Matured Silver

Wednesday finally arrived, and after school, Silver Spoon spent most of her time making pastries for those that would be attending Vinyl's concert. Hours of her time were dedicated to making these foods, which included macarons, eclairs, and fruit tarts. Carefully crafting each pastry meticulously, Silver Spoon looked satisfied once everything was completed, and she had enough time to get her treats to where Vinyl's concert was being held with time to spare. As Silver Spoon examined her work, Ruby Riches approached her and looked at the treats with a smile.

"Are you ready?" asked Ruby Riches.

"I am," replied Silver Spoon, expressing slight anxiety as she did one last look over the pastries. "I hope this works."

"Don't be nervous, sweetie." Ruby Riches massaged Silver Spoon's back, calming the filly's nerves. "What's important is that you tried your best. Your father and I also know of how great of a pastry chef you are."

"Thanks for the support. I just hope Rarity and Sweetie Belle appreciate the effort I went through."

"I know they will. They're both so nice. In fact, I promise you that everything will be just fine."

"By the way, do you know of anyone else attending the concert?"

"Not really. Aside from Fleetfoot, that's all I know for certain, but why do you ask?"

"Because Diamond Tiara is showing up, and I don't want her doing anything nefarious that puts Rarity's standing in jeopardy."

"I see. I'll be sure to warn Vinyl and Fleetfoot, so no worries."

"Thank you, mother."

"You're welcome. Now then, let's pack these treats up and head out. I'll tell your father we're ready to leave any minute."

***

Silver Spoon's parents escorted her to Ponyville's central plaza, and upon arriving, they noticed that the concert was still in the early stages of being set up, with Rarity, Sweetie Belle, Vinyl Scratch, and Fleetfoot all within the vicinity. Behind them was a towering stage with a DJ's turntable and a red guitar resting on the side of the table. Colored spotlights, flickering on and off to test their functionality, ran around the perimeter of the stage and the words DJ PON-3 adorned a banner above the stage. Rarity and Sweetie Belle waved at the three, as the other two had their backs towards them and couldn't see them approaching.

"Hello there," said Rarity. "I've set up some of the decorations already, and things have been going marvelously so far." Rarity looked at the basket Silver Spoon was carrying, her curiosity piqued. "What would those be?"

"They're pastries," replied Silver Spoon. "I made two extra eclairs for you to try out. Tell me what you think."

Rarity and Sweetie Belle ate the eclairs as instructed, surprised at how delicious the rich, chocolatey cream was and how well the crust was baked. Noises of eating pleasure could be heard from the two of them, calming Silver Spoon down.

"This is amazing," shouted Sweetie Belle, whose voice cracked with excitement. "That's a cool special talent you have."

"Thanks, Sweetie Belle. By the way, I wanted to ask you a question."

"What is it, Silver Spoon?"

"It's, well, I'm curious, what do you excel at?"

"Excel?"

"She means what you're really good at," whispered Rarity into Sweetie Belle's ear to help her out.

"Hmm, I dunno."

"Well, I wanted to give you a little advice." Silver Spoon paused and cleared her throat. "If you know of something you love to do and know you are great at, practice it, and after some time your cutie mark should appear. Be sure to tell Apple Bloom and Scootaloo as well, since I'm sure they'd appreciate it."

"Thanks. Ya know, the stuff we did to find out cutie marks was really crazy at times. I once suggested tiger taming."

Silver Spoon chuckled slightly, an image of Sweetie Belle fighting off a tiger formed in her mind. "I admit, that would be interesting to see a filly do. Anyways, when does the concert start?"

"It starts in about two hours, dear," said Rarity. "I'm hoping that Vinyl Scratch and Fleetfoot find my assistance helpful."

As if on cue, Fleetfoot trotted towards the five and looked Rarity in the eye, but her facial expression and posture hinted at her feelings of how well Rarity was doing. "Don't worry about us," she said. "Just worry about getting things done smoothly. Understand?"

"I understand."

"One more thing," interrupted Ruby Riches. "A mean filly that bullies Sweetie Belle and my daughter might go around and undo Rarity's hard work, so I think it'd be appropriate to warn you of it just in case it happens."

"I'll keep that in mind," replied Fleetfoot, who then shifted her attention back to Rarity. "Anyways, I'll help you get the tables and snacks set up, since Spitfire told me that I should help while I'm here."

"With pleasure," said Rarity. "Come now, let's not waste any time."

The six ponies huddled around approached a set of folded tables. Using their combined strength, they hoisted the table up and carefully carried it over to where it needed to be. Once they were where they wanted to be, they gently set the table down and unfolded the table's legs, covered it with a sheet, and Silver Spoon placed her pastries onto the table. Tables were carried and set up next to the first one an additional five times, placing other items on it such as miscellaneous snacks, free pamphlets, plates, utensils, napkins, and so on. After an hour of busy work, all of the tables were set up and everyone felt satisfied with a job well done.

The first attendees were granted permission to approach the stage for the concert, which began in an hour, and with everything set up, all that was left for Silver Spoon and the other helpers was to wait. Carefully observing those who took the pastries she provided, Silver Spoon watched them to make sure that they were satisfied, and when it seemed like everyone who had a pastry enjoyed it, she breathed a sigh of relief, glad to know that her special talent proved useful. She looked over to Rarity, who still had a nervous expression on her face, and noticed that Fleetfoot was carefully observing those who entered, which, most likely, was to make sure Diamond Tiara didn't do anything too stupid. Feeling a tap on her shoulder, Silver Spoon turned around and noticed Sweetie Belle next to her with a huge grin on her face, which prompted a smile of her own.

"Hey there," said Silver Spoon. "Do you need anything?"

"Not at all," replied Sweetie Belle with glee. "I just wanted to say thanks for being such a kind pony today by helping Rarity and I."

"No problem. I guess my cutie mark finally makes sense to you and your friends when you tell them, huh?"

Sweetie Belle giggled, producing a noise that sounded cute to those who heard it. "Yep. Also, I'm about ready to become friends with you."

"Really?" Silver Spoon felt her heart race, but she wasn't frightened at all. For some reason, hearing Sweetie Belle say this filled her soul with hope.

"You bet. Standing up for me and my friends was a lot of proof in how much you've changed, and your help has made me sure that you're a great pony."

"That reminds me of something." Memories of her confrontation with Diamond Tiara ran through Silver Spoon's mind and what prompted Diamond to push her. "Before Diamond teased you, she went after me first, which ended with her pushing me. Do you want to know why she did so?" Sweetie Belle nodded her head, her eyes wide open. "Okay, I used your real name instead of calling you the mean name Diamond and I used to call you, and I told her you were a good pony."

Sweetie Belle's heart was warmed, a feeling of camaraderie towards Silver Spoon glowed inside of her. "Why thanks."

"It was nothing."

"It was a lot. You really have changed for the better. It'll take some time for Apple Bloom and Scootaloo to accept this, but they'll understand."

"Thanks for the heads up."

Sweetie Belle noticed a few ponies returning back to the table and grabbing extra macarons. "By the way, ponies love your pastries so much they're coming back for more."

"Excellent." Silver Spoon paused and noticed that Diamond Tiara had arrived with another filly not from her class, which caused her to gulp. "Sweetie Belle, Diamond is here."

Sweetie Belle turned around and saw the same thing Silver Spoon did. Turning back to Silver Spoon, Sweetie Belle's eyes flared with confidence. "I'm not gonna let her do anything bad, but if she does, she won't get away with it. Come on, let's keep an eye on her."

"I'll keep an eye out for you," interrupted Rarity, who noticed Diamond's presence as well. "I've seen Diamond Tiara, and this affects you as much as it does me."

"Okay then, though we still gotta be sneaky."

***

Sweetie Belle, Silver Spoon, and Rarity crept closer to Diamond Tiara and her friend, but were careful as to not get too close to where Diamond could notice them. The three noticed Diamond Tiara talking to her friend, their faces suggesting nothing out of the ordinary, until the two of them giggled. Diamond Tiara trotted towards where the snacks were being held and she approached the sheet over the table. Grabbing onto the edge of the sheet, Diamond looked about ready to pull it off, with the intention of sending everything on the table flying.

"Stop right there, ruffian," shouted Rarity, as she charged towards Diamond. The filly froze before she could create any chaos and soon, everyone stared at her.

"What is it that you want?" asked Diamond with puppy eyes.

"Don't play innocent with me. I saw you about to ruin all of our hard work. Sweetie Belle and Silver Spoon warned me about what you might do."

"Yeah. What's stopping me—"

Fleetfoot stealthily landed behind Diamond Tiara and placed a hoof in front of her face. Diamond turned around and saw the pegasus scowling at her intensely, which prompted a nervous chuckle. "Because if you do, I'll have to escort you out of the concert and tell your parents. Oh, and I know you're the daughter of Filthy Rich and Suri Polomare."

"Wait? How do you—"

"Your family has always bragged about themselves, and they've mentioned you more than once. It's as Vinyl Scratch says, celebrities stick to being in the tabloids to keep their name out there."

"Well, duh. Who wouldn't wanna be on the papers all the time?"

"The captain who I proudly work with, that's who. Not just her, but many ponies as well."

"Yeah, well, I'll find a way to make it not my fault. I'm a rich filly, and I don't think I need to tell you what money can do."

"I happen to be friends with someone who knows the Element of Loyalty on a first name basis, who happens to know the legendary Princess Twilight Sparkle. Face it kid, there's no amount of money in the world that you can bribe ponies with that gets you out of this. All it'll do is make you look worse."

"Then take me." Diamond looked disappointed that her plan failed to blossom into fruition. As much as she refused to admit it, she knew that no matter what happened, she'd come out as the loser.

"One more thing before you leave," interrupted Silver Spoon, who walked up to Diamond's face. "Remember when on Monday you told me that I'd never make friends." Diamond nodded, knowing where Silver Spoon was going with the rest of her statement. "You were wrong. I did make a friend. Her name is Sweetie Belle, and she's one of the kindest friends one could ask for. Also, all of the stuff I've gone through since I left you on Friday has taught me something. There are so many ponies in the world, and they all have something that makes them unique."

"How were you able to think that?"

"It's called critical thinking, Diamond. Anyways, Vinyl Scratch, Rarity, the Wonderbolts, everyone has something inside of them that defines who they are, and just because someone doesn't have a certain quality, whether it's always saying the right thing or having a cutie mark, that doesn't make them a bad pony. Besides, a world where everybody is the same would be boring."

"She's right, you know," a voice said in the distance. It belonged to Vinyl Scratch, who overheard the conversation on her way to the back of the stage. "I've been thinking about what Silver Spoon said when we met on Friday. A celebrity doesn't have to always be on the tabloids to be relevant. The brightest stars shine even if not everyone knows their name. Tavi told me that on Saturday, and she's right. Immortalizing your name sounds way more rad than just being in the newspapers all the time."

"I have something I'd like to add myself," replied Fleetfoot. "I know that sometimes I can come off as a little cold, but in the end, I mean well for tons of ponies, and those who know me recognize that. If I can control my behavior, as you have done, Silver Spoon, more ponies will get the chance to see the good inside of me. Misty Fly told me that, and just like Octavia with Vinyl Scratch, her advice is true."

"Oh goodness, is everybody learning something?" asked Diamond, her whining more grating to the ears with each word. "This is like a Saturday morning cartoon. Yuck."

The other ponies looked at Diamond strangely, who proceeded to leave the concert, mumbling some profanities under her breath. Once she was clearly out of the way, her friend chasing after her, the tension died down and everybody felt like they could relax once again.

***

The concert proved to be a smashing success, as everybody who attended left satisfied. Aside from the situation with Diamond Tiara, nothing overly dramatic occurred, and once the audience had all left to return home, Fleetfoot flew towards Rarity and landed in front of her with a smile on her face.

"You've proven yourself, Rarity," said Fleetfoot confidently. "I forgive you, and I'll be sure to tell the other Wonderbolts as well."

"I'm glad you've accepted my apology, darling," replied Rarity.

"Yeah, just promise not to give yourself wings and get into hijinks with rampaging dragons again, and we'll be on good terms." Rarity noticed Fleetfoot's teasing tone of voice and chuckled, which garnered a giggle from Fleetfoot.

"I'll do my best. I'll also remind myself to not be so dimwitted."

"Then we're all good. I do wish Rainbow Dash would give us another chance, however."

Rarity patted Fleetfoot's back in a comforting tone. "Darling, don't worry about her. She's, how should I say, unrealistically powerful. Try not to let it get to you, and if the newspapers are anything to go by, you're just as strong as ever."

"Thanks. Well, I better get going. Goodbye."

"Goodbye." Rarity watched Fleetfoot shoot off the ground and into the sky, the burst of speed almost knocking her over onto her back. Rarity shook her head and waved at Fleetfoot one more time before she was no longer in sight, and proceeded to trot towards Sweetie Belle and Silver Spoon, who were having a conversation of their own.

***

"That was a great speech, Silver Spoon," said Sweetie Belle. "It's cool that you've learned so much over the weekend."

"Yeah. I just spoke from my heart," replied Silver Spoon. "I'm glad to have been able to go out in the world and meet new ponies. It will be an experience I cherish my entire life."

"By the way, let's be friends now. I'm now super-duper sure that you've become a better pony."

"Okay then. How are we going to get Apple Bloom and Scootaloo to understand?"

"They'll understand. Just hang out with me for a while and before you know it, you'll be forgiven."

"Okay." The noises of a rock solo echoed into their ears, the music felt oddly invigorating. "I think Vinyl is doing a personal piece before she leaves. Do you want to watch and listen, as friends?"

"Of course I would."

Silver Spoon and Sweetie Belle sat down and took in the sights and sounds of Vinyl's concert, the sun setting behind the stage and lighting the sky a beautiful orange. Rarity, Silver Shill, and Ruby Riches joined them, the three of them visibly overjoyed seeing the two fillies bonding together and forming a strong friendship. As for Silver Spoon, a new chapter in her life could finally begin. No longer was she the partner in crime for Diamond Tiara's antics. Now she was a filly who learned to follow the path towards justice, and that whether someone has their cutie mark or not does not impact how they should be seen.