Family Begins With You

by Jmaster49

Arc XVI Episode IV: A Heartfelt Apology

Keiji folded his arms. “Well? Out with it, already.”

“...I’m sorry,” Silver Spoon muttered.

Keiji leaned forward while cupping his hand around his ear. “Say what?”

“I’m sorry,” Spoon amplified her voice while shyly looking down at the ground, “I was so caught up in my own fears that I didn’t realize that you had gone through abuse in your previous life before you came here. It…actually explains a lot. Including why you and Di got along so well.”

“Oh great. Now I have to deal with this too.” The boy leaned his head backwards and bit his lip. “So…you went ahead and told her.”

“...I’m sorry too,” Tiara admitted, “But it was the only way I could get her to stop hating you. Why? Well, I’ll let her explain.”

With the floor to speak on Spoon’s shoulders, Keiji looked in her direction with an expectant gaze. “Well?”

Silver Spoon took a deep breath and began to explain herself. “My cousin, Salad Fork--”

“Really?” Keiji interrupted her with a smug expression, “That’s her name?”

“Yes.”

“...Oh,” the grin faded and he returned to a state of listening, “Got it. Go on.”

“Anyway, my cousin Salad Fork went through the same thing--her parents didn’t really care for her at all and she pretty much stays at my place all the time. In fact, she and I are pretty much sisters if you can believe it.”

That was just it--he couldn’t believe it at first. The boy cocked his head to one side, blinking with a confused expression on his face. “...You care for someone other than Carbon Crown here? Really?”

Tiara chose to not allow that comment to phase her on the outside. “Huh. Guess he has been paying attention in science class.”

Silver Spoon nodded, and walked over to the table, grabbing her phone. “I get that you don’t see it--and I don’t blame you.” She turned it on, and went to her photos, showing various pictures of herself spending time with another yellow-skinned girl her age at the fair, at a monster truck rally, and simple things like braiding her hair. “She’s…kinda the reason why I’ve been so attached to Di. I didn’t wanna see her go through the same thing. It’s like my close circle of family, ya know?”

Keiji stroked his chin as he thought over what he was just told. As it turned out, Silver Spoon’s suspicion of him merely stemmed from her sense of protectiveness regarding her own family. In a way, he could almost relate to her. And in return, she felt empathy for his situation from his messed-up home life.

“So that’s it, eh? Fine. I guess you’re not the possessive psycho that I thought you were,” he replied with a yawn. “You have some shred of empathy, so don’t trip over yourself apologizing.”

“Even so, I realized where I made a mistake when it came to judging you,” Spoon went on while eyeing up the scars on his body. “...I’m still not entirely sure how vampire-people work, but if Di is willing to trust you, then so am I. You don’t deserve any more awful people in your life.” She stepped forward and offered her hand. “...So can we at least be…acquaintances?”

“Well I’ll be damned…” To say that Keiji was surprised by this would be an understatement. He was almost certain that Silver Spoon would give him enough of a hard time to last him a few months. But when he looked over Spoon’s shoulder to see Tiara’s relieved expression, it immediately clicked. “This must’ve been eating her up for quite some time now. If it makes her feel better, then I don’t have much choice.”

While he wasn’t entirely trustworthy of Spoon just yet, he was willing to start on a clean slate and give her the benefit of the doubt.

So, he accepted her hand and shook it. “Keiji Ketsuki--there. Do we hate each other less now?”

Spoon snickered once she pulled her hand back, enlightened by the boy’s sense of humor. “I see why she pals around you so much. You have no filter--it’s kinda refreshing actually.”

“I know, right?” Tiara agreed, “It’s much different from all of the stuffy asshole children of my dad’s business partners. They’re some real tightwads up there I tell you what.”

“...Wow,” Spoon tilted her head when she heard her friend swear. She wasn’t horrified, but rather…curious. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk like that before.”

“Meh, must be this guy rubbing off on me,” the pink girl nudged the vamp-boy with her elbow.

“Please don’t--don’t ever say that again,” Keiji deadpanned with narrowed eyes, “That’s a terrible way to say that.”

They were interrupted by Mr. Rich who called to them from the poolside cabana. “Food’s ready, everyone!”

“Oh finally, I’m starving,” Spoon commented as she sniffed at the air, “Is that shrimp I smell? You know exactly what I like, don’tcha, Di?”

“Hey, you’re my best friend,” she replied while wrapping one arm around the gray girl’s shoulder. “What kinda person would I be if I didn’t?” She then did the same to Keiji, roping him in with her other arm. “You too, bro. C’moooon.”

“Oh goddammit--”

Spoon then interjected with a question, “So you’re from Equestria, right? What’s your opinion of the magic system there?”

“It’s fulla shit.”

“Oooh, tell us more!”

Meanwhile, from a vehicle parked outside of the mansion…someone was observing them.

“Oh great. And here I thought they were gonna be at each other's throats. Now this presents another thorn in my side. I suppose we’ll have to up the intensity of our operation. Lucide better be ready with that toxin or else…”