Silver Lining

Chapters

Silver Service
BFF's
A Candle in the Wind
Issues at Hoof
Do you like Apples?

Silver Service

The Project

“Di, Di come on! We’re going to be late. ” Silver Spoon anxiously called up to her friend’s bedroom window. The grey earth pony paced up and down impatiently; this was so typical of Diamond Tiara.

“I’ll be there in a minute Silver Spoon, jeesh!” Diamond was perfecting the curls in her mane. It took her a long time to do so, but she wouldn’t dream of going to school with a single hair out of place. Silver Spoon didn't have the same attitude; she just plated her mane and flung it over her shoulder, she wouldn’t understand.

Every morning Silver Spoon would call at her friend’s house, but Diamond Tiara was never ready. Their teacher - a kind-hearted mare named Cheerilee - never gave them much grief, but it still made Silver Spoon a little on edge - she didn’t like walking into class with all the other students staring at her. Diamond however, seemed to love the attention.

Today it was particularly important – at least to Silver Spoon – that they were not late. Earlier that week, the class had been given a special assignment, and today they were presenting their finished projects. The students worked in small groups of two or three, and as always, Silver Spoon was paired with her only friend; Diamond Tiara. The two were upper-class ponies from rich families; they had been friends since Kindergarten. Diamond Tiara was a confident young filly, she had a pale pink coat and lilac streaked mane. Her cutie mark resembled her name and represented her upbringing; it was a tiara. She wore a matching tiara upon her head, which her father had purchased for a hefty price on the very day she gained her cutie mark.

As always during school projects, Diamond was bossy and disinterested. She would usually leave Silver Spoon to do most of the hard work, but then assert her authority as ‘team captain’ whenever decisions needed to be made in terms of presentation, often creating a dispute between the two. Needless to say, Silver Spoon was actually quite proud of their project this time around. She carried it around her neck in a large green satchel, it was a bit heavy and weighed her head down a little, causing her neck to ache.

“Di are you ready yet?” Silver Spoon was growing more impatient.

“Hold on!”

“But we’re already…”

“I said hang on!”

“Di…”

“Okay! Ready!” The front door of Diamond’s manor flew open, and Silver Spoon couldn’t help but realise how pretty her friend was; her pink coat was glossier than ever, her streaked main intact, her long eyelashes curled, and her tail wavy and primed.

“Honestly Silver Spoon you need to chill out.” Diamond pranced past her friend without a care in the world. Silver Spoon followed without a word.

“Our project is going to blow the others out of the water.” Diamond began to brag. “No pony will even come close to what we have prepared. You’re so lucky to have me as a partner Silver Spoon.”

Silver knew that wasn’t true – after all, she had done most of the project, as well as come up with the idea for it, but she smiled and agreed with Diamond Tiara; just as she always did.

“Especially those Cutie Mark Crusaders, can you imagine the look on their faces when they don’t have the best project for once?”

“They’ll be pretty disappointed.” Silver Spoon laughed along. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were three fillies at their school; Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. They were the best of friends, and the only ponies in class who had not yet earned their cutie marks. Diamond Tiara seemed to enjoy teasing them for this, and Silver Spoon often joined in.

The two soon arrived at the school, just as the bell was about to ring. Diamond pushed past all the other ponies, including the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and Silver Spoon followed behind her.

As the students exchanged greetings and took their seats, Cheerilie began to speak, in her usual cheerful tone.

“Alright class, settle down. Now, I am sure you are all very excited to show off your projects on the history of Equestria.” She glanced around the room. Some of the students had their projects out on the desks. Two of the young colts - Snips and Snails - were wearing paper helmets. A trio of students near the front of the class were holding together a small stage set they had created, along with figurines. “I can already see we are in for quite a treat.” Cheerilee added anxiously, “So, who’s going to go first?”

Many ponies raised their hooves, but Diamond Tiara was the first. Silver Spoon wasn’t sure she wanted to go first, she would much rather see what the competition was like. She knew in her head that it wasn’t really a competition, but Diamond Tiara treated everything as such, and her attitude had rubbed off a little onto her partner.

“Alright Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, let’s see what you came up with!”

Silver Spoon reached into her satchel and pulled out their project, it was a sculpture, made from clothe, gems, paint, and glitter.

The young pony tampered with her glasses nervously, and then took a breath, ready to explain the concept of their sculpture, but as usual Diamond Tiara beat her to the mark.

“Our project is a miniature replica of the palace built by the wealthy Prince Topaz, who built a tower out of gems, in order to win the approval of his subjects and overthrow his controlling power hungry father.” Diamond said in a boastful manner.

She pointed at the top of the tower, where a doll version of the prince was placed looking out over the kingdom. “As you can see, there is no entrance to the tower. The only way to get to the top was by flying. King Topaz exercised his wings to make them strong enough to reach the top, many pegasus would get tired and not be able to make it halfway up the tower, and his father – an earth pony - had no chance.”

Silver was about to make a point, when Diamond continued, “The fields are made from emerald coloured clothe and decorated with real emeralds. As you can see, King Topaz had gems to spare. It wasn’t long before the entire kingdom turned their back on his father, and crowned him their new king.”

“That’s very creative.” Cheerilee praised the two. Diamond Tiara stuck her chest out proudly, “But do you know what happened to King Topaz’s father after he was overthrown by his own son?”

Diamond hesitated, she had no idea. Luckily Silver Spoon had the answer, “He tried to destroy the tower, but Prince... urm, 'King' Topaz, set his army against him. His father was exiled from the kingdom, and never seen again.”

Silver Spoon smiled at Diamond Tiara, expecting a response, but Diamond simply glanced at her partner, and then turned to face Cheerilee.

“Very good you two, I am impressed.” Their teachers face lit up, “Now who is next, Applebloom, what about your group?”

Applebloom’s group always did so well in presentations. The three young fillies were best friends, having bonded over their desire to earn their cutie marks, they spent a lot of time together. Applebloom was a young country pony who lived on a nearby apple farm. She wore a bright pink bow in her mane, and was always cheerful and upbeat. Sweetie Belle was a unicorn; she was a little air headed, but ambitious and full of ideas, she took care of her appearance, although not quite to the extent of Diamond Tiara. Then there was Scootaloo, a tomboyish orange pegasus, who was well known for riding everywhere on her scooter.

Applebloom looked a little anxious at first. She glanced at her partners, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, who nodded in support. Then concluded “Yes Miss Cheerilee, we are ready!”

The three of them looked determined as they took Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoons place at the front of the class, carrying with them an oddly shaped cardboard cut-out.

Diamond Tiara smirked and whispered to Silver Spoon, “This should be good.”

As the three friends stood in place, they turned their project toward the class. It was a shield, painted and decorated just like the sculpture, except it involved many detailed drawings of knight ponies, buffalo tribes, and even a dragon flying overhead. There were only a few gems around the boarder, on the main surface the fillies had used buttons, ribbon, and paint instead.

Cheerilee looked instantly pleased with the detailed project, which calmed Applebloom’s nerves a little. She looked toward Scootaloo and gave a nod, and the pegasus smiled back at her friend before continuing to speak.

“Our project tells a story, going back to the days when the buffalo tribes and earth ponies weren’t getting along. As you can see in this image, drawn by our artist Sweetie Belle…” She gestured to her friend. “The buffalo and knights are battling it out, to decide who has rights to the land.”

Sweetie Belle blushed a little, before pointing to the next image. “In this segment, we’ve shown how the Buffalo and Ponies tried to divide the land between them, but argued constantly. The buffalo needed large areas to stampede, and the Ponies needed areas to farm and build civilisation. We were going to leave it there, but then Applebloom had this great idea to include the dragon… you tell them Applebloom!” She excitedly smiled at the young earth pony, who picked up where her friend left off.

“Here you can see how the ferocious dragon appears and begins to attack the land, and suddenly the two sides must decide to work together in order to protect it. The Ponies build barriers around their homes, and the buffalo lured the dragon miles away into the mountains. When the buffalo returned, the Ponies welcomed them happily.”

Scootaloo continued, “They were able to compromise, building tracks and roads around the farms and buildings.”

Then Sweetie Belle stepped in, “They celebrated their unity by creating shields to represent how the two cultures worked together to defend their home.”

Applebloom concluded, “Scootaloo came up with the idea to tell the story on a shield, to commemorate that moment.”

The three friends smiled, they knew they had done well. The class was wide eyed and Cheerilee looked very impressed.

“That was excellent girls, very well done, I really liked your choice of story. That deserves a gold star.”

Diamond Tiara’s mouth fell open; she couldn’t believe the Cutie Mark Crusaders had gotten another gold star. She gritted her teeth and scowled. Silver spoon sighed, she was sad about losing to the crusaders, but there was something else about their presentation which had left her feeling rather down. It was something she felt quite often, when she was around them...

BFF's

Silver at Your Service.

Silver Spoon avoided eye contact with Diamond Tiara for the rest of the day. She knew that Diamond would blame her entirely for their history project being outshone by that of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. She sat nervously as the other students came up in their groups to present their work. They were all very creative; some acted out battle scenes, many created sculptures, and there was even a puppet show!

Silver Spoon observed the other ponies proudly showing off their projects, taking it in turns to explain the concept and giving one another credit for a job well done. The rest of the class was applauding and admiring the work of their peers. Everyone was having a great time; it was a nice break from their regular classes.

The bell rang, and Cheerilee congratulated the young ponies,

“Well done every pony, some fantastic work today! Have a great weekend and we will be back to our usual schedule on Monday.”

Silver Spoon followed her friend out the class; Diamond was clearly not in the best mood.

“I can’t believe that stupid project got them a gold star.” She grumbled, “I told you we should’ve added more gem stones. You never listen to me!”

Silver was contemplating a response; she wasn’t so sure that it was the sculpture which had let them down. Suddenly the Cutie Mark Crusaders passed by, they looked cheerful and eager for the weekend,

“Great job girls.” Applebloom smiled, “Maybe we’ll get our cutie marks in arts and crafts.”

Diamond gazed over at the fillies, with eyes full of hatred and jealousy. Silver Spoon felt a similar way; she couldn’t stand those three. They had no cutie marks, they had no luxury, they weren’t gifted or bought up in rich families, and yet… they were so happy. Every time she saw them they were laughing and playing together, enjoying every minute of each other’s company - this made her very angry.

Diamond always jumped at an opportunity to rain on their parade, and Silver Spoon was never far behind.

“Cutie marks for doing homework? I’ve never heard of anything more ridiculous.” Diamond taunted the fillies.

Silver Spoon saw her chance to redeem herself in Diamond Tiara’s eyes,

“Can you even imagine what that would look like Di?” She pointed at each of the Curie Mark Crusaders in turn, “A terrible cardboard cut-out, a splash of paint, and an unidentifiable scribble.”

Sweetie Belle was the eager to retaliate, “You guys are just jealous because our project won us a gold star.”

Diamond scoffed, “You might have a pointless gold star for your little artwork, but it wasn’t good enough to earn you a cutie mark, not even one that resembles a sloppy mess.”

The three fillies looked a little sad; she had a point. If their project was so great, why did they still have blank flanks?

Diamond wasn’t finished, “Aw don’t be miserable.” She teased, “If you did get a cutie mark for something as ridiculous as homework, you’d be a complete laughing stock. Cutie marks should represent something you can be proud of, like mine.” She smiled proudly at her own flank, which held the image of a decorative tiara.

“I gained my cutie mark because my father bought a jewellery store, which meant I could have all the jewellery and diamonds that I wanted. My father had terrible taste, and only I could tell what was really valuable. I had a natural gift for luxury, and wouldn’t accept anything but the best. It wasn’t long before I got my cutie mark, and my father had a tiara specially crafted to match it.” She pointed at the diamond studded tiara on her head; indeed it looked exactly like her cutie mark.

“Tell them how you got your cutie mark Silver.” Diamond motioned her friend,

This was no problem for Silver Spoon. Her cutie mark was an elegant spoon with a heart-shaped handle; it looked very impressive.

“My family are so rich; they only eat at the most expensive five star restaurants.” She boasted, finally gaining a smile from Diamond Tiara. “After tasting meals from all around Equestria, I gained my cutie mark, because ponies in our family only settle for the finest cuisine.” Silver felt relaxed, she had told this story so many times, even she had started to believe that it was the truth.

“See,” Diamond finished, “That is what a cutie mark should be for, not for some silly little history project or manual labour.” The two set off laughing, leaving the Cutie Mark Crucaders looking sadly at their blank flanks, and Silver Spoon felt much, much better.

They walked past Diamond Tiara’s large three story house. It was a beautiful building, with pale bricks and plants decorating every door and window.

“Well Silver, we certainly put those three back in their place.” Diamond smiled, “See you tomorrow.”

Silver felt relieved that the two of them were still on good terms. She continued toward her own home, which was a little more formal, but every bit as impressive as Diamond Tiara’s. Her house looked like a small castle, which stood proudly upon a small hill overlooking several other buildings owned by her family.

When she opened the door, she was greeted by her father, a tall dark grey earth pony; he was neatly dressed in a waistcoat and tie, with a nearly trimmed mane. His cutie mark was a butter knife, with a blue diamond shaped handle.

“Silver Spoon, good you’re home.” He spoke in a firm tone, “Hurry up and finish your homework; I need you to work a late shift at the restaurant tonight.”

Silver smiled, “Sure Daddy.” She went straight to her room.

The afternoon seemed to drag, but soon it was time for work. As she was putting on her uniform, she admired how much the frilled apron suited her. It was then that Silver Spoon she felt an odd mixture of joy and sadness. The truth is, Silver Spoon had been lying to Diamond Tiara about how she earned her cutie mark, and she had been lying to everyone at school.

Silver’s family were rich, and they had travelled all over Equestria tasting fancy cuisine – at least, her parents had. Her father eventually purchased his own restaurant just outside of Ponyville. It was a huge success, an elegant atmosphere, exquisite decor, beautiful music, and the food was second to none. Rich ponies came from all over to eat there, they even had a few celebrities now and then, but it was incredibly rare that any regular pony from Ponyville visited the restaurant.

The business was a huge success, until one day when there was a dispute between two of the waitresses, involving an incident where food had been delivered to the wrong table. One of them lost her temper, and quit on the spot, leaving the team under staffed. Silver’s father was called, and at first he began to panic. Silver Spoon had just finished laying the dining room table at the time, and she approached her dad find out what was wrong.

It was at this moment that Silver’s father noticed how well his daughter had prepared the table. On a whim, he asked if she would like to give waitressing a try. Silver Spoon was hesitant at first, but after seeing her father stressing out, she realised how important the restaurant was to him. She took the shift, and was surprised not only at how good she was, but also at how much she really enjoyed working at the restaurant. Laying out the cutlery, providing excellent service, and most importantly; being given praise and credit from both the customers and the co-workers.

Silver Spoon was such a credit to the team, that she was offered more shifts, then more. Soon she was not only a waitress, she worked in the kitchens, she cooked, she cleaned, and she loved every minute of it. Before she knew it, her cutie mark appeared. It was a fancy looking spoon, representing her excellent quality service. Being a young filly, Silver was not able to work full time until she came of age, but she now worked at the restaurant every weekend, and some nights after school. This job was Silver’s joy in life; it made her happy, it made her feel needed and appreciated.

However, Silver Spoon could never mention to Diamond that she was a part-time waitress - the thought of such a thing made her sick to her stomach. She was supposed to be eating at fanciful restaurants every night - not working at one. This was almost as pathetic as the idea of the cutie mark crusaders; getting their cutie marks for homework! If Diamond Tiara knew that Silver Spoon had gained her cutie mark from working hard, from providing a service to other ponies, she would certainly be disgusted - she would disown her!

Silver sighed, and finished put on her uniform - it really did look so good on her. She clipped her mane back and gave her glasses a wipe to clear the lenses before setting off toward the restaurant.

When Silver Spoon arrived, she was given a warm welcome by a group of five ponies. The other staff members were all very happy to have the young filly working with them tonight.

“Silver there you are! Looking beautiful as ever!” One of the chefs laughed, he was a large unicorn, with a stylish moustache and a large build.

A cheerful brown mare stepped forward, “We’re in for a busy night, fully booked once again! Hope you’re up for it!”

“Always!” Silver smiled back at the group, she was certainly appreciated here.

The ponies got to work.

The shift was going great. Silver pulled out the chairs for her customers, presented their menus, took their orders and served their meals. Every pony was impressed by the food as always, and as always, Silver Spoon was given credit for her services, and a ton of tips. It was such an enjoyable routine, collecting the orders and taking them to the tables.

“Enjoy your meal,” She bowed her head a little politely after delivering a meal to a well dressed unicorn family, “Please let me know if you need anything.”

“Thank you…. Silver Spoon.” Said a high pitched voice, in a rather confused manner.

Silver froze, her ears pricked up; she knew that voice. She looked up wide eyed, into the face of… Sweetie Belle.

For a few seconds she couldn’t speak, couldn’t move, she actually hoped in all her heart that this was a dream or… something! Sweetie Belle couldn’t know she worked here, Diamond couldn’t know. She had to make up some sort of excuse… but… how?

“Oh um, hello Sweetie Belle is it?” She asked, clearly knowing the young filly’s name. “W…what are you doin… erm I mean it’s odd to see yo…”

Sweetie Belle chimed in happily, as though she had completely forgotten the event previously that day, “My sister Rarity designed some amazing dresses for a performing arts company.” She motioned toward her sister, a beautiful unicorn with a swirling purple mane. “They paid her a lot so she’s treating us all to a luxury meal!”

Silver gulped, “Oh I see urm, well, you see I don’t work her, I don’t really work here… I’m just um…”

“Silver Spoon these need taking to table four!” A waiter shouted impatiently.

“Oh uh, of cause” Silver Spoon looked panicked, then gave a nervous smile at the family, and left.

For the remainder of her shift, Silver Spoon was on edge. She couldn’t relax; she wondered what on earth Diamond Tiara would say if she found out about her little job. Sweetie Belle was surely going to mention it at school - she would be a laughing stock. Silver’s mind was going crazy, she was playing out scenarios in her head, of Diamond laughing at her, calling her a loser, and the rest of the class joining in.

Her mind was on nothing else, and then it happened – Silver crashed into a table and fell, dropping four meals all over the floor, and over herself.

A Candle in the Wind

Silver's Secret.

“Silver Spoon? Silver Spoon, can you hear me?”

Finally, the young mare opened her eyes. Her vision was blurred, but she could just about make out the face of the head chef, who was looking down at her anxiously.

“Wh... where am I… what happene…” As she regained conciousness, Silver Spoon noticed that she was in the restaurants first aid room, lying on a small bed with clean white sheets.

“You had a little accident my dear.” The chef spoke softly, “Don’t worry, your father is on the way.”

“But… what about my shift… who’s going to… what about….” Then it hit her, “Oh no! Sweetie Belle!”

Silver instantly leapt to her feet, much to the surprise of the chef. Her heart pounded violently, and she darted out the room without thinking. Silver raced across the diner, toward the table where the unicorn family had been sitting... but they were gone.

Silver Spoon was in a mad state of panic, all of the customers were staring at her. She began hyperventilating, as scenes of Sweetie Belle cackling evilly played through her mind, followed by images of Diamond Tiara calling her a loser. Tears welled up in Silver Spoons eyes, and it was through these tears that she saw... them.

Sweetie Belle’s family were at the door, just about to leave the restaurant. Silver had not been unconscious for very long after all. She immediately ran over to the family, the customers and other staff looked on wide eyed – they had no idea why Silver Spoon was acting this way.

Without a second thought, Silver approached Sweetie Belle. She was still struggling to breathe but managed to whisper, as the young unicorn’s family were present.

“Sweetie Belle, can we talk?” Silver felt the sweat dripping from her forehead.

Sweetie Belle looked totally confused, “Talk? What do you mean talk? About what?”

The rest of the unicorn family were looking at Silver Spoon, a little concerned by her behaviour.

Silver hesitated for a moment before shouting, “It’s about school!”

She grabbed Sweetie Belle by the hoof and ran outside. The restaurant was surrounded by beautiful plants and magnificent large trees. Silver Spoon dragged the young unicorn behind a hedge; Sweetie Belle was completely bewildered.

Back inside the restaurant, Sweetie Belle’s family were confused for a moment, and then her father, who was a very laid back, rugged unicorn, spoke up,

“Sounds important, it’s nice to see two young fillies taking their school work so seriously.”

Her mother nodded and smiled, but Rarity wasn’t sure of the situation at all.

Silver Spoon tried to collect herself, she looked up at Sweetie Belle, who maintained a puzzled expression. Silver really hated Sweetie Belle right now. She wasn’t sure what to do, or what to say, she simply stood there fuming with rage, looking hatefully at the young white unicorn.

It was Sweetie Belle who spoke first,

“Silver Spoon, whatever it is…” She began to say,

“Listen here you little blank flank.” Silver snapped. She tried to look as threatening as possible, but it was difficult being in such a state of panic. “If you tell ANYONE, I mean ANYONE that you saw me working here, you will… I will… just don’t you dare or else!”

Sweetie Belle was not intimidated in the slightest, “What? But why? Wait… or else what?”

“Or else…” Silver was stuck; she had never actually threatened someone before, and she had no idea what she was doing. She felt her knees beginning to shake, her eyes welling up once again, and then, she broke.

“Just, just please don’t tell them Sweetie Belle.” She begged, “If anyone found out… if Diamond found out, just don’t tell them okay?”

Sweetie Belle couldn’t believe her ears, Silver Spoon was actually asking her nicely to keep a secret? That was the best, she struggled not to laugh but couldn’t prevent her mouth from forming a smile. Then she had an idea;

“Alright, alright, Silver Spoon, calm down. I won’t tell any pony.”

“You wont?” Silver’s face lit up, “Oh thank you Sweetie belle… you don’t know…”

“I wasn’t finished.” Sweetie Belle interrupted. “I won’t tell any pony, under one condition.”

Silver Spoons face dropped, she waited to hear what the young unicorn had to say.

“You leave me and my friends alone. No more calling us names, no more teasing us about not having out cutie marks, no more insulting us for no reason, just don't pick on us full stop.”

Silver calmed down a little, “Um okay but what if Diamond Tiara…”

Once again Sweetie Belle interrupted. “Just because Diamond Tiara does something, doesn’t mean you have to join in. Can’t you think for yourself?”

Silver was speechless. She often felt inside that she was just going along with whatever Diamond Tiara did, but she didn’t realise this was so clear to other ponies, especially not an air head like Sweetie Belle. Was she really that transparent?

Suddenly, Rarity’s voice could be heard close by, “Sweetie Belle, come on it’s time to go, where are you?”

Silver Spoon had no time to argue, “Oh okay… deal.” She answered.

“Great.” Sweetie Belle smiled, “Well, goodbye.”

The young unicorn pranced off after her sister.

Silver thought she was about to pass out with relief. She took a deep breathe, and made her way back to the restaurant. Her father had just arrived, and was standing with the head chef, who was telling him about his daughter’s odd behaviour.

Silver Spoon ran over to the two of them, “Daddy, I’m so, so sorry for what happened. I just suddenly felt really light headed, and then, when I woke up I needed air, that’s why I ran I just… I’m not feeling well Daddy, that’s all.”

“Aw poor kid,” The head chef replied, “I agree the restaurant business can get very stressful at times, and for such a young filly like yourself...”

Her father however, was not impressed. “Silver Spoon, you should have mentioned sooner if you were unwell. You must have caused quite the ruckus in there, that kind of behaviour could be very bad for the business.” He sounded stern and rather annoyed.

Silver looked sadly at the floor, “I know Daddy... I...I’m sorry.”

Her father then turned to the chef, “We had better be going. I’m very sorry for the trouble my daughter caused.”

The two left silently. Silver Spoon felt much calmer now, but she was extremely unhappy. She really had lost her cool and let her father down. He was clearly disappointed, and did not say a word to Silver Spoon during the walk home. When they arrived at their house, it was getting quite late.

“I’m going to go to bed,” Silver said, she began to walk upstairs, then looked back at her father and added, “Goodnight Daddy.”

The stallion did not respond. He did not even look at her. Silver Spoon felt miserable; she wasn’t going to sleep well tonight.

Silver lay awake, tossing and turning, thinking about her job, about her father, and about whether Sweetie Belle was really going to keep her secret. How could she not join in if Diamond Tiara wanted to pick on the crusaders? Diamond Tiara would get angry with her again, and perhaps even fall out with her completely. She had to find a way to avoid them, but Ponyville was such a small area, they saw the crusaders nearly every day - they saw almost every pony nearly every day - how could she possibly keep her friend away from them?

The sun rose and Silver Spoon rubbed her eyes, she had overslept, and was still half asleep. She rushed to get ready; Diamond Tiara was going to be pretty peeved if she was late calling for her. After washing her mane, putting on her necklace, and grabbing a fancy looking black satchel, Silver set off to her friend’s house. Diamond was waiting outside the door, tapping her foot impatiently.

“There you are Silver Spoon, I was just about to set off without you.” She said, annoyed.

“S…sorry Di.” Silver felt a lump in her throat, “What do you want to do today?”

“Well, my father has given me 300 bits for doing so well in the history project.” Bragged Diamond, “I’m in need of some new outfits; so let’s go to the Carousel boutique.”

Silver froze. The Carousel Boutique was the designer store owned by Rarity, Sweetie Belle’s older sister. It was the only place in Ponyville for designer clothing, but Rarity would surely recognise her and mention what happened at the restaurant, or worse – they would bump into Sweetie Belle.

“Urm… but, um…” Silver Spoon panicked, “You look thirsty Di, don’t you feel like going for a milkshake?”

Diamond Tiara raised an eyebrow, “What are you talking about Silver Spoon? I've just left my house.”

She walked past her friend, in the direction of the Carousel Boutique. Silver ran in front of her,

“Bu…but, I’ve heard about this amazing store just outside of Ponyville, it sells all kinds of dresses, hats, accessories, you name it! It’s much, much better than the Carousel Boutique.”

“Really?” Diamond looked puzzled, “How come I’ve never heard of it?”

“It's only just opened!” Silver tried to look convincing, “It’s called urm…” she glanced over her friend, noting her tiara and confused expression, “Sparkling…urm… Wonder… Design”

“Sparkling Wonder Design?” Diamond appeared to be in disbelief at the ridiculous name, before adding, “That sounds INCREDIBLE. We need to go! Right now! Can we walk there?”

Silver Spoon couldn’t believe that had worked. “Oh no,” She continued, “We will need to catch the train.”

“Well what’s a little travelling for top quality clothing?” Diamond smiled, “After all, I only settle for the very best.”

She turned around, and headed toward the station, Silver followed. She was so relieved, although she hadn’t thought this plan through at all. They were going to catch the train, to outside of Ponyville, somewhere they couldn’t possibly run into Sweetie Bell or the other Cutie Mark Crusaders, and that was all that mattered to her right now. Surely there would be a designer store somewhere, and then she could just say she got the name wrong. She was a smart pony; she could come up with something.

Silver Spoon didn’t have as much money as her friend, she only had her wages from the restaurant, but that didn’t matter. Diamond was always far too busy comparing merchandise and and trying on different accessories to notice that her friend wasn’t buying as much as her.

As the station drew closer, the roof of the building could be seen over the horizon. It was a neat little hut on top of a long wooden platform. Trains ran frequently to all over Equestria, and they were very reliable; ponies never had to wait very long. The sun was shining brightly, the birds were singing, and Silver felt content, being once again at Diamond Tiara’s side.

They pranced along the street happily, when suddenly, a purple ball rolled across their path at high speed.

“I’ll get it.” Called a familiar voice. To Silver Spoons horror, a young pegasus pony was running after the ball - it was Scootaloo.

Silver reluctantly looked over in the direction the ball had came from. Sure enough, there was Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. Diamond Tiara narrowed her eyes, and a grin formed across her face as she looked over at the trio of blank flanks.

Silver gulped, and whispered to herself,

"Oh, no."

Issues at Hoof

Best Friends

Before Silver Spoon could stop her, Diamond marched over to Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, who were eagerly waiting for their pegasus friend to return with the ball. They stood near the riverside, and looked a little worn out, but happy; they were clearly having a lot of fun.

“Looks like you blank flanks are having a blast playing with that dirty old ball,” Diamond Tiara smirked, “What a lame way to spend a weekend.”

Silver Spoon said nothing. She watched from a distance as Scootaloo returned with the ball and joined the group.

“What do you two want?” Scootaloo narrowed her eyes, “You’re interrupting our game.”

"Oh no you silly little flightless pegasus,"Diamond swiped the ball from Scootaloo’s hoof, “Now I'm interrupting your game.”

She laughed and threw the ball behind her “Catch, Silver!”

The ball landed directly in front of Silver Spoon, but the anxious young filly did not try to catch it. Diamond looked irritated, but for once Silver Spoon was more focused on the reaction of Sweetie Belle; the small dimwitted unicorn who knew the secret which could ruin her life forever. Sweetie Belle glanced back at her, before continuing to frown at Diamond Tiara.

“Give that back!” Applebloom ordered,

Diamond laughed, “Tut, you should have asked nicely.” She gave an evil smile, “Silver Spoon, kick it into the river.”

Silver Spoon froze. To the left of her was the main river which ran through Ponyville. It was always flowing, and lead right down to the ocean; the ball would surely be lost forever if she kicked it. To Silver’s surprise, she felt an odd, unfamiliar emotion as she noticed the distressed faces of Sweetie Belle and the other cutie mark crusaders. She had never really paid attention to their facial expressions before when she and Diamond Tiara were taunting the trio. It appeared as though they were trying to maintain a tough, bold posture, by frowning angrily and standing their ground, but their eyes were welling up, and their knees were shaking - to Silver Spoon, it was almost like looking in a mirror.

“Silver Spoon, did you not hear me?” Diamond snapped, “Hurry up and do it so we can go shopping.”

Silver had no idea what to do; she couldn’t kick the ball away, Sweetie Belle would surely tell Diamond Tiara her secret, but she couldn’t not kick the ball away either; Diamond would think she was being disloyal and be furious with her. Silver felt her body begin to shake, as her breathing became rapid and uncontrollable, she stared wide eyed at the other fillies as her pupils dilated, and then, once again… she ran.

Silver raced over the hills and through the countryside, back in the direction of Ponyville. She darted down the streets, bumping into several ponies along the way. Finally, with tears streaming from her eyes, and her heart pounding faster than ever, she arrived at her home. Her father was at work, and the only pony present in the house was their housemaid, a purple mare dressed in a black uniform with a curly mane. She was busy cleaning in another room, but turned when she heard the front door open and close. When she went to investigate, Silver Spoon was already half way up the stairs, so she shrugged and continued cleaning.

Silver Spoon was in a state of panic. She laid on her majestic king sized bed, and cried her eyes out for what seemed like an eternity. She was trying to rationalise the situation, but the more she tried to think of a way to fix everything, the more the visions of the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Diamond Tiara taunting her corrupted her mind. This time, Diamond was calling her a freak and a coward, and making comments such as:

“I can’t believe you ran away, you’re so pathetic.” and “I don’t know why I was ever friends with you, you’re just as bad as those blank flanks.”

Silver cried more, “Di, Diamond no… no… please no.”

The tearful filly then reached into a beautiful oak chest of drawers beside her bed, and took out a small pink book - it was a diary. She opened the velvet cover to reveal tons of scribbles, messy writing, and photographs of a young Silver Spoon, playing with her best friend, Diamond Tiara. The two used to play together almost every day, and write each other letters during the times when they couldn’t hang out for whatever reason, and Silver had kept every single one.

She began to read through the letters, one was from Diamond when she had pony-pox and had to stay off school for an entire week:

“Dear Silver Spoon, I hate being ill, it’s so boring. Daddy says I need to get plenty of rest, but I want to go to the park with you. When I’m better we will have to go, the weather is nice and I have some amazing sun glasses to show off. See you soon, Di xx”

Silver remembered that she had made a get well soon card for her friend on that occasion. She wondered whether Diamond still had it - probably not. Another letter was from when Diamond took a trip to Canterlot with her family.

“Dear Silver, Canterlot is so cool. Everyone dresses like they’re famous or something. I wish you could see it. Maybe next time I’ll ask my Daddy if you can come too. Then we can dress better than all of them and pretend to be princesses. Di xx”

Silver smiled, her and Diamond Tiara always used to play princesses when they were young, in fact, that is kind of how they met. She lay back and recalled the memory, having calmed down enough now to control her own thoughts without her inner fears interrupting.

It was Silver Spoon’s first day of Kindergarten. Originally, her parents had decided their daughter was to be given private tuition her entire life, but Silver wasn’t quite living up to the ridiculously high expectations of her strict tutor. It was Silver’s mother’s idea to send her to Ponyville Kindergarten… and Silver Spoon was terrified.

As she entered the seemingly large building, she looked around at the walls decorated with colourful patterns. Silver didn’t know any pony, and she was very nervous. As she walked into the class, she saw the young fillies and colts painting, playing with building blocks, and learning to count. Silver had never really cared for painting, building blocks or counting, so she walked over to the small row of book cases at the far end of the classroom, and started browsing the shelves. She soon found a book she liked the look of, called 'The Moonlight Princess', and was about to open it when she heard a squeaky voice.

“No Peppermint you can’t use that block for the ramp, it’s the wrong shape!”

Silver Spoon peered around the other side of the book cases, where she saw a very pretty young earth pony sitting on top of a pile of blocks. Her eyes were a bright sky blue, her mane was curly and streaked, and she looked like a real princess.

A small red filly with a white striped mane was arranging books around the block pile, creating a wall around the back. She was using the building blocks to create small steps around the front, and trying to place a book over them to make a ramp, but she was having great difficulty finding blocks which formed a perfect slant, and the book kept sliding.

Silver watched for a while, and two young male unicorns appeared – Snips and Snails. Snails was taller than the other ponies in class, he had freckles and a dopey expression. Snips was short and plump with a scruffy mane. The two carried flags which they placed either side of the tower. This caused Peppermint to look up, and sure enough, the ramp fell to pieces the moment she released the book, much to the disapproval of Diamond Tiara.

“If you can’t build me a proper ramp, I’ll find some pony who can.” Diamond snapped. Then she noticed Silver Spoon.

“Hey four eyes, come over here.”

Silver gulped; surely this demanding young filly didn’t expect her to…

“You look smart I guess, fix this bridge.”

Silver didn’t say a word, she dropped the book she had chosen from the shelf, which caused Diamond to glance down and see the title. Peppermint, Snips and Snails watched as Silver Spoon removed the book ramp and began to rearrange the steps, making them a lot less steep. When she was finished, she placed the book on top, and sure enough, it didn’t slide. Diamond came over to admire her work, she looked very stern at first, then exclaimed,

“Not bad! See Peppermint, that’s how you build a ramp fit for a princess!”

The young red filly stuck her tongue out and left, whilst Snips and Snails continued fixing their flags. Diamond turned to Silver Spoon.

“So, you like books about princesses too?” She asked, “This is one of my favourites, although I’m not big on reading, she is really cool looking.”

Silver smiled, Diamond seemed confused by her silence.

“What’s your name?”

The young grey filly looked up timidly, “Urm… It’s Silver Spoon…”

Diamond tilted her head, “You look rich... is your family rich?”

Silver Spoon wasn’t sure how to answer, “Well, I supposed, my Daddy buys a lot of buildings.”

Diamond Tiara grinned, “Well Madame Silver Spoon, “Welcome to my Kingdom. Let me show you around…”

Silver felt overwhelmed with delight. Diamond Tiara took her around the classroom, showing her all the activities and telling her about the other ponies. Silver Spoon noticed that Diamond had good knowledge of the others, but she didn’t seem particularly fond of any of them. She would make comments such as,

“That’s Mudpie, keep away from him, he eats mud.”

And “Those are the twins over there, Orchard and Aviary, they aren’t very bright, but they’ll pretty much do anything you ask.”

She spoke loudly, so the poor young ponies heard every insulting word she said, but Diamond didn’t care at all.

At the end of the day, Silver Spoon’s father was late collecting her. So Diamond Tiara took Silver over to her family, and introduced them,

“Mommy, Daddy, This is Silver Spoon. She’s an upper class genius pony.” Diamond smiled excitedly,

Silver Spoon had never felt so happy. Diamond liked her. Diamond didn’t seem to like any pony else, but she liked her.

The two became the best of friends, and Silver came out her shell a little more. They played together every day after school. They pretended to be princesses; Diamond Tiara would be Princess Celestia, and Silver Spoon would be Princess Luna, just like in the stories. Diamond Tiara was the only pony who thought that Silver was cool and special, and Silver Spoon thought that Diamond Tiara was cool and special too.

Silver wiped a tear from her eye and looked at all the photographs the two had taken together, from the day they met, to the present day. Photo's of them at the beach, in Manehatten, at one another's birthday parties, dressing up as Princesses, they had shared so many great memories together. Silver then closed the diary - which was also a birthday present from her best, and only friend.

Silver Spoon then lay on her bed, hugging the book,

“It’s over.” She sobbed, “It’s all over.”

Suddenly, there was a knock at her bedroom door, and the housemaid’s voice called in;

“Silver Spoon, there’s a little filly here to see you.”

“J…just a minute!!”

Silver sat up, she rubbed her eyes as dry as possible and tried to neaten her mane - maybe it wasn’t over after all. She could just tell Diamond that she was sick of being around those blank flanks; sure her reaction was a little extreme, but that’s because she hated them so much… okay, that wasn’t very convincing, but it was all she had. Maybe if she apologised and if they had a great day out shopping together, Diamond would forget all about her running away. Who knows, but Silver had to try, she just had to…She ran over to the door,

“Okay, you can let her in now.”

Silver looked at the floor as she began to speak quickly, “Oh Di, I’m so sorry… it’s just… you see… well I can’t stan….”

She paused when she noticed two white hooves on the ground not far from her own. The pony who stood in front of her wasn’t Diamond Tiara – it was Sweetie Belle.

Anxiety once again kicked in, and Silver gasped and took a step back, “Wh… what are you doing here? Haven’t you ruined my life yet?” She snapped, but her tone sounded more sorrowful than angry.

Sweetie Belle ignored the question, “I came to see if you were alright Silver Spoon.” She said.

Silver was stunned, so Sweetie Belle continued.

“I didn’t mean to black mail you. If it really means that much to you; if it’s going to cause you this much stress, then, I won’t say anything about you being a waitress. Not to my friends, not to Diamond Tiara, not to any pony...”

The kind hearted young unicorn’s gentle words soothed Silver Spoon, “But what if Di…what if we…are mean to you?”

“Put it this way,” Sweetie Belle smiled, “We’ll just pretend like the whole restaurant thing never even happened. Wipe it clean from your memory, and I’ll do the same.”

Silver couldn’t prevent her mouth falling open, she gathered herself before replying, “Sweetie Belle… after everything...t…thank you.”

“It’s nothing.” Sweetie Belle was about to leave, and then added. “But you know, perhaps you should tell Diamond Tiara yourself. It’s kinda cool you have a job and all. Not many fillies our age have that kind of responsibility; I think that Diamond Tiara would actually be pretty impressed. Well, see you later Silver Spoon.”

The young unicorn smiled and skipped downstairs, where the maid showed her out.

Impressed? Silver had never thought about it that way before. In a second, her mind completely changed - Sweetie Belle was right, it was kind of impressive. No other pony in their class had a job, well, apart from Applebloom, she worked at her families Apple Farm. Diamond Tiara often teased the young country pony for that - but working on a farm and working at a top five star restaurant were completely different things.

It was as though having another ponies opinion on her had completely altered Silver Spoon’s opinion of herself. Sweetie Belle was not her friend, in fact, she was more like an enemy, if even she thought it was cool that Silver Spoon had a part time job, then surely Diamond Tiara – her best friend – would think so too. After all, Diamond was the pony who thought she was cool in the first place. She had arrived at Kindergarten as a shy little four eyed outcast, and Diamond had taken an instant liking to her. Silver felt it in her heart, the two had a very strong connection, and now there was no doubt in her mind that Diamond would accept her, and perhaps even like her more.

She had to tell her, she had to tell her everything - and it had to be right now.

Do you like Apples?

A Diamond in the Rough

“Di, Di are you there?” Silver Spoon paced nervously outside her friend’s glistening manor.

She knew Diamond Tiara must be inside; she wouldn’t have caught the train alone, after all Silver had purposely not given Diamond any details about the location of the imaginary design shop, 'Sparkling Wonder'. Silver had been planning on choosing a place at random once they reached the station, or… something.

The anxious young earth pony looked up into her friends bedroom window. The satin curtains were half closed, restricting her view. Just then, Silver noticed a figure. It was only present for a moment, but she made out a pointed pink ear, and a tiara.

“Di, please, just hear me out!” Silver Spoon pleaded, the figure disappeared.

The grey filly sighed; she really had blown it this time. She had let Diamond down, and left her alone with those blank flanks. Silver lowered her head and stared sadly at the ground, then turned to walk away, just as the front door of the manor opened.

Diamond Tiara silently approached her - she did not look happy. Silver tried to not let this worry her, after all she was going to tell her friend everything, right now. She was going to explain all about her job, about bumping into Sweetie Belle, about the secret, and her fears… and Diamond would accept her - she knew she would.

As her friend approached, Silver took a deep breath and was about to speak, but Diamond beat her to the mark.

“What on earth was all that about?” She bellowed, “You made me look like a right fool in front of those blank flanks!”

Once again, Silver felt her knees begin to shake, Diamond was fuming.

“They were standing there all smug when you ran away - when you disobeyed me - I was literally a laughing stock! All you had to do was kick their ball! That was it! When I tell you to do something, you do it! But no, you ran away, like a little cry baby, like you were afraid of them or something. You abandoned me Silver, I thought you were my friend!”

“Di… I…” Silver’s voice was shaking; she had never seen Diamond Tiara so angry before.

“Those stupid blank flanks, they’re never going to let me live this down. I’m forever going to be ridiculed by that flightless pegasus, that dim-witted unicorn, and that pathetic work horse!”

Silver gulped at the words ‘pathetic work horse’ Diamond often insulted Applebloom for working on her family’s farm - this was nothing new - but Silver wondered if Diamond would think she was a pathetic work horse too. Her nerves came rushing back; perhaps now was not a good time to tell Diamond the truth after all.

“Di I…I’m sorry, I’m sorry I… just…” Silver began to sob.

Diamond didn’t seem to care much for the reasoning behind Silver Spoons behaviour - all she cared about was being humiliated in front of those blank flanks. She rolled her eyes as her friend continued to cry, and then turned away and began to walk back into her home. Diamond took a final glance at the distressed filly on her doorstep. Silver Spoon had lifted the long plat in her mane, holding it up to her face in a hopeless attempt to dry her eyes. She was whimpering, and shaking uncontrollably.

Diamond rolled her eyes once more, she then sighed, and spoke in a calmer tone;

“Come with me, I… have something for you.” The pink earth pony walked into her home,

Silver looked up, surprised at her friend’s sudden change of tone. She was stunned for a moment, and then hurriedly followed to keep up with Diamond Tiara.

The inside of Diamond’s house was huge and beautiful. Everything from the walls, to the floor, to the décor glistened elegantly; it was like the inside of a palace. The walls themselves were covered in golden-framed paintings, and a magnificent glass chandelier hung from the ceiling. There were several maid ponies walking around, and a gigantic stair case which lead right up to the third floor.

Without another word, Diamond lead the way upstairs, and along the corridor to her room. Diamonds room was beautiful, her king-sized bed had a brass frame, and she owned more toys than the entire pony Kindergarten and Daycare centre put together. Diamond lead Silver Spoon over to a pine desk in the corner. She opened the drawer, and held out four pieces of paper for her tearful friend’s attention – they were tickets.

Diamond spoke in a mellow tone, as though she was still a little annoyed,

“My family is going to Manehatten for the summer, they said I can bring a friend, so…” She handed one of the tickets to Silver Spoon, who looked up in amazement.

Silver couldn’t believe her ears, she thought Diamond was furious with her, but she was inviting her to Manehatten? She instantly stopped crying and accepted the ticket. The two had visited Manehatten before for a fortnight when they were younger. It was an enormous city filled with famous ponies, top showcases, and restaurants suited for royalty. They had an amazing time, and it was one of Silver Spoons fondest memories.

Her sadness instantly changed to overwhelming excitement and joy,

“Thank you Di, thank you so much I… I’d love to go with you.” She looked down at the tickets, and then noticed the dates.“Wait, Di, these tickets… they’re for…”

“Yup, five whole months.” Diamond smiled, “My daddy purchased a house in the city, when its refurbished we’re going to stay with him. Daddy is going to be working with some of the top business ponies in Manehatten, and he’s gotten us a private tutor, so we won’t even have to go to school.”

Silver could hardly contain herself; this was a dream come true. She was so relieved and thankful that Diamond hadn’t fallen out with her, and had instead given her this wonderful gift.

“That’s incredible Di, thank you thank you so much!” She reached out and hugged her friend, Diamond patted her back a little reluctantly but then smiled,

“Yeah yeah, I am pretty incredible.” Diamond smiled, “Are we going shopping or what?”

“Of cause,” Silver smiled awkwardly before adding, “How about we just go to the Carousel Boutique this time?”

She blushed and Diamond Tiara gave a lazy smile, she obviously knew something was up. She didn't question it though, and walked ahead, once again Silver followed.

The two young fillies spent the rest of the day together. They visited the Carousel Boutique; a magnificent clothing store owned by Sweetie Belles sister Rarity, a skilled dress maker who often used gemstones in her designs. Silver thought Rarity’s stock was perfect; there was something for every pony, in every style and colour imaginable. Elegant dresses were displayed on the mannequins, and there were hat stands in every corner. This seasons range was displayed at the front of the store, showing shoes and accessories matched up with ideal outfits. Silver really admired Rarity's work - she wouldn’t say this out loud though. Diamond however, spent a lot of time studying every item in the store, being rather critical.

“Do you have this in a slightly darker tone? It doesn’t match well with my completion.” She complained, pointing at a dress.

“Oh… well, not at the moment but, if you’d like to put in a request…” Rarity tried to compromise. The glamorous unicorn was very well spoken and polite.

“And this hat, could you change the ribbon so it matches my tail a little better? Make it more… wavy.” Diamond ordered, as though Rarity could simply alter her stock in the blink of an eye.

The designer pony seemed a little overwhelmed. She used her magic to lift a notepad and pen, and started writing down all of Diamond Tiara’s demands. Despite having problems with everything in the store, Diamond still tried on and bought quite a lot of merchandise. Silver Spoon looked over at Rarity before they left; she seemed rather stressed out.

Next, the two fillies stopped by Sugarcube Corner. The building itself looked like a giant dessert, and was run by Mr and Mrs cake. The two kind ponies took pride in their business, but seemed a little on edge when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon entered.

"Just give us the usual," Diamond ordered,

Mrs Cake nodded, and handing the fillies two slices of strawberry cheesecake, and two milkshakes. They paid, and Diamond added, "It's a bit stuffy in here, let's go and sit outside."

They left, and sat down at a table close to the cake shop. It was a nice day, many ponies were out and about enjoying the sunshine. Diamond was her usual self, confident and sassy, and making comments about pretty much every pony who passed by.

“Raindrops could really use some mane extensions. Her style is so choppy, and she needs her split ends sorting out too.” Diamond said loudly as a yellow pegasus flew past.

The weather pony looked down at the two, then lifted her mane with her hoof, as if trying to work out if the comment was valid.

A turquoise unicorn then skipped by their table in a cheerful manner, Diamond looked at her,

“And what’s with the way Lyra prances around everywhere with her head in the clouds? She’s always so spaced out all the time; no wonder she can’t get a real job.”

The unicorn turned her head as she overheard the comment, and Silver Spoon noticed her facial expression change; she looked rather hurt.

“And is it just me, or does Berry Punch’s perfume always smell like she’s just bathed in a giant pot of jam or something? There are so many different perfumes to choose from, made from actual flowers, so why in Equestria would you choose to smell like fruit?”

A purple earth pony with a grape and strawberry cutie mark, stopped in her tracks. She lowered her head and kicked at the ground, before turning and walking back the other way.

It was the first time Silver had noticed the reactions of the other ponies, when Diamond made comments like that. She remembered how afraid she was that Diamond would tease her about the waitress job, and she began to wonder if any of these ponies felt the same way, when Diamond insulted them.

Silver reached into her satchel and pulled out the ticket to Manehatten under the table. Many ponies were still walking by, and therefore Diamond was still talking, giving Silver a minute to think.

Manehatten was going to be incredible. Sure, they would have to get some pony to do her shifts at the restaurant for five whole months, but they had a lot more staff now, surely some pony could fill in for her, it wouldn’t be a problem… right?

Silver planned to ensure her and Diamond had such a great time together in Manehatten, that when they returned, she could tell her friend all about her secret waitressing life, and Diamond would accept her without a second thought. For this plan to work, she had to stand by Diamond Tiara. She had to nod and appear to agree with every harsh word her friend said, even though she really didn’t:

Silver Spoon quite liked Raindrops hair; it was stylishly windswept and spikey.

She liked how Lyra was so carefree; she really seemed to enjoy having a simple, happy life.

Berry Punch’s perfume scent reminded Silver of the delicious fruit cocktails that Berry passed around town to every pony during Summer. She really liked that, too.

When they were finished with their cake and milkshakes, Silver and Diamond next visited the market to buy stationary for school. Diamond Tiara didn’t care much for school supplies, but she liked to buy glittery gel pens to show off to their classmates. It was then Silver noticed the sky growing darker; it was almost time for her shift.

Diamond Tiara seemed a little tired from all the walking, and the shops were starting to close, so the two headed home. Silver waved goodbye to her friend as they reached the door of Diamond’s manor. She didn’t usually see Diamond on Sundays any more, as she had to work during the day, so Silver had made up a story to Diamond, telling her that on Sunday’s, she went to visit her mother outside of Ponyville.

Silver Spoon’s mother was a successful actress, she had been in many movies and productions, and was currently travelling all over Equestria with her agency, working on a huge motion picture. At least, that's what she was doing the last time Silver heard from her, which was almost an entire year ago.

After the young pony returned home from her eventful day, she grabbed a sandwich and a glass of milk from the kitchen, then hurried upstairs and changed into her uniform. As she admired herself in the mirror once more, Silver heard the front door open, and the maid politely greet her father as he entered the building. Silver ran downstairs; her dad would surely be impressed that she was already dressed and ready for work.

“Welcome home daddy,” Silver smiled hopefully up at the stallion. He looked at her pitifully, and then wiped his forehead before replying,

“Oh, Silver Spoon, I think... I think it’s probably best you take today off, don't you?

Silver was speechless, so he continued,

"In fact, you should take the rest of the weekend off. You see, I had a word with the chef, and we think it’s in the best interest of the business, and your own health. You clearly weren’t well yesterday.”

Silver’s eyes widened,

“W…what… but Daddy I… I’m fine!” She tried to explain,

Her father maintained a stern expression,

“Sorry darling, but we have already gotten another pony to work your shift for today and tomorrow, please understand. Daddy has had a very hard day, he doesn’t have time to argue.”

Silver gasped. Another pony? To do her entire weekend's worth of shifts? But… she was the best! They had her, so why would they be willing to settle for some pony else?

“Wh… what other pony?” Silver became agitated,

“Oh some mare from the café in town.” Her father added, “She’s a little older than you, and comes from a good family, so I offered her a position.”

He seemed to notice his daughters disappointment and added, “Don’t worry, she will mainly be working during the hours you’re at school, she will just be doing a weekend here and there if we’re busy. She won’t step on your toes.”

As Silver’s father left the room without another word, the young pony didn’t know quite how to feel. That.... was reassuring but… she messes up once and her father decides to hire another pony? What would he do if he knew she was planning to leave the restaurant for five whole months? Would this other pony be as good as her? Would she be better than her? She had to know, she couldn’t stand it, she had to go to the restaurant tomorrow and find out just who this new mare was.