In Plain Sight

by Diamond Sparkle

Chapter Three-A Pony Can Dream

Silver Spoon tossed and turned, finding it very hard to get to sleep.

She opened her eyes and found to her surprise that she was outside Rarity's Boutique and that the streets were crowded with ponies. To her joy Diamond came up to her looking as good as Silver had ever seen her. Unfortunately she was with Silver's double, and the two of them kissed on the lips right in front of her.

"Hey, you can't kiss my marefriend in front of me!" Silver objected, only to realize to her horror that she was still disguised as Copper Mine.

Diamond stared at her and sneered "Aw, how cute! It looks like I have a stalker who thinks she is Silver Spoon. Silver Spoon is right by my side. You are most certainly not her. Go and bother some other pony, I am happily taken." All the other ponies began to laugh and point at the real Silver and call her names.

She woke up. Luna told me she would keep the nightmares away from me but I suppose she can't be there all the time with all those others to watch over she thought. She looked in the mirror. Even if I were to bump into Diamond by chance, they even changed the colour of my pretty purple eyes. Diamond loved the colour of them and called them her amethysts. Of all her jewels, she told me once, Silver's eyes were the ones that made her the most happy.

She knew it would be a long and lonely time without her marefriend. As had been the case for the last few days, her flank itched like a feather was being run across it from her new cutie mark, a circle of emeralds. She longed to run the frog of her hoof across it until the skin split if that would only ease the itch, but that would scar her pretty body, ruin her disguise, and make Princess Luna angry with her. Or worse, alert the Equestrian Mafia to who she really was, and then they would kidnap her and cut her ears off to send to her parents. She pulled them back against her skull at the very thought of it. It was that more then anything else that kept her in her role as Copper Mine. When she was presented to her new *parents* they had hugged and kissed her and seemed as happy as if she was their real daughter.

Her new cutie mark had been tattooed with special ink; secret magical ink that gave it the powers of a real cutie mark and therefore bestowed them upon her. She had spent much of the past two days toiling away breaking rocks with a pickaxe adapted for Earth Pony use to reveal the jewels within, something made much easier by her cutie mark. When she realized that she, a delicate noble pony, was to have to have to toil away at hard labour, it was difficult to keep her rage bottled up inside. She nearly walked out in a rage, but managed to control herself. If she left, she would have nowhere to live and she feared that Shining Armour would most likely come after her and muzzle and chain her up again until she did what she was told. Although her new parents were nice to her and fed her well, and let her keep a tenth of the jewels she found, it was still hard work in the hot sun for eight hours a day, nothing like her luxurious life as Silver Spoon was. There were no spa trips or luxury shopping for her. Bathing was in a warm spring; the paint would only be removed by a soaking of many hours in salt water, and the spring water was fresh. She wondered where Diamond was and if she was finding her new life any easier to bear. At least she had school today.

When she went to school her attention was attracted by a green furred mare with a cutie mark of two apple horseshoes upon her flank. This pretty young mare had curly hair and beautiful cornflower-blue eyes that to Silver, looked beautiful, even though there was a sadness in them too, and also some anger. The teacher said "Class, quiet. We have two new students today, Copper Mine and Apple Turnover. Please treat them the way you would want to be treated." Silver decided that when she got the chance to without getting caught, she would pass a note to the mare with those pretty eyes. She wanted to have at least one friend here, even though she knew she could not tell her the truth about who she really was. And every time she looked into those eyes, it would remind her of the eyes of Diamond Tiara, the young mare that she loved. At least she would still be able to enjoy the magic of friendship, even if she had lost her wealth, her noble status , her looks and even her real name.

They were in the small town of Mareburg just over an hour's canter from Sweet Apple Acres and Ponyville proper , but Shining Armour had strictly forbidden her to enter Ponyville even though she was in disguise. It must be so I can't go back to my family and spend time with them like I really want to do. Maybe it's so I don't have to see my double trotting around enjoying what should be my wonderful life. The note that she sent secretly simply read I want to be your friend if you'll give me a chance. Back came a speedy reply I would love to become your friend. Clearly things were going to get a bit better. She may have lost her noble status, her family, her money, her looks, and even her own name, but at least she could still enjoy the magic of friendship.

Comments

[Rhanoa]

The note that she sent secretly simply read I want to be your friend if you'll give me a chance. Back came a speedy reply I would love to become your friend.

I am a little surprise they don't recognize the penmanship of their significant one, or at least think they are similar. They used to pass note in school. Maybe the special ink help them change their speaking manner, voice and mouthwriting.

Too many things are a hard giveaway for two best friends, and it isn't a small bit of paint who will change that.

[Diamond Sparkle]

6903381 Well put. This fic will go on, but I now have a different plan for my next chapter of it.