Chapters Diamond Tiara peered out of a top-floor room of the opulent mansion of the Spoon family. In the room with her was the love of her life, Silver Spoon, and Silver's father, the middle aged Coronation Spoon. Her mother, Medicine Spoon, was hiding in another room. On the street below a running battle had broken out between the lance-armed Royal Guard, who were mostly pegasui ,and the black-shelled Changelings. Whilst the Guards had the advantage of armour, weapons, and military training, they were grossly outnumbered. Changelings would disguise themselves as terrified refugees, get close to a fight, transform at the last second and get stuck in. Others disguised themselves as guards to get close, taking the spears of defeated guards as it was the one thing that they could not mimic. Any guard who lost his spear was in danger of being mistaken for a Changeling and attacked by his fellow guards. Here lay a guard, unconscious or maybe dead, there lay the broken body of a Changeling in the same condition. Diamond found herself unable to look away from the raging violence.
"Diamond, get away from the window, it's not safe, you'll attract them to us," Coronation told her. Reluctantly, Diamond did so, but almost no sooner was she out of the window then it shattered as a Changeling smashed the window with his hooves, and came in with four of his friends, the buzzing of their insectoid wings sounding really loud in the room.
Diamond forgot her fear. No way is my gorgeous girlfriend going to end up in a cocoon in some Changeling Hive she thought, and let loose a kick that even Applejack would be proud of. There was a cracking sound and the chitin splintered under her hooves, and the Changeling fell and died in a spout of green blood. There was a flash of green fire for a few seconds, and where the body had been was only a large hole scorched in the carpet that had come all the way from Prance. Coronation came charging up and started bucking at the other Changelings. "Get the buck out of my house, you overgrown love-bugs!" They backed off a little, then fanged him in the back of the neck, picked him up between them and flew out of the window.
"DADDY!" screamed Silver Spoon, and at that moment a blast of pink magic came tearing through the streets. It did no damage to buildings or ponies, but Changelings be they in disguise or not were swept out of Canterlot without mercy, tumbling end over end into the sky. Including the four who were holding Coronation Spoon, who were forced to let him go.
As it slowly sunk in that her father would never speak or move again, ponies all over Canterlot, Diamond Tiara included, started coming out of their houses, cheering and shouting with joy at the Changelings' defeat. There were cries of "Buck yeah!" "Did we kick ass, or did we kick ass?" "Out of Canterlot, fermented rubbish!" Diamond, a big grin on her face, came and bumped her flank against Silver's in the way they had done so many times before as if nothing was wrong. "Bump, bump, sugar lump rump! Silver, we did it, the threat is over and they won't be trying that again in a hurry. Give me a smile." She tried to make Silver smile by using her hooves to push Silver's mouth into a smile, but Silver pushed her hooves away and said quietly, "Diamond...Daddy died." Just then Medicine Spoon came out of the house and hugged Silver, before the two of them burst into tears.
Diamond watched the scene for a bit, and then turned and left, heading home, unsure of what to do. It'll be fine if I wait for a few days, then my Silver will come back to me. Tomorrow when the shops reopen I'll spend plenty of bits on her. A new dress, and not just any dress but a genuine Rarity Original. A new necklace of silver, silver for my Silver, but studded with rubies. A teddy bear of course, a big fluffy one. I'll soon have Silver smiling again and then it'll be just like old times.
The next day Diamond joined Silver again, for the funeral. Silver wore a black dress with a black ribbon holding her plait.She doesn't look right Diamond thought. The glossy look has gone from her fur, it's matt. My Silver has lost her gleam. She reached out with a hoof to try and gently rub the glossiness back in, but Silver pushed her hoof away and gave her an angry glare that she normally reserved for the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Her eyes look so tired, she hasn't been sleeping well. Coronation Spoon lay in front of them in an open coffin, and the pegasui had brought in the clouds and made it drizzle slightly, as was the custom at Earth Pony funerals. Princess Celestia herself turned up and extended her large wing to cover Silver Spoon and her mother for a few seconds, to try and offer some sort of comfort. She was the first to speak about what a wonderful person Coronation was, and then invited Silver Spoon to come and say a few words. Diamond watched as Silver, her head hanging down, her glasses misted up and her tail between her legs, slowly made her way to the podium.
"My father....he meant so much to me..." Silver managed to say before she burst into tears, unable to say anything else. All too soon the funeral orations were over and the coffin was closed and lowered into the grave, and Silver watched as the grave diggers began their work, forever sealing her father away from her in the cold earth.
The Princess mounted her Pegasui-pulled chariot that she used on special occasions and left the scene, as always, there were important matters of state to attend to. The rest of the ponies went back to their homes or to the Spoon mansion for the wake. Diamond went back with them and then went up to Silver and pulled her presents from her saddlebag with her mouth and put them in front of her. "Silver, I'm as sorry as everypony here that your father died. I brought you some gifts to cheer you up. A big fluffy teddy bear. A fine dress that's a Rarity Original, and a necklace to go with it. Smile for me."
"Diamond...my father has recently died. Do you not care about my grief? Do you really think that these baubles can make me happy again? That you can buy me like I'm an apple on a stall? I would give everything I had if it would bring my father back. Go and spend some time with Alula, I know she likes hanging out with you. I don't think you're being malicious but I need some alone time. Without you." And she turned her back on Diamond Tiara and left the room.
Chapter Two-Spooning with Spoony
She's just in a bit of a bad mood, she'll soon be back to her normal self. My Spoony could never be angry with me for very long, that's not like her. I suppose I should better do what she says and go and find Alula. I do like being with Alula, but what pony could compare with Silver? Now, if I was Alula, where would I go? She remembered how she and Silver had found and befriended the Pegasus, who was of the same social class as they were, and shown her all the good shops in Ponyville. After looking for her in Rarity's Boutique, she found her in Haughty Couture admiring the dresses and saddlebags. "Silver's in a bit of a bad mood...would you like some preening time back at my mansion?" she asked.
Alula smiled. "Yes please. One of the few downsides to being able to fly is that my wings take so much work to keep them in a proper flying condition." Diamond spent the next hour talking with Alula and preening her feathers with her hooves and mouth, and Alula appreciated the attention. But it was not as much fun for her as being with Silver Spoon. I'll visit Silver tonight, I have a key to her mansion after all, freely given after all. I must be the only non-Spoon with such a key. And why not, after all? I've been her best friend since kindergarten and her very special somepony for two years, she belongs to me. She's as much mine as my cutie mark. And that is never going to change, I won't let it change.
Meanwhile Silver Spoon spent the day quietly at home, looking at pictures of her father and her, some of them dating back to when she was a little foal without her cutie mark, and thinking back to the happy times when they were together. That evening her mother came up to her bedroom. "I know that you have not been sleeping well, honey, so I've brought you a sleeping pill. I won't try and force it on you, but I do think you need your sleep." Normally Silver would have objected at the idea of being forced to sleep, as she was a bit of a night owl, but she was so unhappy that she decided sleep would at least take the sadness away until she woke up the next day. She took the pill and her mother kissed her goodnight, and soon she was firmly in a drugged slumber.
Not long afterwards Diamond Tiara let herself into the Spoon mansion through the back door. A servant saw her but as she was so often a visitor assumed she was allowed to stay without even being questioned. She quietly made her way up to Silver Spoon's bedroom and walked up to her. "Good evening, my love." Silver let out a sigh in her sleep. Diamond's eyes narrowed when she saw the sleeping pills. You're weak, Silver Spoon, but hey, maybe I can take this to my advantage. A bit of spooning with my Spoony won't hurt. She got into bed with Silver and cuddled close to her, wrapping her hooves around her. She looks so cute and sweet right now. A kiss would not hurt. She kissed Silver's forehead, her muzzle, her soft lips, and was kissing down her neck when she forced herself to stop. I'll just rest for a little and then I'll go home and Silver need never know about my snuggling with her. But the bed was so soft and warm and Diamond so loved being next to Silver Spoon that her eyes fell closed and she fell asleep with her hooves around Silver's soft warm body.
She was woken by a scream from Silver Spoon. "DIAMOND TIARA-what are you doing in my BED?! What part of being left alone do you not understand?" Silver was glaring at her, her cheeks ruddy red with anger.
Diamond replied with just as much passion in her voice "You're my best friend, my fillyfriend, my very special somepony. You mean everything to me. Have you forgotten the vow of sisterhood we took back in kindergarten to stay together forever? I can't leave you, I just can't. Why can't you love me like you used to? And why are you taking sleeping pills when you should be staying up late to be with me?"
"What did you do with me when I was....out? Did you touch me down there?" Silver demanded to know.
"I spooned with you, that's all. I held you in my hooves and it felt wonderful. Oh, and I also kissed you. A few times. But not below the neck."
"Diamond, I'm taking sleeping pills because otherwise I'd spend the whole night crying for my father. My dead father, And I'll have to ask for your key to the Spoon mansion. Yes, you were a great fillyfriend in the past, and we loved each other and had some great times with each other. Thank you for that. But I can't cope with you right now and...I think we should stop seeing each other. Your fillyfriend status is revoked as from now. You are no longer my special somepony. Give me the key and go, before I order my servants to take it from you and throw you out . You and me are over."
Diamond Tiara looked as if she was going to cry. "If I'm out in bad standing, then....couldn't I have one last kiss on my forehead? And one last bump, bump, sugar lump rump?"
Silver Spoon sighed. "All right, as long as you hand over the key and don't make a scene." Diamond nodded, did as she was told, and Silver pressed a single quick kiss on her forehead. "Bump, bump, sugar lump rump!" She did their little dance one last time. If it makes my ex go quietly
Diamond's reply was slow and halting. "Bump...bump...sugar...lump...rump." Tears were gathering in her eyes as she left the Spoon mansion, without the key to get back in. How could she have done this to me, after all we meant to each other? On her way home she passed a toy store, and stopped when she saw a silver-coloured pony plushie in the window. Her sad mouth curved up in a smile when she saw it and she went inside. "How much is that plushie in the window? I'd like to buy a cloth cutie mark for it please....a spoon cutie mark. A silver spoon cutie mark." She left the shop with the large plushie stuffed in her saddlebag. "Silver Spoon, let's go back home and fix your awkward cutie mark problem, I can't be seen talking with a blank flank after all. And then we'll have a lovely time together and you can sleep over at my mansion every single night. I'm so pleased that you decided to take me back as your fillyfriend."
Chapter Three-Snuggling with Spoony
It was only a short walk back to the Rich Mansion, and Filthy greeted his daughter with a forehead kiss. "I've missed you, how has your day been?" Diamond managed a faint smile that she didn't really feel. "Oh, Silver and I had a falling out, but it's ok now. I'm going to go to my bedroom for a bit, call me if you need me or when supper is ready." Once she was alone she carefully attached the silver spoon decal that she had brought to the plushie's flank and grinned. "I told you if you waited that your cutie mark would come back. I'm really happy that you saw sense and decided that you still loved me. What would you like to do now?" With a hoof she moved the plushie's head. "You're tired? You want to lie down for a bit in my arms? That's a lovely idea Silver." She took the plushie, hugged it and got into her bed, and started counting not sheep in her head, but Silver Spoons, each of them gorgeous. And started to dream.
She was standing in a misty field, the sun setting and blood red. And a smiling Silver Spoon came leaping over a fence, looking as beautiful as Diamond had ever seen her. Her cutie mark glittered, her silver fur shone, even her hooves had been cleaned. But instead of taking any notice of Diamond, she trotted off, the first in a long line of Silver Spoons, each of which looked a little more unhappy and unkempt. And then they started to look...dead. First freshly dead, with their glazed eyes the only sign that they were not alive, then with matted fur falling out in clumps and empty eye sockets, then skeletal ponies. As they started to chase her, she woke...
And hugged the plushie still tighter and planted a little kiss on it's nose. "I'll never leave you, Silver." Maybe if I were to deeply befriend or even seduce Alula, she could talk to Spoony and get her to at least like me again? And when I was with Alula I could imagine that I was with Silver and if I was careful Alula would never have to know about it. She kissed the plushie again, and hugged it feeling the fear from her nightmare slowly disperse. "Spoony, I don't think I could ever be unhappy when I was with you." She settled back to sleep, to be woken by a knock on the door. It was one of her maids. "Lady Tiara, you need to get ready for school." Diamond yawned, stretched, got up and put on her tiara, which was all that she needed on an average school day. She put on her saddlebags and gently placed the Silver plushie into her bag. "Silver, if I have to go to school then you have to go too, otherwise Miss Cherilee will give you a detention and make you write fifty lines, and then I'll have to hang around waiting for you." And she set off to school.
*****It's most likely those three blank flanks again and they've done something stupid Silver thought, shoving her way into the circle to see what was happening. Much to her surprise, it was Diamond Tiara that almost everypony was laughing at, as she sat in the playground next to her plushie with it's spoon for a cutie mark and chatted to it softly.
"Ignore their laughing Silver, they are just jealous of us because we are the richest fillies in our class. Now, what would you like to do today? How about a..."
Silver glared at Diamond, at the plushie that was so obviously meant to be her, then back at Diamond again. "Diamond Tiara Rich, are you totally bucking insane?!"
Diamond looked at Silver, screamed, her mane briefly standing on end, and shouted "Changeling! We have a changeling in the playground. Tell Miss Cherilee and call the Guards-where there is one changeling there could be more. Silver, if she attacks us, both of us are going to have to jump on her." As she took up a combat stance with her plushie behind her the school bell rang and she picked up her plushie and went into class with the others, placing her plushie on her desk beside her. Cherilee said "Today's lesson is about the Warring States period of Equestrian history and...Diamond Tiara, you are not in kindergarten. Leave that plushie in the cloakroom please."
"I will not. That plushie, as you call her, is Silver Spoon, one of the best and only friends that I have ever had. And that one over there is a Changeling. The real Silver Spoon would never abandon me for any reason."
"Either that plushie goes out of the class or you do," Cherilee replied, and Diamond tossed her plushie into one of her saddlebags and galloped out of the classroom and out of the school, much to the amusement and eye rolling of the rest of the class. Halfway through the next lesson a couple of armed Royal Guards turned up in the classroom. "Miss Cherilee, we're sorry to disturb you and your class, but somepony told us that Silver Spoon was a Changeling, and after the attack on Canterlot we have to check out every rumour of Changelings. Fortunately Twilight Sparkle recently came up with a workable, painless spell to uncover Changelings so no innocent ponies have to be arrested and waste our and their time being wrongly interrogated."
Silver Spoon glared at them. "Did Diamond Tiara lie to you can tell you that I was a Changeling?"
"It is Royal Guard policy never to divulge the names of our informants for their safety. And whilst it is very unlikely that you are a Changeling, we still need to cast the spell just to make sure." He cast the spell and a golden circle briefly formed around Silver Spoon and then faded away. "You are indeed Silver Spoon."
"Of course I am, and I feel insulted that you think I'm a Changeling. Those bugs murdered my father only days ago. I would happily burn their entire Hive to the ground."
"Well, our informant seemed very certain about what she was saying so either she has very good acting skills or she really did think you were a Changeling. We don't think she was malicious and did it for fun. We'll be going back on patrol now."
Diamond Tiara walked home chattering to her plushie all the way. "Stupid Miss Cherilee, taking the word of a Changeling over you. Just as well we met those Royal Guards and told them about that Changeling that dared to try and take your place. When we get home we can chat together, snuggle, plan a way to humiliate those blank flanks, just like the old times. Just....like....the...old...times."
Chapter Five-Still with Spoony
After supper Diamond went up to where her SilverPlushie waited for her, a huge smile on her face, as big as it was when her father brought her tiara for her back when she was still a blank flank. SilverPlushie lay on Diamond's bed where she had been left, and Diamond said quietly "You must be tired, you have had a long day." She planted a kiss on the plushie's forehead and then lightly on it's lips in the way she knew Silver always loved to be kissed, and got into bed with it, spooning with it, gripping it firmly with her front legs like she was a little foal again. "You and I will stay together for ever and ever and you will never leave me ever again," she said quietly in it's ear. "Your fur is so soft nowadays. You must have gone to the spa recently. " Her parents came upstairs looking for her and found their daughter gripping a large plushie just like when she was two years old.
"Are you allright, Diamond," Filthy Rich asked.
"Is it allright if Silver Spoon stays the night, Father? I promise she won't be noisy or eat your food whilst you're asleep."
Spoiled Rich glared at her daughter. "That thing is a large plushie, not Silver Spoon. Give it to me."
"No."
Spoiled Rich tried to take the plushie away, but Diamond Tiara hung onto it with all her earth pony strength. Not having claws like the griffins or unicorn magic, Spoiled Rich was at a disadvantage and had to give up. "You can't kick her out, Mother. The weather team have scheduled a rainstorm in Ponyville and she'll be caught in it and get soaked."
"Alright, she can stay for tonight."
Diamond spent the night asleep and almost wrapped around her plushie so that it could not be taken from her without waking her up. She was taking no chances. The next day when she went to school and took her plushie with her, talking to it all the way to school just like she would talk to the real Silver Spoon. When she got there, the former ice queen and bully of the playground was now the playground laughing stock. Ponies formed a circle to point and laugh and then the real Silver Spoon pushed her way through them to see what the fuss was about and stared at Diamond Tiara, her tail flicking from side to side in anger.
"Diamond, what in Celestia's holy name has happened to you? Is this your sick nasty way of getting your revenge on me for dumping you, for making us both the talk of the school?"
Diamond replied "Go away, changeling. I have my precious Silver with me and she will never leave me again, ever." And she kissed the plushie, making the nearby ponies break into fits of laughter as the school bell rang for class. When Diamond tried to take the plushie in, Cherilee thought quickly. If she allowed the plushie in it would disrupt the classroom, but if she sent Diamond home it would disrupt Diamond's education. "You can come in, but Silver Spoon must wait outside my office and I want you to take her there."
"Yes, Miss Cherilee."
Diamond nodded and took her plushie there muttering to herself. "Silver-I feel sure you would not have done either of those things. Perhaps somepony that we teased in the past fitted you up for a laugh to get you into trouble. But if you did do those naughty things, then no wonder you got yourself suspended from school." The rest of the day went as normal. At the end of the day Cherilee said, flicking her tail with annoyance and looking closely at Diamond Tiara "Silver Spoon, the *real one* , the one who spends all her time with you, not the one you think is a changeling, was caught with some hard cider and a knife in her saddlebags and I have decided to confiscate the forbidden items and suspend her from school for the next two weeks. Do not bring her to school during her suspension." And I hope in that time your family will have been able to somehow restore your sanity Cherilee thought. I will have to send them a letter about it.
Diamond Tiara nodded, collected her plushie, and went home muttering angrily to herself. "Silver, I feel sure that you would never have done such a thing as to take such forbidden items to school. Perhaps some pony who we teased in the past planted them in your saddlebags? If you did take them to school, that was a silly thing to do. Miss Cherilee is sweet and kind but she cannot be expected to put up with those sort of things being taken to school. If you were not from such a wealthy family you might have been expelled."
When she got home she found her other friend Alula, a pegasus, waiting for her. "Diamond...I was thinking we could go off to window shop and buy something, and then we could go and talk to Pinkie Pie?"
"I'd love that, as long as Silver Spoon comes with me."
Alula was shocked by the way the normal neat and pretty Diamond Tiara looked. Her mane was drooping and untidy, and it seemed her whole body had gone a deeper shade of purple and her cutie mark had lost it's normal gleam. The look in her eyes seemed somewhat crazy. This was not the Diamond Tiara that Alula had a secret crush on which she had never made public as Diamond had up until recently been happily taken. She hoped that Pinkie Pie could bring her unhappy friend back to her old self as the queen of the playground.
Chapter Four-Standing up for Spoony
It had cost her a great many bits, in fact an entire month of her pocket money that she was saving up, but the army of mercenaries that she had put together was surely the biggest one that Ponyville had seen for many centuries, since the end of the wars of old. Diamond Tiara now wore a military cap that she had brought in a nearby store over her beloved tiara. She was not going to take her tiara off for anypony.
"Are the troops ready?" she asked.
There was no answer.
"Clearly you all fear giving yourselves away to your foes. I'll answer for you."
"Are the troops ready? Yes."
"Soldiers of Equestria, I have gathered you here at great personal expense, I might had, because nopony can resist you. Who could possibly resist an army like you? Anyway, our job, at least, for those of you who can fly, is to fly up to Heaven and force them to release Coronation Spoon. In case any of you don't know, that's Silver Spoon's father. Once we bring him back to Equestria, Silver Spoon will surely come back to me again. In the unlikely event that he's not in Heaven, then we'll have to invade Tartarus and rescue him from there. When I give the word, Operation Coronation will start. Three, two, one..."
Filthy Rich opened Diamond Tiara's bedroom door, sending the model soldiers that Diamond Tiara had sent so long setting up in formation flying all over the place. "Diamond, it's time to come down for supper. And afterwards, tidy up your bedroom or you'll end up stepping on your toys and breaking them."
Diamond Tiara sighed. "I was about to bring Silver Spoon's father back to her, and you came charging in here and ruined it. I spent all afternoon setting it up."
"Diamond, Coronation Spoon is dead, and you can't bring him back to life with the help of an army of tin soldiers. Anyway dead ponies don't go to Heaven or Tartarus, they just lie in a grave and rot as food for the maggots, unless they are cremated."
Diamond Tiara sighed and went down to supper with her father. Operation Coronation would have to wait for a couple of days. But her army would rise again, and when she brought Silver Spoon her father back, surely Silver would gallop back into her arms. And it would be just like the old times. When she came back from supper, SilverPlushie would be waiting for her. SilverPlushie would have to do for now.
Author's Note
Sorry for the short bit but at least I am writing again at last.
