Silver Belleby RyanBrony5ChaptersThe AssignmentPrivate ThoughtsThat First EncounterHow She CoveredPrologueThe AssignmentThe first day of school started just like any other first day. All the colts and fillies came in, took their seats, and waited for Ms. Cheerilee. As usual, Apple Bloom was sitting at the front of the class, coincidental placed right between Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Okay, maybe not a total coincidence. Scootaloo was seated right behind Apple Bloom. Sweetie Belle was next to Scootaloo, behind Silver Spoon. After a few minutes of anxious colts and fillies wishing the school day was over, Cheerilee finally came in, ready to tell her class about the excitement she has planned. “Good morning, class,” she proclaimed proudly. “Good morning, Ms. Cheerilee,” the class said less than enthusiastically. “Well, class,” Cheerilee continued, “I see that you’re pretty tired already and we haven’t even started. That was actually what I had planned. I was intentionally late to teach you poor kids about patience. And I can see that not many of you picked up on that.” She was referring to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. “I’m very proud of you to girls.” “Thanks, Ms. Cheerilee!” said Apple Bloom. “We’re just trying our best.” Sweetie Belle added. “Show-offs” Diamond Tiara muttered under her breath. The class went on as usual, looking over the school rules and code of conduct. And after that was done, Cheerilee couldn’t wait to tell her class about the special assignment. “Class, I have something very exciting planned for this school year. The Canterlot School of Arts drama department is producing an original play, and they have asked the young foals here at Ponyville Schoolhouse to make the advertisement poster. I will be assigning you a partner for this project, mostly because last year’s incident didn’t end so well for Snips and Snails.” That’s not the kind of thing I have details on, but the entire class started snickering, so it must have been pretty bad. “So, I’ve analyzed your work ethic from last year and formulated the best possible match for each of you.” Silver Spoon had a bad feeling about this, because she could tell that she was probably going to be paired Diamond Tiara. She had hung out with Diamond Tiara all her life; she was the only foal Filthy Rich would ever allow his adoptive daughter to play with. Diamond Tiara treated the dirt below her hooves with more respect than poor Silver Spoon, but knew that her actions would go unnoticed considering Silver Spoon had no other choice. “Now class, you may not like the partner I have chosen for you, but I honestly think that these are the best choices based on what I’ve seen from all of you. Now, Diamond Tiara, you will be working with Scootaloo.” “What?” Diamond Tiara called out. “I have to work with one of those lame blank flanks.” “Yeah, why do I have to work with the stuck up brat?” Scootaloo added. “She’ll totally cramp my style.” “I’m sorry, but you two always manage to find some way to get work from others. This way, I know all the work came from you two because I’m not allowing groups to interact with one another in regards to the project. And besides, the winning team will receive a very special prize.” Cheerilee pointed out. While this is a very convincing argument, it seems that both Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo were very unhappy with it. Cheerilee put this aside and continued reading from the list. “Apple Bloom will work with Pipsqueak; Snips with Rumble; Snails with Twist; Sweetie Belle with Silver Spoon…” Time seemed to freeze in Sweetie Belle’s mind when she heard Cheerilee say those words. She felt like her jaw was dropping, but in fact, her muzzle was shut. She wanted to say something against this, but couldn’t find the strength to open her mouth. The second meanest girl in the whole school was now her project partner. While still better than Diamond Tiara, Sweetie Belle now knew exactly how Scootaloo felt. Silver Spoon, on the other hand, couldn’t have felt better. Not only was she NOT being paired with Diamond Tiara, she WAS being paired with, according to a conversation the CMC had that Diamond Tiara managed to convince Silver Spoon to join her in eavesdropping on, one of the kindest fillies in Ponyville. She’d finally found somepony other than Diamond Tiara to socially interact with. Neither of them knew it then, but this day set off a chain of events that changed the interaction between school age ponies, and ponies of all ages, throughout Equestria forever. Private ThoughtsSweetie Belle was still in shock, those words constantly echoing in her mind. “Sweetie Belle with Silver Spoon…” “Silver Spoon…” “Silver Spoon…” She couldn’t believe it. She just wanted to drop off the face of Equestria. She got home, and her sister, the famous seamstress, was hard at work. “Oh, hello, Sweetie Belle! How was school?” Rarity was running about the place, driving herself crazy like never before. “It started out pretty good. Canterlot School of Arts chose our class to make the poster advertising the drama club’s new play.” Sweetie Belle responded, confused as to what could’ve made her sister so worked up this time. “Ooh, what a coincidence. They have asked me to make the costumes for the new play. I have to keep working, or I’ll be late for opening night.” “Uh, Rarity, opening night’s two months away. And you only need to make five costumes.” “Yes, but I have to remain consistent with the time period in which the play is set. The style they had back then was very complicated; it takes many years to perfect. But I don’t have that kind of time. I have to keep practicing until I have something passable.” “Rarity, you’re the best dressmaker in all of Equestria. I’m sure they’re confident in whatever you bring them.” And if you haven’t seen the kind of things she made, you are wasting your time. She really has reached stardom all across Equestria. I’m surprised this fame has gone to her head. “Sorry, Sweetie, but I can’t take that sort of risk with a project like this. These people will probably flip out if the costumes aren’t historically accurate.” “Since when do high school students care about historical accuracy?” For once, Sweetie Belle seemed to have a point. “You don’t know what kind of people they have in Canterlot, let alone an arts school in Canterlot.” “If you say so, sis. I’ve got to start thinking of ideas so my partner and I can start working.” “Partner? You have a partner for this?” Rarity was quite intrigued; she completely halted her rush to get work done to hear about it. “Yeah. Ms. Cheerilee assigned us each a project partner. We weren’t allowed to pick our own.” “Because of what Snips and Snails did last year?” “Exactly.” “Well, who’s your partner, Sweetie?” Sweetie Belle nearly choked on her words, but managed to mutter the name she loathed so much. “Silver Spoon.” Rarity was quite shocked to hear that. “What?! Cheerilee paired you with Silver Spoon?! Has she gone mad?!” Sweetie Belle did think that comment was amusing, but somehow managed not to laugh. “It’s not like it was random; she did say she examined our work ethic from last year and based our partnerships off of that.” “Wow! I would think she’d get paired with Diamond Tiara.” “Everypony probably felt that way. I’ll bet she’s more surprised and upset than I am.” Surprised? Yes. Upset? Not on your life, sport. Silver Spoon was walking home with Diamond Tiara, and Diamond Tiara was quite bothered; you could tell by the way she was yelling. “I can’t believe we have to do our projects with those lame blank flanks. Can you believe it Silver Spoon?” “Not at all,” Silver Spoon said, trying very hard to not express her happiness about the fact that Diamond Tiara was not her partner this time. “I never thought that I’d be paired with anypony other than you.” “Yeah. I’m like, the only real friend you have. How could you even work with somepony else?” “I’m not entirely sure, Diamond Tiara.” They finally got home, and Filthy Rich was getting ready to leave somewhere. “Well, hello girls.” Rich said when he noticed them almost home. “Hi, dad.” Diamond Tiara said bitterly. “Hi, Mr. Rich” said Silver Spoon, still not comfortable with addressing him as her father, even though legally he was. “How was school?” he wondered. “We started this art project, and Ms. Cheerilee assigned me Silver Spoon to work with those Cutie Mark Crybabies.” Rich could tell that his biological daughter was upset, but his adoptive daughter was just fine. “Now, Diamond Tiara, you know what I’ve told you about saying stuff like that about Apple Bloom. Granny Smith is an old family friend, and-” “Actually,” Silver Spoon decided she should interject “she got paired with Scootaloo, and I’m paired with Sweetie Belle.” “Oh, then that’s fine, honey. Say what you want.” Filthy Rich was a complicated man. Granny Smith was the reason his grandfather was able to go into business many years ago, so he had a lot of respect for all the members of the Apple family. They even invited him to join the Apple family reunion one time, but agreed that it wouldn’t have been the best idea considering Diamond Tiara and Apple Bloom have a never-ending feud going between them. But even though he really respected Apple Bloom, he had no regard for the other Crusaders whatsoever. But now he had to ask “Silver Spoon, how come you seem fine with your partner?” But Silver Spoon had it already figured out. “To be honest, I feel there’s no reason to complain. Ms. Cheerilee did say that she took careful consideration when she chose our partners, and I think that mourning the inevitable is a waste of time.” “Well, I appreciate the honesty. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m late for a business meeting. See you later, girls; the chef will have dinner ready at exactly 6 o’clock.” Then he left. Diamond Tiara went to her room to pout, as usual, while Silver Spoon finally got to be happy about not having to work with her. She then gathered her things and made her way to the Carousel Boutique, where her new partner would be impatiently waiting to arrive. That First EncounterSweetie Belle had all her arts and crafts supplies ready in her room, so all that was left to do was wait for Silver Spoon to arrive. School got out at 3:00, Sweetie Belle got home at 3:05, she arts and crafts supplies were all laid out at 3:15 (this includes the conversation with her sister), and at 3:18, the doorbell rang. Sweetie Belle ran to answer the door, and much to her surprise, it was Silver Spoon, apparently ready to work. “Wow, I didn’t even think you’d bother to show up,” Sweetie Belle said, with a little surprise and bitterness in her voice. Silver Spoon wanted to try and be nice, but could tell that doing so would make Sweetie Belle suspicious, so she played it the way everypony would expect her to. “I figured the sooner we get this done, the sooner we don’t have to see each other.” Perfectly expected answer. “Alright, let’s just get this thing done.” She shut the door and led the way to her room. They both ignored the sounds of crashing and thrashing coming from the other room. Everypony in Ponyville knew how caught up in her work Rarity could get. Silver Spoon desperately wanted make conversation here, but once again, that would arouse suspicion, so she managed to remain awkwardly silent until they reached Sweetie Belle’s bedroom. When they got there, Silver Spoon was amazed as to how many art materials she had. There was no way around it. Silver Spoon had to say something now. “Hmm, I didn’t think you’d be so into art.” Perfect. Managed to make it sound like she didn’t really care. Silver Spoon was quite proud of herself. “Since when do you think about anything other than teasing me and my friends?” Now that really hurt. Silver Spoon knew she was a little out of line with aiding in Diamond Tiara’s bullying, but she couldn’t tell anypony that she really didn’t have a choice. If she were caught voluntarily hanging out with anypony else, she knew that Filthy Rich would disown her. She managed to contain her disappointment and let out a decently acceptable remark. “Look, can we just get this over with? Dinner’s at six, and I don’t want to waste time talking about such things when we could be doing something productive with this project so we don’t have to be with each other.” Sweetie Belle was quite surprised at that response. Nopony ever actually heard Silver Spoon ramble on about anything. Silver Spoon started to regret that she even said that much. She didn’t want Sweetie Belle to know she cared. But Sweetie Belle wasn’t the type to assume that somepony like her actually did care. “You’re really excited about winning that prize aren’t you?” Sweetie Belle concluded. “Yes,” Silver Spoon responded, hoping that her relief that another explanation came up wasn’t conspicuous. “Exactly.” “Don’t worry; whatever it ends up being, if we win, you can share it with Diamond Tiara.” “Thanks,” Silver Spoon said. “Well, let’s get to work.” Sweetie Belle decided. She said this next part rhetorically. “I don’t suppose you have any ideas for what we should make.” “What; am I not allowed to have ideas?” Now that made Sweetie Belle suspicious, but Silver Spoon didn’t care. All she cared about was making sure that it was fair for both parties. “Yes, you’re allowed. I just figured that somepony of your stature would make me do all the work.” “Well, if I have to win working with somepony other than Diamond Tiara, I at least want to feel good about winning. And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t jump to anymore conclusions about me.” It was out there now; a perfectly reasonable excuse for an unreasonable (for her, at least) feeling. “I’m sorry; I’ll be more careful.” Sweetie Belle cleared her throat. “Silver Spoon, do you have any ideas on what we should do for the poster?” “As a matter of fact,” Silver Spoon said, putting what just happened behind her, “I do have one.” She pulls a piece of paper out of her backpack. “This is the poster for one of my favorite plays. It’s set in roughly the same time period as the play and has a similar storyline. When Ms. Cheerilee explained the concept of the play, it made me think of this. So I grabbed the poster out of my room when I got home so I could show you.” It was an amazing design, and it was the exact kind of design Sweetie Belle was a “self-taught expert” at drawing. “This is a great idea. I don’t see any reason why this won’t win. And I can draw this so easily. I’m impressed, Silver Spoon.” For a moment, Silver Spoon thought that that last comment might have been another jab at her apparent personality, but the look on Sweetie Belle’s face told her that this couldn’t have been expected from anypony at school. “Thanks, Sweetie Belle.” Silver Spoon, for the first time, felt genuinely happy to be with somepony. Then they got to work. It was a breeze; Sweetie Belle was drawing the design, while Silver Spoon worked on how the text displaying the title and cast would be positioned. Then they’d both fill it with color when it was all done. Time slipped by really fast. Silver Spoon just happened to look at the clock in the hallway. It read 5:45. “Oh, sweet Celestia; look at the time.” Silver Spoon started to panic. “I’ve got to get home for dinner.” Silver Spoon started put things away, but Sweetie Belle stopped her. “Just go. I’ll clean everything up.” “Oh, thanks.” Silver Spoon put the poster neatly back in her backpack and started downstairs. Sweetie Belle, of course, was following her so that she could say goodbye at the door. Silver Spoon reached for the doorknob, but Sweetie Belle grabbed it first. “No please, allow me. Won’t want you to chip a hoof turning it because I imagine your hooficures are quite expensive.” Both the girls laughed. That was one joke Silver Spoon found very funny. “Yeah, these things ain’t cheap.” She started to walk out, but figured saying something positive wouldn’t hurt. “Hey, can I tell you something, and you promise not to tell anypony?” “Yeah sure.” Sweetie Belle answered, anxious to find out a secret from Silver Spoon. “This was the most fun I’ve had in a long time. I guess we do work well together.” Silver Spoon did fell a little awkward admitting it, but that’s life. “Yeah, I can’t believe Ms. Cheerilee was right about it.” Sweetie Belle felt the same way she did, and silver spoon was quite relieved to find out. “Imagine what the other kids would say if they found out you were my BFF.” Silver Spoon did like the sound of that, but didn’t really want to say it. “That would spread like wildfire in the Foal Free Press. Maybe it’d be best if it were just kept between us.” “Agreed. Well, see you tomorrow, Silver Spoon.” “See you tomorrow, Sweetie Belle.” Sweetie Belle watched in amazement as Silver Spoon walked away. She couldn’t explain what it was that made her watch Silver Spoon walk until she disappeared from sight; then again, she didn’t really understand a whole lot about friendship yet, either. She seemed to be in a hypnotic trance of some sort, as Pinkie Pie just happened to pop out of nowhere, which of course made Sweetie Belle jump.” “Hey, Sweetie Belle!” Pinkie Pie said, apparently more excited than usual (which is really saying something considering that it’s Pinkie Pie we’re talking about). “What are you thinking about?” “Oh, hey Pinkie. Just wondering what my cutie mark might be.” “Cool! I just had the most amazing day hanging out with Rainbow Dash.” “That’s cool. Oh, look at the time. I think I should tell Rarity to make dinner.” “Okie dokie Loki; see you around.” Pinkie hopped away gleefully. Sweetie Belle didn’t know what she was feeling right now, but it would all make sense soon enough. How She CoveredSilver Spoon made it home just in time. She walked in the front door right when the butler was carrying out the last of the trays. He then rang a bell and called out, letting Diamond Tiara know that dinner was ready. Diamond Tiara came out of her room, not having left her bed since getting home. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon both made their way to the kitchen table and took their seats. As the butler served their food, Diamond Tiara decided to talk to her sister. “Where’d you go to, Silver Spoon?” Diamond Tiara asked, still holding a grudge. “I went over to work on the project with Sweetie Belle.” Silver Spoon answered. “Why?” “You know, the sooner we get this stupid project done, the sooner I get to stop seeing that ‘project partner’ of mine. I’d suggest the same for you, but I know you too well. You’re going to pout for a couple of days, and then try to make her do all the work; knowing what I know about Scootaloo, she’s probably not going to tolerate that, so you’ll be forced to get the butler to find the idea for you.” And keep in mind, he was also eating dinner while explaining this, so she does pause on occasion, minding her manners about not talking with her mouth full. Diamond Tiara felt stupid about being surprised by that. “Girl, its times like this that make me think you should get out more.” They continued eating in silence. They finished up and handed the plates to the butler, who would turn them over to the dishwasher. And the dishwasher was probably the only person perpetually happy in that household. Plagued with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, he made sure that there was absolutely no trace of any food left on those plates. And also, he spent time in between loads polishing the counter tops. Filthy Rich was fascinated by the stallion’s determination on the job, which got him the highest salary of all the household employees. But I digress. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were walking to their rooms when Diamond Tiara needed to ask. “So, did you get any actual work done on the project?” Silver Spoon was all too prepared to answer. “Yeah, we managed to get some done.” Silver Spoon did not want to reveal any details, but he to remain true to herself to. So she threw in a little lie almost as white as her mane. “I mean, she does draw pretty well; I’ll give her that. But she was too focused on the poster to talk about anything. She didn’t even compliment my hooficure.” “Wow; I don’t even know how you managed.” “I just kept thinking about the amazing prize Cheerilee has planned. We made a deal; if our poster wins, she’ll let me share the prize with you instead. ” “Oh, my gosh! That makes this project even more interesting. Maybe I should make the same deal with Scootaloo.” “Yeah, maybe you should. *while yawning* Anyway, I think I’m gonna lay down for a bit. See you later, Diamond Tiara.” “Yeah, see you later. I got to start thinking.” Diamond Tiara had never really “thought” before, and certainly was never excited about it before. Silver Spoon gave a slight chuckle. Well, Silver Spoon lay down in her bed and pulled the covers over her. She almost immediately fell asleep. She didn’t really dream; it was just one continuous thought about Sweetie Belle. She was a lot more fun and nicer than she overheard when Diamond Tiara convinced her that eavesdropping was a good idea. Sweetie Belle seemed to be the only thing she really wanted to think about. While it was amusing that Diamond Tiara was actually thinking, and actually happy to do it, nothing could’ve made her happier than the thought of an actual friend. Somepony who cared about her; somepony who would listen to her; somepony who comforted her when she was troubled; and she wanted that somepony to be Sweetie Belle. She got up about an hour later, and decided it was time to take a bath and prepare for in the morning. Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle was experiencing a similar feeling. Her working with Silver Spoon made her feel really good. There was a presence inside that that had never been seen by anypony before. Probably because this inner presence of hers was scared of Diamond Tiara. She managed to pull Rarity away from her work to make dinner. I believe the conversation went like this. “Oh, my, where did I leave my tape measure?! Oh, I can’t possibly finish these prototypes without proper measurements! Oh, can this get any worse?” “Um, Rarity?” “Oh, Sweetie Belle. Have you seen my tape measure? I can’t find it anywhere.” Sweetie Belle points to the table closet to her sister. “Uh, isn’t that your tape measure?” Rarity looks in the direction Sweetie Belle is pointing. “There it is. Now I can get these prototypes finished. Thank you, Sweetie.” “You’re welcome. Now, do you think you could make dinner? I’m pretty hungry right now.” “I’m sorry, but I just don’t have the time. I simply hate tardiness when it comes to projects like this.” But Sweetie Belle had a little trick up her implied sleeve. “Okay, Rarity; I guess I’ll just have to make it myself.” That instantly pulled Rarity back to reality. “No, wait!! I’ll just have to work extra hard tomorrow to get these finished.” That works every time. Rarity does hate being late, but hates cleaning up after Sweetie Belle even more. After eating dinner, Rarity went back to work, and Sweetie Belle went upstairs to take a bath. This was something that never ended in disaster, so there was no need to pull Rarity away from her work for it. Just the thought of being submerged in a large tub of warm water made her so relaxed. Actually experiencing it made her even more so. She ran the water, added her favorite bubble bath, hung a towel on the rack, and stepped in the tub. Once her hoof made contact with the water, her entire body went partially limp. She practically fell the rest of the way in. And there was only one thing that Sweetie Belle really needed to think about. Her project; more specifically, the pony who was specifically chosen to do the project with her. Sweetie Belle was completely clueless as to what motivated Cheerilee to partner her with Silver Spoon, but there was no doubt that she was absolutely right. There’s no way she could’ve worked like this with the other Cutie Mark Crusaders, and after this experience, she’ll probably never want to. But of course, that’s not the kind of thing she’d tell anypony. At least, not yet, anyways. PrologueIt wasn’t always like this. Fillies were more concerned about earning their cutie marks than whether or not somepony else liked them, especially if that somepony was another filly. Parents didn’t approve of such behavior, and this sort of behavior was completely unheard of among kindergarten fillies. That is, until two young fillies in particular came to Ponyville Schoolhouse. These two were in separate social groups and hated each other… at first. The first one filly is a white unicorn. She had a purple-and-pink mane, and she was the younger sibling of a famous seamstress. Her name was Sweetie Belle. She was part of a secret society for fillies and colts who wish to earn their cutie marks. There isn’t a whole lot known about this organization, and much of what is known is strictly confidential. Don’t ask me how 5-year-olds are supposed to keep secrets like this. All I know for sure is that this group is called “The Cutie Mark Crusaders.” Sweetie Belle met the other founding members at another filly’s cute-ceañera when one of them, the leader Apple Bloom, was being teased for not having earned her cutie mark, and Sweetie defended her along with a young pegasus by the name of Scootaloo. The second is a grey Earth Pony. She has a much lighter grey, almost white, mane, and is the adoptive member of the richest business family in Ponyville. Her name is Silver Spoon. She goes to school alongside her adoptive sister, Diamond Tiara, also her best friend. This friend of hers is a really bad influence, poking fun at less fortunate ponies and teasing those who have not earned their cutie marks. But having grown up with strictly business parents, Diamond Tiara was the only social interactions Silver Spoon had before school. They have a special hoof shake, and they share each other’s secrets, except the fact that Silver Spoon never felt happy. She had to fake it so she wouldn’t be rejected. Because of the differences between these two ponies, and who influenced them, they never got along. They were sworn enemies throughout their first year of school together. The same appeared to happen throughout the next few years. But now the fillies are in the fourth grade, and as soon as the year started, things took an unexpected turn that changed the entire social status of both fillies. It also changed the lives of everypony in Ponyville, and Ponyville will never be the same again. Let me take you to the start of the school year.
The AssignmentThe first day of school started just like any other first day. All the colts and fillies came in, took their seats, and waited for Ms. Cheerilee. As usual, Apple Bloom was sitting at the front of the class, coincidental placed right between Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Okay, maybe not a total coincidence. Scootaloo was seated right behind Apple Bloom. Sweetie Belle was next to Scootaloo, behind Silver Spoon. After a few minutes of anxious colts and fillies wishing the school day was over, Cheerilee finally came in, ready to tell her class about the excitement she has planned. “Good morning, class,” she proclaimed proudly. “Good morning, Ms. Cheerilee,” the class said less than enthusiastically. “Well, class,” Cheerilee continued, “I see that you’re pretty tired already and we haven’t even started. That was actually what I had planned. I was intentionally late to teach you poor kids about patience. And I can see that not many of you picked up on that.” She was referring to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. “I’m very proud of you to girls.” “Thanks, Ms. Cheerilee!” said Apple Bloom. “We’re just trying our best.” Sweetie Belle added. “Show-offs” Diamond Tiara muttered under her breath. The class went on as usual, looking over the school rules and code of conduct. And after that was done, Cheerilee couldn’t wait to tell her class about the special assignment. “Class, I have something very exciting planned for this school year. The Canterlot School of Arts drama department is producing an original play, and they have asked the young foals here at Ponyville Schoolhouse to make the advertisement poster. I will be assigning you a partner for this project, mostly because last year’s incident didn’t end so well for Snips and Snails.” That’s not the kind of thing I have details on, but the entire class started snickering, so it must have been pretty bad. “So, I’ve analyzed your work ethic from last year and formulated the best possible match for each of you.” Silver Spoon had a bad feeling about this, because she could tell that she was probably going to be paired Diamond Tiara. She had hung out with Diamond Tiara all her life; she was the only foal Filthy Rich would ever allow his adoptive daughter to play with. Diamond Tiara treated the dirt below her hooves with more respect than poor Silver Spoon, but knew that her actions would go unnoticed considering Silver Spoon had no other choice. “Now class, you may not like the partner I have chosen for you, but I honestly think that these are the best choices based on what I’ve seen from all of you. Now, Diamond Tiara, you will be working with Scootaloo.” “What?” Diamond Tiara called out. “I have to work with one of those lame blank flanks.” “Yeah, why do I have to work with the stuck up brat?” Scootaloo added. “She’ll totally cramp my style.” “I’m sorry, but you two always manage to find some way to get work from others. This way, I know all the work came from you two because I’m not allowing groups to interact with one another in regards to the project. And besides, the winning team will receive a very special prize.” Cheerilee pointed out. While this is a very convincing argument, it seems that both Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo were very unhappy with it. Cheerilee put this aside and continued reading from the list. “Apple Bloom will work with Pipsqueak; Snips with Rumble; Snails with Twist; Sweetie Belle with Silver Spoon…” Time seemed to freeze in Sweetie Belle’s mind when she heard Cheerilee say those words. She felt like her jaw was dropping, but in fact, her muzzle was shut. She wanted to say something against this, but couldn’t find the strength to open her mouth. The second meanest girl in the whole school was now her project partner. While still better than Diamond Tiara, Sweetie Belle now knew exactly how Scootaloo felt. Silver Spoon, on the other hand, couldn’t have felt better. Not only was she NOT being paired with Diamond Tiara, she WAS being paired with, according to a conversation the CMC had that Diamond Tiara managed to convince Silver Spoon to join her in eavesdropping on, one of the kindest fillies in Ponyville. She’d finally found somepony other than Diamond Tiara to socially interact with. Neither of them knew it then, but this day set off a chain of events that changed the interaction between school age ponies, and ponies of all ages, throughout Equestria forever.
Private ThoughtsSweetie Belle was still in shock, those words constantly echoing in her mind. “Sweetie Belle with Silver Spoon…” “Silver Spoon…” “Silver Spoon…” She couldn’t believe it. She just wanted to drop off the face of Equestria. She got home, and her sister, the famous seamstress, was hard at work. “Oh, hello, Sweetie Belle! How was school?” Rarity was running about the place, driving herself crazy like never before. “It started out pretty good. Canterlot School of Arts chose our class to make the poster advertising the drama club’s new play.” Sweetie Belle responded, confused as to what could’ve made her sister so worked up this time. “Ooh, what a coincidence. They have asked me to make the costumes for the new play. I have to keep working, or I’ll be late for opening night.” “Uh, Rarity, opening night’s two months away. And you only need to make five costumes.” “Yes, but I have to remain consistent with the time period in which the play is set. The style they had back then was very complicated; it takes many years to perfect. But I don’t have that kind of time. I have to keep practicing until I have something passable.” “Rarity, you’re the best dressmaker in all of Equestria. I’m sure they’re confident in whatever you bring them.” And if you haven’t seen the kind of things she made, you are wasting your time. She really has reached stardom all across Equestria. I’m surprised this fame has gone to her head. “Sorry, Sweetie, but I can’t take that sort of risk with a project like this. These people will probably flip out if the costumes aren’t historically accurate.” “Since when do high school students care about historical accuracy?” For once, Sweetie Belle seemed to have a point. “You don’t know what kind of people they have in Canterlot, let alone an arts school in Canterlot.” “If you say so, sis. I’ve got to start thinking of ideas so my partner and I can start working.” “Partner? You have a partner for this?” Rarity was quite intrigued; she completely halted her rush to get work done to hear about it. “Yeah. Ms. Cheerilee assigned us each a project partner. We weren’t allowed to pick our own.” “Because of what Snips and Snails did last year?” “Exactly.” “Well, who’s your partner, Sweetie?” Sweetie Belle nearly choked on her words, but managed to mutter the name she loathed so much. “Silver Spoon.” Rarity was quite shocked to hear that. “What?! Cheerilee paired you with Silver Spoon?! Has she gone mad?!” Sweetie Belle did think that comment was amusing, but somehow managed not to laugh. “It’s not like it was random; she did say she examined our work ethic from last year and based our partnerships off of that.” “Wow! I would think she’d get paired with Diamond Tiara.” “Everypony probably felt that way. I’ll bet she’s more surprised and upset than I am.” Surprised? Yes. Upset? Not on your life, sport. Silver Spoon was walking home with Diamond Tiara, and Diamond Tiara was quite bothered; you could tell by the way she was yelling. “I can’t believe we have to do our projects with those lame blank flanks. Can you believe it Silver Spoon?” “Not at all,” Silver Spoon said, trying very hard to not express her happiness about the fact that Diamond Tiara was not her partner this time. “I never thought that I’d be paired with anypony other than you.” “Yeah. I’m like, the only real friend you have. How could you even work with somepony else?” “I’m not entirely sure, Diamond Tiara.” They finally got home, and Filthy Rich was getting ready to leave somewhere. “Well, hello girls.” Rich said when he noticed them almost home. “Hi, dad.” Diamond Tiara said bitterly. “Hi, Mr. Rich” said Silver Spoon, still not comfortable with addressing him as her father, even though legally he was. “How was school?” he wondered. “We started this art project, and Ms. Cheerilee assigned me Silver Spoon to work with those Cutie Mark Crybabies.” Rich could tell that his biological daughter was upset, but his adoptive daughter was just fine. “Now, Diamond Tiara, you know what I’ve told you about saying stuff like that about Apple Bloom. Granny Smith is an old family friend, and-” “Actually,” Silver Spoon decided she should interject “she got paired with Scootaloo, and I’m paired with Sweetie Belle.” “Oh, then that’s fine, honey. Say what you want.” Filthy Rich was a complicated man. Granny Smith was the reason his grandfather was able to go into business many years ago, so he had a lot of respect for all the members of the Apple family. They even invited him to join the Apple family reunion one time, but agreed that it wouldn’t have been the best idea considering Diamond Tiara and Apple Bloom have a never-ending feud going between them. But even though he really respected Apple Bloom, he had no regard for the other Crusaders whatsoever. But now he had to ask “Silver Spoon, how come you seem fine with your partner?” But Silver Spoon had it already figured out. “To be honest, I feel there’s no reason to complain. Ms. Cheerilee did say that she took careful consideration when she chose our partners, and I think that mourning the inevitable is a waste of time.” “Well, I appreciate the honesty. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m late for a business meeting. See you later, girls; the chef will have dinner ready at exactly 6 o’clock.” Then he left. Diamond Tiara went to her room to pout, as usual, while Silver Spoon finally got to be happy about not having to work with her. She then gathered her things and made her way to the Carousel Boutique, where her new partner would be impatiently waiting to arrive.
That First EncounterSweetie Belle had all her arts and crafts supplies ready in her room, so all that was left to do was wait for Silver Spoon to arrive. School got out at 3:00, Sweetie Belle got home at 3:05, she arts and crafts supplies were all laid out at 3:15 (this includes the conversation with her sister), and at 3:18, the doorbell rang. Sweetie Belle ran to answer the door, and much to her surprise, it was Silver Spoon, apparently ready to work. “Wow, I didn’t even think you’d bother to show up,” Sweetie Belle said, with a little surprise and bitterness in her voice. Silver Spoon wanted to try and be nice, but could tell that doing so would make Sweetie Belle suspicious, so she played it the way everypony would expect her to. “I figured the sooner we get this done, the sooner we don’t have to see each other.” Perfectly expected answer. “Alright, let’s just get this thing done.” She shut the door and led the way to her room. They both ignored the sounds of crashing and thrashing coming from the other room. Everypony in Ponyville knew how caught up in her work Rarity could get. Silver Spoon desperately wanted make conversation here, but once again, that would arouse suspicion, so she managed to remain awkwardly silent until they reached Sweetie Belle’s bedroom. When they got there, Silver Spoon was amazed as to how many art materials she had. There was no way around it. Silver Spoon had to say something now. “Hmm, I didn’t think you’d be so into art.” Perfect. Managed to make it sound like she didn’t really care. Silver Spoon was quite proud of herself. “Since when do you think about anything other than teasing me and my friends?” Now that really hurt. Silver Spoon knew she was a little out of line with aiding in Diamond Tiara’s bullying, but she couldn’t tell anypony that she really didn’t have a choice. If she were caught voluntarily hanging out with anypony else, she knew that Filthy Rich would disown her. She managed to contain her disappointment and let out a decently acceptable remark. “Look, can we just get this over with? Dinner’s at six, and I don’t want to waste time talking about such things when we could be doing something productive with this project so we don’t have to be with each other.” Sweetie Belle was quite surprised at that response. Nopony ever actually heard Silver Spoon ramble on about anything. Silver Spoon started to regret that she even said that much. She didn’t want Sweetie Belle to know she cared. But Sweetie Belle wasn’t the type to assume that somepony like her actually did care. “You’re really excited about winning that prize aren’t you?” Sweetie Belle concluded. “Yes,” Silver Spoon responded, hoping that her relief that another explanation came up wasn’t conspicuous. “Exactly.” “Don’t worry; whatever it ends up being, if we win, you can share it with Diamond Tiara.” “Thanks,” Silver Spoon said. “Well, let’s get to work.” Sweetie Belle decided. She said this next part rhetorically. “I don’t suppose you have any ideas for what we should make.” “What; am I not allowed to have ideas?” Now that made Sweetie Belle suspicious, but Silver Spoon didn’t care. All she cared about was making sure that it was fair for both parties. “Yes, you’re allowed. I just figured that somepony of your stature would make me do all the work.” “Well, if I have to win working with somepony other than Diamond Tiara, I at least want to feel good about winning. And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t jump to anymore conclusions about me.” It was out there now; a perfectly reasonable excuse for an unreasonable (for her, at least) feeling. “I’m sorry; I’ll be more careful.” Sweetie Belle cleared her throat. “Silver Spoon, do you have any ideas on what we should do for the poster?” “As a matter of fact,” Silver Spoon said, putting what just happened behind her, “I do have one.” She pulls a piece of paper out of her backpack. “This is the poster for one of my favorite plays. It’s set in roughly the same time period as the play and has a similar storyline. When Ms. Cheerilee explained the concept of the play, it made me think of this. So I grabbed the poster out of my room when I got home so I could show you.” It was an amazing design, and it was the exact kind of design Sweetie Belle was a “self-taught expert” at drawing. “This is a great idea. I don’t see any reason why this won’t win. And I can draw this so easily. I’m impressed, Silver Spoon.” For a moment, Silver Spoon thought that that last comment might have been another jab at her apparent personality, but the look on Sweetie Belle’s face told her that this couldn’t have been expected from anypony at school. “Thanks, Sweetie Belle.” Silver Spoon, for the first time, felt genuinely happy to be with somepony. Then they got to work. It was a breeze; Sweetie Belle was drawing the design, while Silver Spoon worked on how the text displaying the title and cast would be positioned. Then they’d both fill it with color when it was all done. Time slipped by really fast. Silver Spoon just happened to look at the clock in the hallway. It read 5:45. “Oh, sweet Celestia; look at the time.” Silver Spoon started to panic. “I’ve got to get home for dinner.” Silver Spoon started put things away, but Sweetie Belle stopped her. “Just go. I’ll clean everything up.” “Oh, thanks.” Silver Spoon put the poster neatly back in her backpack and started downstairs. Sweetie Belle, of course, was following her so that she could say goodbye at the door. Silver Spoon reached for the doorknob, but Sweetie Belle grabbed it first. “No please, allow me. Won’t want you to chip a hoof turning it because I imagine your hooficures are quite expensive.” Both the girls laughed. That was one joke Silver Spoon found very funny. “Yeah, these things ain’t cheap.” She started to walk out, but figured saying something positive wouldn’t hurt. “Hey, can I tell you something, and you promise not to tell anypony?” “Yeah sure.” Sweetie Belle answered, anxious to find out a secret from Silver Spoon. “This was the most fun I’ve had in a long time. I guess we do work well together.” Silver Spoon did fell a little awkward admitting it, but that’s life. “Yeah, I can’t believe Ms. Cheerilee was right about it.” Sweetie Belle felt the same way she did, and silver spoon was quite relieved to find out. “Imagine what the other kids would say if they found out you were my BFF.” Silver Spoon did like the sound of that, but didn’t really want to say it. “That would spread like wildfire in the Foal Free Press. Maybe it’d be best if it were just kept between us.” “Agreed. Well, see you tomorrow, Silver Spoon.” “See you tomorrow, Sweetie Belle.” Sweetie Belle watched in amazement as Silver Spoon walked away. She couldn’t explain what it was that made her watch Silver Spoon walk until she disappeared from sight; then again, she didn’t really understand a whole lot about friendship yet, either. She seemed to be in a hypnotic trance of some sort, as Pinkie Pie just happened to pop out of nowhere, which of course made Sweetie Belle jump.” “Hey, Sweetie Belle!” Pinkie Pie said, apparently more excited than usual (which is really saying something considering that it’s Pinkie Pie we’re talking about). “What are you thinking about?” “Oh, hey Pinkie. Just wondering what my cutie mark might be.” “Cool! I just had the most amazing day hanging out with Rainbow Dash.” “That’s cool. Oh, look at the time. I think I should tell Rarity to make dinner.” “Okie dokie Loki; see you around.” Pinkie hopped away gleefully. Sweetie Belle didn’t know what she was feeling right now, but it would all make sense soon enough.
How She CoveredSilver Spoon made it home just in time. She walked in the front door right when the butler was carrying out the last of the trays. He then rang a bell and called out, letting Diamond Tiara know that dinner was ready. Diamond Tiara came out of her room, not having left her bed since getting home. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon both made their way to the kitchen table and took their seats. As the butler served their food, Diamond Tiara decided to talk to her sister. “Where’d you go to, Silver Spoon?” Diamond Tiara asked, still holding a grudge. “I went over to work on the project with Sweetie Belle.” Silver Spoon answered. “Why?” “You know, the sooner we get this stupid project done, the sooner I get to stop seeing that ‘project partner’ of mine. I’d suggest the same for you, but I know you too well. You’re going to pout for a couple of days, and then try to make her do all the work; knowing what I know about Scootaloo, she’s probably not going to tolerate that, so you’ll be forced to get the butler to find the idea for you.” And keep in mind, he was also eating dinner while explaining this, so she does pause on occasion, minding her manners about not talking with her mouth full. Diamond Tiara felt stupid about being surprised by that. “Girl, its times like this that make me think you should get out more.” They continued eating in silence. They finished up and handed the plates to the butler, who would turn them over to the dishwasher. And the dishwasher was probably the only person perpetually happy in that household. Plagued with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, he made sure that there was absolutely no trace of any food left on those plates. And also, he spent time in between loads polishing the counter tops. Filthy Rich was fascinated by the stallion’s determination on the job, which got him the highest salary of all the household employees. But I digress. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were walking to their rooms when Diamond Tiara needed to ask. “So, did you get any actual work done on the project?” Silver Spoon was all too prepared to answer. “Yeah, we managed to get some done.” Silver Spoon did not want to reveal any details, but he to remain true to herself to. So she threw in a little lie almost as white as her mane. “I mean, she does draw pretty well; I’ll give her that. But she was too focused on the poster to talk about anything. She didn’t even compliment my hooficure.” “Wow; I don’t even know how you managed.” “I just kept thinking about the amazing prize Cheerilee has planned. We made a deal; if our poster wins, she’ll let me share the prize with you instead. ” “Oh, my gosh! That makes this project even more interesting. Maybe I should make the same deal with Scootaloo.” “Yeah, maybe you should. *while yawning* Anyway, I think I’m gonna lay down for a bit. See you later, Diamond Tiara.” “Yeah, see you later. I got to start thinking.” Diamond Tiara had never really “thought” before, and certainly was never excited about it before. Silver Spoon gave a slight chuckle. Well, Silver Spoon lay down in her bed and pulled the covers over her. She almost immediately fell asleep. She didn’t really dream; it was just one continuous thought about Sweetie Belle. She was a lot more fun and nicer than she overheard when Diamond Tiara convinced her that eavesdropping was a good idea. Sweetie Belle seemed to be the only thing she really wanted to think about. While it was amusing that Diamond Tiara was actually thinking, and actually happy to do it, nothing could’ve made her happier than the thought of an actual friend. Somepony who cared about her; somepony who would listen to her; somepony who comforted her when she was troubled; and she wanted that somepony to be Sweetie Belle. She got up about an hour later, and decided it was time to take a bath and prepare for in the morning. Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle was experiencing a similar feeling. Her working with Silver Spoon made her feel really good. There was a presence inside that that had never been seen by anypony before. Probably because this inner presence of hers was scared of Diamond Tiara. She managed to pull Rarity away from her work to make dinner. I believe the conversation went like this. “Oh, my, where did I leave my tape measure?! Oh, I can’t possibly finish these prototypes without proper measurements! Oh, can this get any worse?” “Um, Rarity?” “Oh, Sweetie Belle. Have you seen my tape measure? I can’t find it anywhere.” Sweetie Belle points to the table closet to her sister. “Uh, isn’t that your tape measure?” Rarity looks in the direction Sweetie Belle is pointing. “There it is. Now I can get these prototypes finished. Thank you, Sweetie.” “You’re welcome. Now, do you think you could make dinner? I’m pretty hungry right now.” “I’m sorry, but I just don’t have the time. I simply hate tardiness when it comes to projects like this.” But Sweetie Belle had a little trick up her implied sleeve. “Okay, Rarity; I guess I’ll just have to make it myself.” That instantly pulled Rarity back to reality. “No, wait!! I’ll just have to work extra hard tomorrow to get these finished.” That works every time. Rarity does hate being late, but hates cleaning up after Sweetie Belle even more. After eating dinner, Rarity went back to work, and Sweetie Belle went upstairs to take a bath. This was something that never ended in disaster, so there was no need to pull Rarity away from her work for it. Just the thought of being submerged in a large tub of warm water made her so relaxed. Actually experiencing it made her even more so. She ran the water, added her favorite bubble bath, hung a towel on the rack, and stepped in the tub. Once her hoof made contact with the water, her entire body went partially limp. She practically fell the rest of the way in. And there was only one thing that Sweetie Belle really needed to think about. Her project; more specifically, the pony who was specifically chosen to do the project with her. Sweetie Belle was completely clueless as to what motivated Cheerilee to partner her with Silver Spoon, but there was no doubt that she was absolutely right. There’s no way she could’ve worked like this with the other Cutie Mark Crusaders, and after this experience, she’ll probably never want to. But of course, that’s not the kind of thing she’d tell anypony. At least, not yet, anyways.
PrologueIt wasn’t always like this. Fillies were more concerned about earning their cutie marks than whether or not somepony else liked them, especially if that somepony was another filly. Parents didn’t approve of such behavior, and this sort of behavior was completely unheard of among kindergarten fillies. That is, until two young fillies in particular came to Ponyville Schoolhouse. These two were in separate social groups and hated each other… at first. The first one filly is a white unicorn. She had a purple-and-pink mane, and she was the younger sibling of a famous seamstress. Her name was Sweetie Belle. She was part of a secret society for fillies and colts who wish to earn their cutie marks. There isn’t a whole lot known about this organization, and much of what is known is strictly confidential. Don’t ask me how 5-year-olds are supposed to keep secrets like this. All I know for sure is that this group is called “The Cutie Mark Crusaders.” Sweetie Belle met the other founding members at another filly’s cute-ceañera when one of them, the leader Apple Bloom, was being teased for not having earned her cutie mark, and Sweetie defended her along with a young pegasus by the name of Scootaloo. The second is a grey Earth Pony. She has a much lighter grey, almost white, mane, and is the adoptive member of the richest business family in Ponyville. Her name is Silver Spoon. She goes to school alongside her adoptive sister, Diamond Tiara, also her best friend. This friend of hers is a really bad influence, poking fun at less fortunate ponies and teasing those who have not earned their cutie marks. But having grown up with strictly business parents, Diamond Tiara was the only social interactions Silver Spoon had before school. They have a special hoof shake, and they share each other’s secrets, except the fact that Silver Spoon never felt happy. She had to fake it so she wouldn’t be rejected. Because of the differences between these two ponies, and who influenced them, they never got along. They were sworn enemies throughout their first year of school together. The same appeared to happen throughout the next few years. But now the fillies are in the fourth grade, and as soon as the year started, things took an unexpected turn that changed the entire social status of both fillies. It also changed the lives of everypony in Ponyville, and Ponyville will never be the same again. Let me take you to the start of the school year.
