth, however, massaged her weary spirits and encouraged her as well.

All of those old feelings seemed trivial at this point, at least with the discovery of this new warmth.

Silver Spoon closed the thick, leather bound book, a plopping sound reaching her ears. Sliding the brown book onto the glass coffee table, Silver Spoon let her body sink into the couch's cushions as she closed her eyes. The light blue walls and marble sculptures surrounding her filled the air with a princess-like aura. Yet, it felt homely at the same time; it was much more reserved than Diamond's abode and perfect for relaxing. Silver Spoon released a soft sigh, her mind wandering aimlessly, only for her to open her eyes at the thought of today.

Okay, Silver Spoon. You can do this. She straightened her seating posture; the muscles in her limbs tensed up as though she anticipated a brawl. I just have to be friendly toward Twist when I spend more time with her. And what do I do with Sweetie Belle? She was nicer to me, right? She rubbed the top of her head, one of her hooves tapping the carpet. Are the blank flanks up to something? Silver Spoon shook her head. Even if they were, they'd probably leave me out of it since I'm not with Diamond.

"There's my favorite little sis!" a raspy voice called out.

Silver Spoon shivered in surprise; her head swiveled to the voice's source. Trotting past the towering display cases, all filled to the brim with photographs and sparkling trophies, was a mare with a gym towel around her neck. The colors of her mane, coat, and eyes were identical to Silver Spoon's, the sole difference being her pair of broad, folded up wings. It was her older sister, Silverspeed, the beads of sweat dripping down her forehead a familiar sight during Thursday evenings.

Silver Spoon waved meekly. "Hey there," she softly said. "How are you?"

"Awesome as always," Silverspeed replied. It was likely an exaggeration, given how she'd pout and mope if she missed out on first place in archery competitions, but Silver Spoon never questioned it. Silverspeed's tongue could turn sharper than a sword, after all. "I got to meet up with one of my foalhood friends. She's a future Wonderbolt from the sounds of it."

Silver Spoon chuckled. "Funny, as I learned about their history in class today."

"Nice!" Silverspeed jumped up and, with opened wings, glided down onto the couch, softly plopping onto the plush cushions. She then shuffled closer to Silver Spoon; her eyes widened and pupils dilated. "So, what did ya learn about 'em?"

"Well, I learned about their founding history and some of their accomplishments, both recent and in the distant past."

"Sounds radical to me!" Silverspeed smirked. "Ya know, the pony I spent time with told me some cool stories about 'em. It's no wonder they're so popular in Cloudsdale, especially since they've given a lot back to the community in some way." She placed her hooves behind her head and lifted her hind legs onto the table.

"Did you also meet up with them?"

Silverspeed shook her head. "I've only met one of them, but talking with the rest of 'em is definitely on my 'to-do' list, once I get around to making one."

Silver Spoon nodded. "Interesting." She paused. "By the way, who did you spend time with today? Is she nice?"

"Cloudchaser is her name, and she's like niceness in the shape of a pony. I totally have to introduce you to her when I see her again!" Silverspeed clasped her hooves together. Squealing with delight, a radiant grin then adorned her visage. "She and her sister are just so awesome to be around. And whenever Thunderlane joins up with them, the greatness just grows from there!"

"Well, I hope I get to meet them." Silver Spoon raised her right foreleg, then placed it onto the gray couch's armrest. "So then, anything else you did today?"

"Of course, but c'mon, little sis." Silverspeed gently nudged her. "Let big sis hear about your day first."

Silver Spoon twiddled her braid. "If you must."

"Oh." Silverspeed's smile vanished in the blink of an eye. Wincing a bit, it looked as though something crashed into her gut. "Was it rough?" She massaged Silver Spoon's shoulders; the latter closed her eyes for a moment and smirked ever so slightly. "I'm here to help ya if you need it. Just let me know what happened—if ya wanna, that is."

"Well, it started out rough." Silver Spoon exhaled. "I may have lost Diamond Tiara as a friend."

Silverspeed pursed her lips; not a single word escaped her mouth.

"After that, I managed to spend some time with Twist. She's—actually a nice, fun pony to be around. I've never felt a friendship blossom like that ever before."

"Somepony's been reading a lot." Silverspeed cracked a smile. "But I'm so glad it all worked out in the end!"

"Same here."

Clearing her throat, Silverspeed then shimmied an inch away from Silver Spoon. "As for the second part—well—we're heading up to Sweet Apple Acres."

Silver Spoon's cheeks turned pale, her breath taken away. "W-what?"

"You know Silver Shill, right?"

Silver Spoon slowly nodded. How couldn't she know about her cousin? He always managed to land a spot in the newspapers every other month; most of his activities earned him praise while others forced bemused expressions onto others. His latest escapade, however, happened to be the only one Silver Spoon never heard him discuss often or find in the newspaper. The few details she did unearth involved some eccentric characters known as Flim and Flam. She wondered if her cousin wanted to keep such details a secret for the time being.

And Silver Shill rarely ever visiting the house to catch up on how her parents, Silverspeed, and she were doing never helped matters as well. Rubbing her muzzle for a second, a tingling sensation coursed through Silver Spoon's veins as she pieced as much of the puzzle as she could together.

"Anyway, he's heading up to Sweet Apple Acres for some business, and he invited us to all come along!"

Shrugging, Silver Spoon nodded once more. "Okay, I guess."

"Something you're afraid to tell me about that place?"

"I'm fine." Silver Spoon violently shook her head. "I'm only nervous is all."

"Ah. I thought ya had some sort of trouble with somepony who works or lives there."

Silver Spoon gulped; her sister hit a bullseye. She always counted herself lucky in avoiding mentioning how she bullied Apple Bloom with Diamond to her family. They'd assume Diamond was some sort of bad influence if they uncovered the truth, then chastise her and construct an invisible, moving wall between them. And while Diamond seemed to be forging her own path away from her, the idea of confessing to them still sent a chill down her spine.

"Well, even if the two of ya don't get along, I'm sure we can work something out."

Raising her hoof, Silver Spoon then stood up. "Um, but we don't have to go over to Sweet Apple Acres, right?" Her lips puckered up for a second as though she tasted something sour. "Right?"

"The whole family is going. Flitter and Cloudchaser aren't able to come by tonight to look after ya, so foalsitters are out of the question." Silverspeed shrugged. "Sorry 'bout that."

Silver Spoon sighed, head hung low and shoulders drooped. "Okay." She turned back to Silverspeed. "So then, how long are we going to be there?"

Shrugging, Silverspeed raised her brow. "Beats me. Maybe it'll take an hour or two, but I bet it'll be crazy fun. I know there's gonna be something you'll like over there!"

A quick nod was all Silver Spoon could muster. Sure, some methods of amusement might be present, but lingering around Apple Bloom's residence sounded anything but fun. Being paired up with Apple Bloom at the dining table or in an activity would just churn her stomach. Silver Spoon shuddered; she preferred to keep such a probability unknown.

Knowing Apple Bloom, Silver Spoon would find the bow-wearing filly peeking from behind a barn or scowling at her. They'd make a few passing remarks, but at least Apple Bloom would not shower her with complaints. Having her family find out about the bullying was the last thing Silver Spoon needed.

Just then, a trio of rapid knocks reached Silver Spoon's ears, the gray filly's pupils shrinking.

"We're here!" a pair of familiar voices chimed. Silver Spoon knew these belonged to her mother and father, the latter's drawl able to be pinpointed in a hurricane of endless chatter. "Is everypony ready?"

"We're ready!" Silverspeed called out. Opening her wings a bit, she then waved a hoof toward Silver Spoon. The two ponies' eyes remained glued to each other. "C'mon, Silver Spoon. Being late stinks, ya know."

Silver Spoon nodded. "I know."

Following close behind Silverspeed, Silver Spoon tugged at her braid, her eyes briefly scanning the luxuries nestled within the cabinet once more. One which caught Silver Spoon's attention without fail was the geometric, trophy-like object Silverspeed won in a competition, the cocoon of tape holding the pieces together the result of a clumsy and beloved mailmare. Silver Spoon softly chuckled. Perhaps it'd all end just how it did with the mailmare, a friendship forged from a sudden incident.

Or maybe it'd all implode as expected. Silver Spoon sighed as the door opened up; a faint creak split the air.

"Only one way to find out," she muttered to herself.

---

A ten minute long taxi ride, much of it involving shaking inside the interior until everypony's cheeks turned green, separated Silver Spoon and company from their destination. When the taxi pulled over next to a tall fence, a series of deep breaths and relieved sighs followed, the ponies all wiggling themselves upright. Silver Spoon's father, a plump stallion with a thick mustache, exited first and gave a generous tip to the chauffeur. He was then followed by Silver Spoon's mother, her amber-colored coat and wings her most notable feature. To Silver Spoon, having to explain to Diamond she was indeed her mother grew tiring after the fifth or sixth instance.

And jumping out in unison were Silverspeed and Silver Spoon, a small cloud of dust dirtying the latter's glasses upon landing. Groaning, Silver Spoon then cleaned them up and followed her family up toward the barn at the top. It was just as Silver Spoon imagined it'd be, right down to the cool breeze, slight incline, and fruity aromas.

"Isn't it wonderful to be outside for once?" Silver Spoon's father orated. He spread his forelegs out and twirled like a ballerina. "Meeting up with Silver Shill, seeing the famous Sweet Apple Acres, and so much more! What isn't there to love?"

Everything? Silver Spoon swiveled her head around like an owl. Then again, I probably shouldn't be rude about that. The setting sun on the horizon and its orange glow, the trees covering her with shade, and the red barn off in the distance all received cursory glances from her. A few pegasi shearing through the sky grasped her attention; a colorful streak followed wherever they went before fading away. And as Silver Spoon lowered her head, she noticed Silverspeed flailing her hooves about with widened eyes and a dropped jaw, her gasping seemingly constant.

Other than analyzing the scenery whilst counting the kinds of trees by bountiful fruit they bore, most of them some variation of an apple, all Silver Spoon could do was yawn or listen to her parents babble, sometimes both.

"Silver Spoon, you've been so quiet ever since we left home," her mother said. She glanced over to her with a concerned frown. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, mother." Silver Spoon bobbed her head; she feigned a smile. "I just haven't had much to say."

"Maybe somepony there loves books as much as you do, Silver Spoon," her father added. He released a hearty chuckle; Silver Spoon cocked her head and raised an eyebrow. "Remember, just try to have fun."

"I'll try."

Minutes of trotting passed by; the pebbles prodding Silver Spoon's hooves caused her to cringe on occasion. Soon enough, the four ponies reached the hilltop, the large building which the Apple family called home standing before them. The exterior's smooth texture seemed spotless, almost as if it underwent a complete restoration while nopony was looking. Silver Spoon's father then stretched his foreleg out, knocking on the wooden frame thrice.

"I'll get it!" a voice shouted from within the house. A series of muffled thuds then polluted the air. "Sorry!"

The four ponies stepped back, Silver Spoon straining her cheeks as she forced a smile. As the large door opened up, a light gray earth pony stepped onto the front porch, his posture tall and stern. A striped shirt adorned his chest, the black and white colors somewhat faded and the fabric ragged. His eyes shifted about; the stallion's blank expression was replaced with a beaming grin a second later.

"Hey there!" the stallion shouted. He opened his forelegs and wrapped the four into a hug. "I've missed you all so much."

"We've missed you as well, cousin," Silver Spoon's father replied. "How's life treating you?"

"Wonderfully! And it's only gotten better since my encounter with the Apples." Silver Shill released the group from his hug. "And when they invited me, I thought a little meeting between our families was in order."

"Do they know about this?" Silver Spoon asked. She shrugged. "I don't know if we're all going to fit inside."

"It'll be a tight fit, but they do know and are more than welcome to let y'all in."

"I see ya picked up their countryisms," Silverspeed teased. She snickered. "You're gonna have to teach more of them to me if ya can."

Silver Shill pulled his shirt's collar; he chuckled back. "Yeah, I've got a lot to learn before I'd call myself fluent." Clearing his throat, he straightened his posture and shuffled to the right. "C'mon in, everypony. I bet they're all excited to meet you."

Silver Spoon froze in place, cheeks pale. Some of the Apples might greet her with smiles and waves, but one would most definitely scoff at best. She glanced behind her; the open fields of Sweet Apple Acres basked under the sunlight. However, nothing of note seemed viable to waste time on, let alone be useful in avoiding Apple Bloom.

"No need to be shy, Silver Spoon," Silver Shill said. He pointed toward the doorway, the rest of the family already inside. "I promise they won't bite."

Silver Spoon shrugged; while her cousin had every reason to believe such a claim, she knew a yellow filly would clench onto her flesh or hiss at her on sight. While her leg muscles turned to concrete for a brief moment, Silver Spoon then mustered just enough strength and trotted an inch forward, only for Silver Shill to guide her inside the abode.

Here we go.

The door slammed shut a second later, almost as though a ghost played the role as doorkeeper. Silver Spoon leaped up in surprise and turned pale. She watched Silver Shill move forward, entering the somewhat small living room. Inside the abode resided a lime green carpet with an apple insignia stitched in the center, a couch matching said carpet, and a cozy but unlit fireplace within the wall's niche. The faintest scent of ashes lingered, however.

The chatter among the two families turned Silver Spoon invisible. She exhaled; her head twisted around in search of a bookcase and somewhere to hide. The little corner by the staircase seemed as good as any, just secluded enough for nopony to take a second glance, and she knew a captivating book would speed up time. Silver Spoon crept forward; faint creaks followed her hoofsteps.

Just then, a small bookcase constructed from plywood came into view, its frame resting on the back wall. Silver Spoon's eyes lit up. However, her expression immediately returned to a static, blank one. A sea of pastel ponies blocking one route; none of the gaps seemed wide enough for even a mouse to shimmy through. Silverspeed and an orange earth pony with a hat atop her head had both of their eyes pointed toward the bookshelf. If just one of them saw her, she knew her fate.

Being dragged into the conversation and possibly running into Apple Bloom. At least the latter seemed absent.

"Here goes nothing," Silver Spoon murmured to herself.

With light steps, she made her way toward the kitchen, then took a sharp left down one of the hallways. A somewhat open pathway led to the still visible bookcase. Silver Spoon held her breath as she passed by a few ponies present, one of them a red colossus with a yoke around his neck. Pressing her back against the wall, Silver Spoon scuttled across the floor like a crab. After passing them, she glanced back at the ponies at or by the kitchen, none of them batting an eye and all absorbed in some sort of conversation.

"Now then, the tricky part."

Silver Spoon peeked around the corner; the gray and orange mares were still staring at the bookshelf during their conversation. She pursed her lips. Both of them would divert their attention at some point, right?

Yet, after five minutes passed by, neither of them rotated an inch. Silver Spoon's legs locked into place. She counted each second in her head; another three minutes were wasted. Silver Spoon gulped and shuddered. It was now or never.

Silver Spoon took a short step forward. But to her dismay, the orange earth pony cocked her head and grinned a second later, her green eyes gazing into hers.

"Howdy," the mare said, a warm smile across her face. "No need to be all quiet and sneakin' around."

"That's my little sis," Silverspeed added. "She's smart and just awesome to be around, ya know."

"What's her name?"

"Silver Spoon. Let me tell ya, she's one of Miss Cheerilee's rising students!" Silverspeed winked at Silver Spoon, then motioned a hoof toward her. "She knows so much more than I do!"

Raising her foreleg up, Silver Spoon then meekly waved. "Um, hi," she muttered."

"Come again?" the mare asked.

Clearing her throat, Silver Spoon then repeated in a higher pitch, "Hello."

"Gotcha." The mare extended her hoof toward Silver Spoon. "The name's Applejack. Nice to meet ya."

"S-same here." Silver Spoon grasped onto the hoof, performing a quick hoofshake before releasing her grip. "So then—I've heard about you before. Don't ponies consider you to be quite honest?"

"They sure do, sugarcube." Applejack adjusted her hat. "When you're sometimes called the Element of Honesty, such a claim kinda sticks."

"Yeah." Silver Spoon gently kicked the air; her lips forced a wide grin. "Such a title must be quite the honor."

"Ah try to be humble about it." She paused for a second. "I don't wanna boast too much 'bout it."

"I understand. I have a friend—um—former friend who boasted a lot." Silver Spoon chuckled; Diamond's boasting about her talents and what she considered achievements still rang in her ears. "She's—okay, I guess."

"Say, since you're in Miss Cheerilee's class, ya must know about my little sister, Apple Bloom."

Silver Spoon cringed, then nodded. Here it comes.

"Did ya want to spend some time with her?"

In an instant, Silver Spoon quickly shook her head; she donned a stiff upper lip. "No thanks. I'm fine right here."

"Are ya sure? She's a nice filly, so don't worry if the two of ya don't become friends."

"I'm positive." Silver Spoon took a deep breath. "I'd prefer to keep to myself, if that's okay."

Applejack and Silverspeed gazed into the other pony's eyes; both of them raised their brows simultaneously. Their lips moved, yet no words escaped them. From what Silver Spoon noticed, the duo had to be somewhat perplexed based on their bemused expressions, but even those were mild at most. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, wishing the evening would pass by in a flash and she could return home. While Sweet Apple Acres did have a coziness to it, she knew it'd be a cottage of tension in the near future. Upon opening her eyes, Silver Spoon spotted Applejack bringing her focus back to her, a bright grin adorning her face.

"Well, if ya wanna stick to what's comfortable, that's fine by me," Applejack said. "One of my closest friends is shy, so I understand why you'd feel uncomfortable chattin' with us all." She paused for a second; Silver Spoon's posture straightened out a bit. "However, we're all gonna be eatin' dinner together, so I guess ya can introduce yourself to Apple Bloom then."

Not a second passed before Silver Spoon's shoulders sagged once more. She forced her head up high, cheeks stretching her lips into a crooked smile. "Okay. When do we have dinner?"

"Probably when they tell us dinner's ready," Silverspeed replied. She licked her lips. "The food we're gonna have sounds awesome! I know you'll love it!" With a brightened expression, Silverspeed twisted her head toward Applejack. "Say, my little sis is an ace when it comes to making pastries! If you ever get the chance, trying one is a must!"

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Applejack said. "Maybe it'd go well with our cooking."

Silver Spoon rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah, delicious food is always nice. I don't know how well they'd—"

"Dinner is ready!" a scratchy voice shrieked from the kitchen. A clanging noise split the air; Silver Spoon cringed and shielded her ears for a moment. "C'mon over to the table, everypony!"

"Talk about perfect timing!" Silverspeed shouted amid the harsh clashing of metal. "All this talk of food has made me starving." She trotted up to the kitchen, eyes locked onto Silver Spoon, and waved her hoof. "C'mon, SIlver Spoon. Deliciousness awaits us!"

Silver Spoon slowly nodded. Looking back at the bookcase, she released another sigh and followed Silverspeed, effectively retracing her steps. She meandered through the now empty kitchen, the tiled floor freezing her hooves. Papers with recipes jotted down on them, Silver Spoon noticing them covering every last detail, as well as some dough-like residue rested on the cabinet. Silver Spoon made her way toward one of the dough splotches. Leaning over, she sniffed it, a simple sourdough aroma tickling her nostrils. Anything to get a preview of what was to come was necessary to her, if awkward.

"I know you love baking and all, but we have food to eat, silly," Silverspeed said. She stretched her foreleg to the left. "The dining table is this way."

"Got it."

Silver Spoon scuttled across the floor, catching up to Silverspeed a second later, and the pair arrived at the aforementioned dining table. Everything atop the oak surface was organized by what kind of food it was. The bread resided in the upper-left corner, with a green bowl of mashed potatoes sitting next to it. Fruits of all kinds, from grapes to blueberries, all had their place. Unsurprisingly, the apples made up most of the fruit present, dwarfing the next largest group. And completing the environment was a cake, the chocolate texture causing Silver Spoon's mouth to water at the sight.

"Little sis, I'll sit next to ya," Silverspeed said out of the blue. "Sound cool?"

"Yeah," Silver Spoon replied. "It does."

"Hold on a sec," a familiar voice called out, her drawl freezing Silver Spoon's spine. "Ya mean to tell me that she's related to you, Silver Shill?"

"Is it because we don't look identical?" Silver Shill asked. He sat down on one of the empty chairs; Silver Shill then squirmed about for a moment, struggling to get the right seating posture. Upon fixing his conundrum, he cleared his throat. "I don't know why you'd be surprised."

"It's not that it's surprising or anythin', but I—don't get along with her."

Silver Spoon glanced over to the yellow filly. She fixed her eyes on the pink bow, Apple Bloom's signature accessory. Blinking, not a word left her mouth, her expression emotionless.

"You're—quieter than usual," Apple Bloom said. Arching an eyebrow, she then leaned forward. "But I've got my eye on ya."

Nodding, Silver Spoon's throat tightened. "Okay," she said. Turning around, she plopped onto the seat furthest away from Apple Bloom, the cushion hugging her body. Silverspeed kept her promise and took the seat to Silver Spoon's right. As everypony else took their seats, something soft prodded Silver Spoon's shoulder.

"What was that about?" Silverspeed whispered. "Ya got a history with her or something?"

"I do," Silver Spoon muttered. "It's—a long story. I don't think it's worth talking about."

Silverspeed arched an eyebrow, head cocked to the left. Seconds of pure silence passed.

"Honest."

"Okay, I believe you." Silverspeed rubbed Silver Spoon's head. "Just let me know if it's worth something to talk about, okay?"

"Got it."

The plates of food circulated around the table, everypony adding a portion to their plate. The red stallion collected the most amount of food, his portions perhaps three times the size of Silver Spoon's, though her stomach merely purred instead of roared like some of her neighbors'. With the portions all divided up, the two families began feasting; the sounds of chewing and sipping polluted the air.

Silver Spoon elected to take smaller bites; she wanted to savor the rich textures each item provided. Whether she clenched her teeth on an apple or scooped up some mashed potatoes, she couldn't help but smile after each bite. However, with each passing second, Silver Spoon shifted her eyes over to where Apple Bloom sat, the filly responding in kind. At least the conversations swirling around her meant Apple Bloom likely would keep to herself.

"Say, Silver Spoon," Apple Bloom blurted out. "Why ya actin' all shy?"

Silver Spoon shivered; a chill coursed down her spine. "I don't have much to say," she replied. While true, she knew it was a weak answer. "That's—that's all there is to it."

"Then how come ya aren't teasin' me like ya always do with Diamond Tiara?"

Everypony froze in place, swallowing their food before locking their eyes onto Silver Spoon with tautened expressions. The latter cringed; her heart pounded, yearning to burst from her chest and scuttle away as she turned paler than a ghost. Pursing her lips, Silver Spoon shifted her eyes about.

"Well, I don't want to tease you," Silver Spoon replied. She twiddled with her braid again and bit her lip. "Actually, I—I don't want to do that again. You saw me leave Diamond Tiara, right? You also saw me make amends with Twist, right?"

Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow. Cocking her head, a sigh escaped her mouth. "I did, but that doesn't count for all the mean things ya said. I'm lookin' for an apology."

"Silver Spoon, what did you do to Apple Bloom?" Silver Spoon's mother asked. She pouted; her face scrunched up. "If you bullied her with Diamond Tiara, then you know you'll be in huge trouble, right?"

Nodding, Silver Spoon's vision blurred, wet drops trickling down her cheeks. "I-I know."

"And I'm going to have to tell Filthy Rich about Diamond's role in this as well."

Silver Spoon sprung out of her chair, foreleg extended. "Please don't tell him!" In the blink of an eye, she twisted her head over to Apple Bloom. "I'm so sorry I teased you! I should've apologized when I had the chance! I'm so sorry!"

"Hmm." Apple Bloom rubbed her muzzle; Silver Spoon's stomach churned. "I forgive ya."

Sighing quickly, Silver Spoon then wiped her forehead. "Thanks, Apple Bloom."

"You're welcome, but don't think we're on good terms just yet, okay?"

Silver Spoon nodded. "Okay."

"One more thing, Silver Spoon," Silver Spoon's father added, his brow ruffled. "Just because you apologized doesn't change the fact you're still in trouble. We're going to inform Filthy Rich as to what you and Diamond Tiara did, and we'll get to the bottom of this soon enough."

With her head hung low, shoulders sagged, Silver Spoon slowly nodded. "Okay, father."

Silver Spoon knew she couldn't prevent her parents from spilling the beans to Filthy Rich, the twisted scowls they wore already answering any requests she might have. As she sat back down, the two families resumed eating, picking up conversations as though nothing had happened. Silver Shill recounted his tale of how he met the Apples, Silverspeed talked about sports, the Wonderbolts, and other points of interest, and the Apples all had their own stories to share.

Everypony had something to share. Everypony did, except for Silver Spoon.

After all, everypony huddled up at the table had just learned about her checkered history.

She wished tomorrow could arrive in the blink of an eye; anything to wash the coldness away.

Comments

[ChibiChabot]

I'm digging this story. Keep it up!

[Manaphy]

6383291 Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far!

[Elric of Melnipony]

Just a small nitpick: in a couple of places in this chapter, you use "donning" as a synonym for "wearing" (referring to Apple Bloom's bow and Applejack's hat); "to don" actually means "to put on".

[Manaphy]

6383580 Ah. That's good to know. Thanks for pointing that out. I appreciate it!

[Peachy Keen]

Yikes, talk about humiliation. The cat's out of the bag now! At least Apple Bloom forgave her, though they are still pretty far from being *best friends*. Who knows? They may never be friends, they might just end up being nothing more than classmates. Anyway, great chapter as always!

[Manaphy]

6384631 Yeah, it was quite the embarrassing experience for her. Anyway, thanks for reading the chapter. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[StarHorder]

One of my favs right here.

[Wanderer D]

Wait, does this have something to do with Winning Pony?

[pokefreak13]

Diamond Tiara is going to be maaaad.