In Fact, I Don't Wanna Be Friendsby Hopeful_Ink_HoofChaptersAfter School SpecialBusted at the BoutiqueFood and GamesAfter School Special'Like, why do I have to know any of this?' "Like, why do I have to know any of this?" Diamond Tiara grumbled, her ears pulled back. 'Why do I even have to keep going to school.' "Why do I even have to keep going to school?" she huffed, crossing her arms. 'I already know what I'm going to do with my life anyways.' "I mean, like, I already know what I'm going to do anyways, and I don't need school for it at this point." Alright, so the script did vary a little more than she expected, but Silver Spoon had pretty much guessed all of what her friend was going to say. Almost verbatim in fact. Not much of a surprise since the two of them had known each other for years. A lot of ponies would be envious of the idea that one pony knew another so well, they could guess what that pony was going to say. However, Silver Spoon just found it disappointing. If she were to be completely honest, Silver Spoon had gotten tired of putting up with Diamond Tiara's cattiness and bad attitude. At the worst moments, Silver Spoon alternated between wondering why she put up with it, and fearing for being on the receiving end. Either way, both had the added anxiety of having no friends at all. Diamond Tiara had pretty much terrorized everypony their age to the point of wanting to avoid her, and thus Silver Spoon by association. At the best moments, Silver just wished that Diamond would talk about something new, or just so some interest in her for a change. "Are you even listening to me?" Diamond Tiara snapped, turning to glare back at Silver Spoon (who it seemed had to always walk back and to the right). "Like, of course," Silver Spoon replied, trying her best to act offended at the accusation. Of course, it was a complete lie. She had been listening at first, when they had gotten out of school, but had basically tuned out when she realized that Diamond Tiara was basically going to do the same thing she always did: complain about things and act like she was better than it all. This was their senior year, the last year of high school, and she had not wanted it to start just like every other had since elementary school. She wanted it to be different. She wanted it to be memorable. Although she had know it was unlikely, Silver Spoon had really been hoping that with the threat of adulthood pending, Diamond Tiara would return from her vacation with a more mature attitude. It became quite clear how wrong she had been when they got to school, and Diamond Tiara started bragging about her vacation in the tropics and showing off the brand new -- and much, much more expensive (as she pointed out quite loudly) -- tiara she had gotten during the trip. There had even been some extra effort on Diamond's part to make certain ponies even more jealous than the rest. Over a decade, and some things had not changed: such as Diamond Tiara's favorite targets for teasing and harassing. Granted, one of them had gotten a lot bigger and tougher, and had even threatened to give Diamond Tiara what for a few times. Unfortunately, not even the threat of physical retaliation had not seemed to discourage her. If anything, she seemed to take it as a challenge. "Hey, Silver," Diamond whispered. "Look." Up ahead and off to one side of the path sat a familiar white form of a unicorn. Silver Spoon recognized her instantly. Number three on Diamond Tiara's list of favorite victims: Sweetie Belle. Currently she was paying more attention to something off in the woods than anything else, completely unaware of their approach. Silver Spoon felt her jaw clench as she had to bite back the urge to groan. She really did not want to do this. Not now. And definitely not with her. Of the three choice victims, Sweetie Belle was the one that had become the least fun to Spoon. "Well look at that," Diamond Tiara called out. A sneer spread across her face as she stalked toward her target. "If it isn't Squirtie Belle." At the sound of Diamond's voice, Silver could see Sweetie Belle jump. Turning around, the petite unicorn looked up at the approaching Diamond Tiara, green eyes wide under her hat. Sweetie gripped at a notebook, holding it close to her chest. "What do you want?" Sweetie Belle asked. It was kind of sad how her voice cracked, and squeaked at the end. Closing her eyes, Silver Spoon rubbed at her forehead. She did not want to do this. She did not want to be involved in this. Really, at this point she would prefer to do anything else. They were supposed to be going to Diamond Tiara's house to hang out and have a slumber party. That sounded like it would be a lot more fun than teasing another pony. "What do you have there?" Diamond Tiara asked. "Nothing," Sweetie Belle answered. "It's just a notebook with some stuff written in it." Oh no, Silver Spoon thought. That had been the wrong answer. "Stuff" indicated that it was personal, and that meant that Diamond Tiara would want to know about even more. Especially if it was something that she could use to embarrass her victim in front of everypony at a later time. "Ooooohhhhh," Diamond cooed. "A notebook with 'stuff' you say? What kind of stuff? Is it about your boyfriend?" Pausing, she tapped at her chin. "What was his name? Muddy Splash or something?" "I don't have a boyfriend," Sweetie snapped, her eyes narrowing in anger. "And even if I did, whatever I wrote is private. Who would have a name like that anyways?" "Tell you what," Diamond Tiara said as she smiled and held out a hand, "you let me see your stupid little notebook, and you won't have to find out. Okay?" "What does that mean?" Sweetie Belle asked, taking a step back. A part of Silver Spoon wanted to tell Sweetie Belle to run. She could guess what was going to happen. This was all going to far. "Just give me the notebook," Diamond Tiara said. "No." Taking another step back, Sweetie Belle turned to hold the notebook further away. "I said give me the notebook, you little squirt," Diamond growled out. Her ears pulled back against her head as he bared her teeth. "And I said 'no!'" With a snarl, Diamond Tiara reached out and grabbed a hold of Sweetie Belle's dress. With a hard yank, she pulled the smaller mare closer. Diamond grabbed a hold of the notebook and started yanking. "Give it to me you little--" "Let her go!" For a moment, time seemed to stop with everything frozen in place. The air, the trees, even the insects all stopped and turned quiet. Eyes wide, both Diamond Tiara and Sweetie Belle turned to look at the pony that dared speak up. At which point, Silver Spoon realized that it had been her who had said something. She did not remember doing it, but there was no other pony around, and they were staring at her. "What!" Diamond snapped. "Did you! Say?!" "I said let her go," Silver Spoon repeated, shifting. Why did she do that? Why? Now she was on Diamond Tiara's Radar of Wrath. She had to do something. Say something that would defuse the situation. "Come on Diamond. This is boring." Shifting, she looked down at the ground, focusing on the puddle of mud. "Besides, it's just a stupid notebook. There's probably, like, nothing cool or interesting in it. Just some stupid love poems or something." Diamond Tiara shifted, her stance getting wider. There was a hiss from Sweetie Belle as the grip on her arm tightened. "You..." Diamond said slowly, "want... me... to let... her... go?" "Yeah. Come on. You made your point and it's not like you need to find out more about her anyways. It's just a waste." For a moment, everything turned quiet again. Silver Spoon shifted, looking up just enough to watch Diamond Tiara while still keeping her head down. Diamond's eyes were narrowed as she glared at Silver, her jaw clenched tight and teeth bared. Silver fought the urge to shrink back, to flinch. She just had to stay still and wait for Diamond to make her decision. Silently, Silver Spoon prayed to Celestia that she would not end up Diamond's list of victims. The glare vanished as a smirk spread across Diamond Tiara's mouth. The look sent a shiver down Silver Spoon's spine since she had seen that look before, just never aimed in her direction. "You know what?" Diamond Tiara asked. "Fine." Adjusting her stance, Diamond Tiara gave Sweetie Belle a hard shove. One of her legs stuck out to catch the other mare's throwing her off balance. Still trying to keep her notebook close, Sweetie Belle through out one arm to try and break her fall. There was a thick, wet splattering sound and Sweetie Belle landed in the puddle of mud. Instead of breaking her fall, the outstretched arm made her turn onto her side. The hat went fluttering from her head, and the notebook slipped from her grip. "What in Tartarus is wrong with you?!" Silver Spoon bellowed out, much to her own surprise. She could feel one of her hands clenching hard enough for her nails to dig into her palm. "And what is that supposed to mean?" Diamond Tiara yelled back, stomping toward Silver Spoon. "This," she motioned toward Sweetie Belle, "is stupid. And pointless. It's our senior years. We're supposed to be learning to be grown-ups, and you're still doing this... childish, bratty stuff." "Childish?" "Yes. Childish! And worse. Look at this." Again, Silver Spoon motioned at Sweetie Belle, who was now sitting up in the puddle of mud. "You shoved her into the mud." "Why do you care so much?" Diamond Tiara asked. "Because this is too far!" Silver Spoon shouted, finding herself nose to nose with Diamond Tiara. "It's bad enough that you still have to tease them over, like, whatever petty slight you've deluded yourself with them having done --" "Petty?" Diamond Tiara cried out. "-- but now you're actually resorting to physically assaulting them. And her of all ponies. It's... lame." "That's enough," Diamond growled, grabbing the front of Silver Spoon's outfit. "I will not put up with any more of your insubordination. You got me?" Anger flared in Silver Spoon, burning hotter than before. One of her hands grabbed Diamond Tiara's wrist as the other reached out to Tiara's chest. Giving the arm on her top a yank, Silver shoved hard. There was a pop of stitches and ripping of fabric as Diamond tore it. "Don't put your hands on me!" Silver Spoon yelled. "And you're not my boss. You're supposed to be my friend." "Friend?" Diamond said. "Ha! I was only friends with you because you were the only pony even close to being as rich as I am. Plus I knew the moment I saw you that you were totally spineless. You were never my friend. You were just some shallow, weak, wimpy, pathetic little yes mare that I kept around because I knew that you would do what I want when I wanted and were too much of a coward to ever really stand up to me." With each of Diamond Tiara's insults, Silver Spoon's anger gave away to fear and sadness. In truth, there had been times when she was very much scared about the very things that Diamond Tiara was saying. It was like hearing the worst things she had thought about herself being said, and by the one pony that was supposed to be her friend no less. Everything started to get blurry. "Well you were wrong," Silver huffed, her voice thick with emotions as she tried to blink back tears. "And anyways, who would want to be friends with a spoiled, selfish, egotistical, rude, brat like you!" She took a swing at Diamond Tiara. Unfortunately it was wide and horribly sloppy. Even if she had managed to hit, she had not put any sort of real weight behind it. It probably would have just glanced off of Diamond Tiara harmlessly. "And what are you going to do?" Diamond Tiara asked, once again moving toward Silver Spoon. "Be more like her? Or the rest of them? Some wimpy little nopony?" "At least they are able of actually caring for and supporting each other," Silver Spoon retorted. "And if they were 'noponies,' then why do you always work so hard to be so... so... such... such a... such a bitch to them?" Once again, everything seemed to freeze and go silent. Slowly it sank in what Silver Spoon had just said. Worse, she was aware that she had totally meant it in the worst way possible. "Wh...what did you call me?" Diamond Tiara asked. Fuck it, Silver Spoon thought. I'm already dead. May as well go for broke. "I called you, a bitch," she stated. "Like, I knew you were stupid since I've been doing the homework for both us, but I thought you at least knew what that word meant." "You want to get into this?" Diamond Tiara snapped. "Because if it wasn't for me, you would just be another pony that got picked on and ignored." "If it weren't for YOU, I would probably have more friends. Real friends. Ones that actually cared about me and what I wanted to do once in a while instead of only thinking about themselves." "Oh yeah?" "Yeah!" "Well if you want to be like them so badly..." Taking another step forward, Diamond Tiara gave Silver Spoon a hard shove. Before she could even register what was happening, Silver was stumbling backwards, trying to catch her balance. One foot got sank in the mud, getting stuck, as the other slipped out from under her. There was a flash of pain from her ankle as she fell backwards. A splat sound filled her ears as she felt something wet on her back. "... then you can just lay in filth like them," Diamond Tiara finished. With that she turned and stopped off, heading down the trail. "And you can forget about staying the night at my house," she called back. Silver Spoon did not say anything to that. She just sort of laid there, letting it all sink in. She had pretty much just ended her longest -- and pretty much only -- friendship. Now she was laying in mud. Plus, she had a whole school year of Diamond Tiara's wrath and social pariahism from the her former victims to look forward to. This year was going to suck. Horribly. At least if she had waited until after school ended, she would not have to worry about things so much. Some ponies lost touch after they graduated normally, so she could have waited until then, started avoiding Diamond Tiara, and just pretend that it was life taking its natural course. "It was song lyrics." The sound of Sweetie Belle's voice broke Silver Spoon from her thoughts of the dark, lonely future that was approaching her for the next nine months. "What?" Silver Spoon asked, turning to look at the other mare. "My notebook," Sweetie said. "It was full of lyrics for songs I was writing." Turning away, she started searching through the mud. Silver Spoon continued to lay there, just watching. Finally, Sweetie managed to pull something out of the mess. It was about the right size and shape to be a notebook, but was covered, the was plopping off in thick gooey blobs. "Whatever," Silver Spoon said, turning away from Sweetie Belle as she moved to sit up. "Like I care about your stupid notebook. It would have been a lot easier on all of us if you had just let her look at the stupid thing." "But it's private," Sweetie Belle whined. "Not even Apple Bloom or Scootaloo have ever seen what was inside it. I haven't even show it to Rarity." She sighed. "Although I doubt it matters now. The mud and water's pretty much ruined it all." With a snort, Silver Spoon pushed her way back to her feet. There was an ache in her ankle from the fall, but it was tolerable. She would be fine -- if uncomfortable -- walking on it to get home. Although she would probably want to ice and wrap it after. Pulling free of the irritable muck, she sloshed her way out mud puddle. Once back on solid, dry, ground, she tried to slough off as much of the stuff for her fur and clothing as she could. It was a miracle that not only were her glasses still on, but they were not covered as well. "Do you want to come over to my house?" Sweetie Belle asked. The question made Silver Spoon freeze. Was this really happening? Seriously? Was a mare that she had helped pick on for years actually asking her over? It had to be her imagination, or maybe she misheard. Either way, there was no way she had actually heard that. "What?" she asked, turning to look at Sweetie from the corner of her eye. "Do you want to come over to my house?" Sweetie Belle repeated. "I mean, you did kind of get in this situation because you were trying to protect me from Diamond Tiara. The least I could do is let you use our shower and give you something to eat." She perked up. "I bet I can even convince Rarity to let you stay the night. And I bet she will mend your dress." At that last part, Silver Spoon looked down at her top. During the argument, she had completely forgotten that Diamond Tiara had grabbed a hold of it, and that it had ripped when she had shoved her. There was now a large tear across the front. Not enough to expose her bra or show anything inappropriate, but it was definitely obvious. "Come on," Sweetie said as she moved to stand beside Silver. "The worst that happens is that you go home a little later wearing some borrowed clothes." "'Borrowed clothes?'" Silver repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Well, yeah. I mean, even if you decide to just shower and leave, you can't really walk home in a muddy dress. And I don't think you have a change of clothes in your school bag." "No, I don't," Silver Spoon confirmed. She had actually dropped off her change of clothes at Diamond Tiara's before school. Not like Diamond Tiara would ever let her borrow clothes, even though they were supposed to be best friends. Although really -- like so many other things when it came to Diamond Tiara -- it only worked one way. Diamond Tiara had borrowed plenty of outfits from Silver Spoon over the years. Which now that she thought about it, she never got back most of the time. How many of her clothes did she end up never getting back? Then there was the question of why? Diamond Tiara could have the latest of any outfit from anywhere in Equestria if she just asked her father for it, so why would she even borrow Silver's clothes in the first place? "So what do you say?" Sweetie Belle asked. With a sigh, Silver Spoon nodded and let out a small, "fine." She started along the path, mud plopping off her as she went. "Let's just hurry up so no pony I know sees me like this." Busted at the Boutique"Why are we going to the back door?" Silver Spoon asked as they reached the back door of Carousal Boutique. "I normally come this way," Sweetie Belle answered. "Plus, the front is also Rarity's shop, and she is insanely obsessive about how it looks, especially during business hours. If she caught us tracking mud through there -- and she would, trust me -- she would probably kill us and use our hides for new outfits." Grabbing the knob, she pushed it open. "Okay, so why are we here? I mean, I thought we were going to your house." Stopping, Sweetie Belle turned around and looked at Silver Spoon. Tilting her head, she looked at Silver with confusion. "What?" Silver asked. "You mean you don't know?" "Know what?" "I live with my sister," Sweetie Belle explained. "I have for the last five years. After my parents decided to drop me off and take another trip, Rarity decided to just file for guardianship." She turned back toward the door. "I wondered why you and Diamond Tiara never teased me about it." As Sweetie Belle went inside, Silver Spoon stood there, staring at the doorway and the mare entering. Sweetie Belle was living with Rarity? For the past five years? And she had never known? Of course not. She had never bothered to get to know about Sweetie Belle or her friends any more than what Diamond Tiara did. Was it possible that Diamond Tiara knew? No. If she had known, Diamond Tiara would definitely have made fun of Sweetie Belle over it. Even now, Silver Spoon could hear Diamond talking about how Sweetie's parents did not want her, and how they were always pawning her off on her sister just to get away from her. "I'm sorry," Silver Spoon said as she finally came into the house. "It's fine," Sweetie Belle answered. "Okay. So here's the plan: you wait in my room while I take a shower. That way I'll be nice and clean while I talk to Rarity. Then you take a shower while I talk to her about you staying the night. That way--" The rest of what Sweetie Belle was going to lost as an ear-piercing shriek filled the air. "Good gracious," Rarity shouted as she ran down the stairs toward the pair of them. "Sweetie Belle, what in Equestria happened to you?" "Hi, Rarity," Sweetie Belle said with a smile. "You remember Silver Spoon, right?" With a slight smile of her own, Silver Spoon raised a hand to wave at Rarity. The moment Rarity turned to look at her, Silver froze. The look that she got could only be described as "icy" as those blue eyes narrowed. It sent a shiver down along Silver's spine, making her slouch down an try to make herself seem smaller. Rarity's lips pursed out as she crossed her arms, continuing to stare at Silver Spoon. "Yes," Rarity stated. "I recall her quite well. Shall I then presume that your current... appearance... has something to do with that Diamond Tiara?" "It's kind of a long and complicated story," Sweetie Belle replied, "and as you can see, Silver and I are really muddy. So... how about I tell you about it while you make hot chocolate and Silver takes a shower to get cleaned up." "Hold on." Rarity stepped forward, holding up a hand and raising an eyebrow. "You mean to tell me, that you want --" she waved toward Silver Spoon "-- her... to take a shower here? Even though she is more than likely an accomplice in the fact that you are currently covered horn to hoof in mud?" "Yes?" Sweetie Belle replied. "Please?" Shifting, Rarity turned to place her full attention on Sweetie Belle. The younger mare continued to look up at her older sister with her wide, pleading, green eyes. One of Rarity's ears flickered as she stared back. Finally, she let out a sigh and shook her head. "Oh, very well," Rarity said. "Silver Spoon, go ahead and wash up. The bathroom is upstairs at the end of the hallway. Sweetie Belle and I will be in the kitchen." "Actually, she doesn't have any other clothes," Sweetie Belle said. "So I need to give her some to borrow." "So you are having her shower here, and lending her clothes?" Rarity asked, getting a nod. "This must be a very interesting story. Very well then." She moved past the pair. "I will be in the kitchen. Join me as soon as you are finished assisting your... associate..." Once Rarity walked past them and headed into the kitchen, Sweetie Belle led Silver Spoon upstairs and to her bedroom. Going to the dresser, Sweetie pulled a drawer open and started to rifle through it. While she did, Silver Spoon looked around the room. It was smaller than her own, and not nearly as much stuff as she had. There was a pile of stuffed toys, some of which looked pretty worn. Against the wall opposite the bed was a television with a video game console plugged into it. A Super Neigh-tendo maybe? That was actually pretty old if it was. Two or three generations in fact. Silver Spoon found the place kind of small, and empty. At the same time, there was something... cozy... and comforting about the place. "Here you go," Sweetie Belle said as she handed some clothes to Silver Spoon. "They're a little big on me, but they should be fine for you tonight. Clean towels are in the cabinets right beside the door in the bathroom." With a nod, Silver Spoon left Sweetie Belle's room and headed to the bathroom. Setting the clean clothes down on the counter, she started to undress, folding the muddy clothes and setting them aside. Stepping into the shower, she turned on the water. The cold of it sent a shock through her body. After adjusting the temperature, she stood under the spray and watched as the mud ran off her body, swirling down the drain. Down the drain. A figure of speech used to describe when something was quickly passing from a pony's grasp, often by going wrong in a massive way. It seemed like an appropriate metaphor for what was going on in her life for today: going down the drain in a horribly muddy mess. She had lost the one pony she had thought of as a friend. A terrible one, sure, but a friend nonetheless. Now she was looking at months of being ignored at best, or vengeful attacks by Diamond Tiara and former victims at worst. Why did she have to interfere? Why did Diamond Tiara had to do something so stupid? Why did they have to fight. Why? Why? Why?! All of the emotions and strain of that few moments came down on Silver Spoon. All of the anger, the fear, the sadness, the grief. Every emotion and then some flooded through her, bubbling to the surface and ready to burst. So why could she not cry? She felt overwhelmed with emotion and that she had to express them, but she could not physically come to tears. That was what was supposed to happen, was it not? It was what happened in some of the books she had read. Something would happen to the lead female -- be it the main character or romantic interest -- and she would wind up sitting in the shower in the fetal position, rocking back and forth, and crying while the water poured over their form. Maybe that was the problem? It was not working because she was standing. Sitting down, she pulled her legs up against her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Resting her head on her knees, she let the water run down her body as she sat there. She still felt highly emotional, but unable to cry. Maybe the water was too warm? It was kind of comforting feeling the warmth seeping into her body, relaxing her muscles as the water soaked into her coat and hair. Maybe colder water would work. The character did normally stay in the shower until it went cold, did they not? Reaching up, she took a hold of the hot water handle, and turned it down until the shower was freezing. Silver Spoon took a deep breath and let it out, but still could not get the bubble of emotions to burst and come out. With a sigh of frustration, she got back up and once again turned up the warm water. She grabbed the soap, shampoo, and conditioner, and scrubbed herself. Probably harder than she should have. By the time she was finished, her scalp tingled and her arms ached. She had never washed herself so hard that her muscles hurt from it. She had not even known that was possible. Still, it probably helped to make sure that all the mud was gone from her. Once out and dry, Silver put on the borrowed clothes. They did not exactly fit her well. The legs of the pants were short, coming up to mid-calf, and were tight against her thighs. The waistband was snug. The backside was also tight, giving her a bit of wedgie. At least there was no sign of trouble in the front. Similarly, the shirt had some of the same troubles. Silver Spoon's stomach was slightly exposed because it was too short. The sleeves ended before her wrists, closer to the middle of her forearm, and her upper arm was being squeezed. She almost felt like she could tear the seams if she flexed. The chest of the shirt was also tight, compressing her breasts and making her nipples poke out. She did not want to be seen like this. She did not want to sleep in these. Silver Spoon wanted her regular night clothes: an over-sized shirt and boxer shorts she always wore. This made her feel too exposed. "Looks like somepony's getting a bit of belly on them," Diamond Tiara stated, poking Silver Spoon in the stomach. Flinching, Silver pulled at the shirt, trying to cover her stomach. "You are so lucky your breasts are so small," Diamond Tiara groaned. "At least that way colts will look you in the face." She pulled at the fabric of her chest, trying to stretch it a little more. "Hey," Diamond Tiara shouted. "Watch where you're going before your butt knocks something over." Her face heated up as she noticed the cleft between her cheeks, perfectly outlining them. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and slowly let it out. She told herself it would be fine. It was just for one night after all, and she was not going anywhere. The only ponies that would see her like this were Sweetie Belle and Rarity. Silver doubted they would actually say anything on the matter. Well, they might comment on the poor fit of the clothes, but that would be it. Adjusting her glasses, Silver Spoon gave herself one last look over before heading out of the bathroom and down to the kitchen. Sitting at a table were Rarity and Sweetie Belle, with Rarity facing the door. At the sight of Silver Spoon, Rarity raised one of her eyebrows. "Well, Sweetie," she said, "it seems your... friend... has finished her shower. Now go up and take yours while we have... a little talk." That "a little talk" sent a shiver down Silver Spoon's spine. Normally when she hears somepony use the term in that tone of voice, they pretty much mean an interrogation. This was not going to go well for her. "Okay," Sweetie Belle said. Grabbing the mug beside her, she chugged down the rest of its contents before getting up. As she walked by, Silver could not help but notice the hot chocolate mustache. Under different circumstances, she would find it funny (or cute). As it was, Silver Spoon was dreading the idea of being left alone with Rarity. Getting up, Rarity walked over to the stove and grabbed a mug. "Have a seat." Stifling the urge to gulp, Silver moved to sit in the seat that Sweetie Belle had just left. "Not there," Rarity called out. "It's still rather muddy from Sweetie Belle after all." Turning around, she approached with a mug in hand. As Silver Spoon sat down in a clean chair, Rarity placed the mug in front of her before sitting back down again. Picking up the mug, Silver took a sip. The chocolate was wonderful. It was made with actual milk (or cream?) and chocolate. None of that terrible hot water and powder that so many seemed to use. It was also nice and warm, but not hot enough to risk burning her mouth. It would have been perfect if there had been some marshmallows in it. "Now," Rarity said as she sat down, "tell me what happened." She brought her arms up, head resting on her hand. Her blue eyes narrowed as she pinned the young mare with her gaze. Silver Spoon gulped the mouthful of hot chocolate -- probably louder than necessary -- and set the mug down. She still kept a firm grip on it however, shifting it back and forth and watching the dark liquid shift. "Didn't... didn't Sweetie Belle tell you?" "Yes, she did," Rarity answered. "And now I want to hear your version of the story. You were there after all, and were involved in it, were you not?" "...yes..." "So I would like to hear you tell it," Rarity stated. Silver Spoon looked up to find that she was being stared out. It felt like she was pinned in place, that those eyes were looking right through her, seeing anything and everything. After letting out a sigh, Silver Spoon took another drink of her hot chocolate. "Well, if you want the full story," she said, "then you really have to start with this morning..." So Silver Spoon started telling her version of what happened, starting with her hoping that Diamond Tiara would be different since they were starting their senior year. She talked about the bragging, the teasing, and the complaining. She talked about her irritation and frustration that Diamond was exactly the same childish pony she had always known, and the disappointment that it looked like nothing was going to change. As she got to the part where they had actually found Sweetie Belle, the emotional bubble finally burst. Anger coursed through her as she talked about how Diamond Tiara started to belittle Sweetie, then how Diamond tried to get the stupid notebook. Some of the anger turned toward Silver herself as she felt horrible for having let it go that far. Not just that day but for years. Pausing, Silver found that the handle to the mug had come off at some point while she was talking, and was now in her hand. "Sorry," she said, setting it down on the table. "Don't worry about it now," Rarity replied. "Continue." After the attempt to try and get Diamond Tiara to just let Sweetie go, came the argument after pushing her into the mud. Finally the tears came. All the sadness, anger, and hurt from what happened burst forth. Especially as she remembered what Diamond Tiara had said to her and she thought about how her longest friendship was pretty much over. She ended up having to stop as it was too hard to talk while she broke into full sobs. Rarity did not say anything, but she did give Silver Spoon a handkerchief to use. After finishing the whole story -- ending with when Rarity found them -- Silver Spoon felt... exhausted. All of the anger and sadness was drained from her, but so was all of her energy. Silver felt like she could really use a nap or something. "Well," Rarity finally stated, "I must say that is a very entertaining tale." Getting up, she brushed at her blouse and stroked her pants into place. "Very well," Rarity said. "I suppose you can stay for the night. I normally don't allow Sweetie to have others stay over on school nights, but this is a bit of an extenuating circumstance. However, since it is a school night, that will mean that you will go to bed the same time as Sweetie Belle, with no argument. Understood?" "Yes, ma'am," Silver replied. "Good. Now take your garments to my office and I will see about restoring them." She started for the doorway. "I am going to pick up some supper for us all to eat. While I am gone, I expect the two of you to do any homework you have." "Yes, ma'am," Silver repeated, giving a nod. She continued to sit there, watching as Rarity made her way for the door. Once Rarity was gone, Silver let out a sigh. She had actually felt a sense of relief that she was being allowed to stay the night. The idea of going to her big empty house and staying there all alone for the night did not appeal to her. To say nothing about having to make the trip in undersized clothes that showed off far more of her body than she was comfortable with. "So do you have any homework?" Sweetie Belle asked, causing Silver Spoon to jump her seat. Sweetie stood at the base of the staircase, hands in front of her. She was dressed in yellow pajamas covered in pink hearts, which Silver Spoon found absolutely adorable on her. The short pastel hair was still wet from the shower, but it was definitely returning to its naturally curly state. "How long have you been there?" Silver asked. "Around 'extenuating circumstances,'" Sweetie replied, walking closer. "Pretty sure Rarity said that as much for me as for you." She shifted. "So, do you have any homework?" "No," Silver answered. "Great." Grabbing Silver's wrist, Sweetie started to pull her up. "I can show you around quickly, then we can play video games or something until dinner. C'mon." Food and GamesDinner was kind of familiar to Silver Spoon, in an awkward silence type of way. The food was pretty good: moogolian vegetables and noodles in hot sesame oil. During the meal, none of them actually talked very much. It was very much like when she had dinner with her own parents. Although Rarity did try to start a conversation start to a conversation a couple times with Sweetie Belle. In a way, it was actually more awkward than dinner at home. Both because it was with ponies that she hardly knew, and because it was a safe guess that the silence was at least partially because of her. After dinner (and a fortune cookie which read "a good friend catches you when you fall"), Sweetie Belle took Silver Spoon back up to her room to play video games, which Sweetie let Silver choose. Not being familiar with most of the games (and a little surprised at having it be her choice since normally Diamond Tiara decided what they were going to do), she ended up picking one that had the Power Ponies on the front since she recognized them. "Can I ask you something?" Sweetie said after they had been playing a while. Shifting, Silver looked at Sweetie from the corner of one eye. Sweetie was not looking at her, most of her attention still on the game. "I guess," Silver answered. "When you and Diamond Tiara started fighting, you said that you do the homework for both of you. Is that true?" Pausing the game, Silver Spoon thought about the question. Had she actually said that? She had. It was actually one of the first insults she had thrown at Diamond Tiara after calling her a bitch. She could not believe that either of those had been spoken by her. What had she been thinking. She had not been. Silver was just letting her mouth run without thinking because of her anger. "No," Silver answered. "It's not true. I just said it to hurt Diamond Tiara." Although technically that was not the entire truth. They actually ended up having to help each other when it came to homework. Diamond seemed to have a pretty good mind when it came to history, keeping track of dates and events. She had also been good at geography back when it was a part of the classes (probably because she has been to some of the most influential and wealthy parts of Equestria? Except Diamond had shown the same talent for regions well beyond Equestrian borders). Silver, however had the better head for numbers, so math came a lot easier to her. And while she did not technically do Diamond's homework for her, she did have to help Diamond by going through it step by step. Having Diamond complain about it, calling math stupid, and wondering when she would ever use it did not help make it any easier. "Sorry about what happened," Sweetie Belle said. "Between you and Diamond, I mean." Silver did not expect that. "...sorry about your notebook..." she replied. After playing games and getting bored, the two of them watched a movie on television. It was some cheesy teen romantic comedy where a nerdy looking girl gets a make-over to "become hot" (even though she was attractive to begin with) and ends up getting the attention of the popular jock colt she had been crushing on, only to realize she was in love with her best male friend all along. While watching the movie, the two of them sat on the floor with the backs against the bed's baseboard. Some time during the first date scene between the food getting spilled on the main character and the first kiss, Sweetie Belle had shifted, leaning against Silver Spoon's arm. The warmth of the contact was comforting, and Sweetie Belle looked so cute like that. The last thought was actually a surprise to Silver Spoon. Why would she think that? Especially about Sweetie Belle? Sure, she was a petite thing, that was sweet, and very adorable... Shifting, Silver Spoon turned away from Sweetie Belle, staring at the television screen. She could feel her cheeks heating up. What was wrong with her? With the girl getting with her true love at the school dance, the movie came to an end and another started. From the moment Silver saw that it was written by, directed by, and starring Stone Farrier, she knew that it was going to be one of his stupid comedies. A fact that was confirmed as soon as she saw that he was going to be also playing his twin sister. "Do you really...." Silver started to ask, but stopped when she saw that Sweetie Belle had fallen asleep against her. The white cheek that was against Silver's arm was all squished and misshapen. Sweetie's mouth hung partially open as she breathed slowly. Silver Spoon now found herself slightly conflicted. On one hand, she did not want to sit through the stupid movie. The opening credits were not even finished yet and she was already tired of it. On the other, she found that she did not want to disturb Sweetie Belle. She looked so cute and innocent sleeping, that it would have been a shame to wake her up. After several seconds of conflict, Silver finally decided to just let Sweetie Belle sleep while putting up with the stupid movie. The next thing Silver Spoon knew, she was being gently shaken. With a groan, she opened her eyes, looking up at Rarity staring down at the two of them. "I was coming up to tell the two of you it was time for bed," she said with a smile, "but it seems you were already sleeping. Although, I think that it would be much more comfortable to sleep in the bed." A thump drew Silver's attention to Sweetie Belle, who was already crawling up into the bed. If Sweetie woke up at all, she went back to sleep as soon as she flopped down onto the sheets. Silver Spoon, however, was more conscious than that. Getting up, she walked around the edge of the bed, set her glasses on an end table, then climbed on and laid down. Quietly, Rarity left the room. Except now, Silver Spoon was wide awake. With a huff, she stared up at the ceiling, unable to get back to sleep. Why did this have to happen? It was not the first time she had been tired, but could not go to sleep once in bed. It was doubtful it would be the last. Still, it was frustrating. Why had she been able to sleep fine on the floor mere seconds ago, but was now stuck staring up at the ceiling. As Silver Spoon laid there, Sweetie Belle shifted. Rolling over, Sweetie curled up against Silver, resting her chin on Silver's chest and throwing an arm across her stomach. A low murmur escaped Sweetie Belle as she curled up against the other young mare. Looking down at the snoozing bed mate, Silver Spoon felt herself smiling a little. Reaching down, she placed a hand on the middle of Sweetie's back. Slowly, the feeling of the other pony's warmth seeped into her, helping her relax as she drifted off to sleep again.
After School Special'Like, why do I have to know any of this?' "Like, why do I have to know any of this?" Diamond Tiara grumbled, her ears pulled back. 'Why do I even have to keep going to school.' "Why do I even have to keep going to school?" she huffed, crossing her arms. 'I already know what I'm going to do with my life anyways.' "I mean, like, I already know what I'm going to do anyways, and I don't need school for it at this point." Alright, so the script did vary a little more than she expected, but Silver Spoon had pretty much guessed all of what her friend was going to say. Almost verbatim in fact. Not much of a surprise since the two of them had known each other for years. A lot of ponies would be envious of the idea that one pony knew another so well, they could guess what that pony was going to say. However, Silver Spoon just found it disappointing. If she were to be completely honest, Silver Spoon had gotten tired of putting up with Diamond Tiara's cattiness and bad attitude. At the worst moments, Silver Spoon alternated between wondering why she put up with it, and fearing for being on the receiving end. Either way, both had the added anxiety of having no friends at all. Diamond Tiara had pretty much terrorized everypony their age to the point of wanting to avoid her, and thus Silver Spoon by association. At the best moments, Silver just wished that Diamond would talk about something new, or just so some interest in her for a change. "Are you even listening to me?" Diamond Tiara snapped, turning to glare back at Silver Spoon (who it seemed had to always walk back and to the right). "Like, of course," Silver Spoon replied, trying her best to act offended at the accusation. Of course, it was a complete lie. She had been listening at first, when they had gotten out of school, but had basically tuned out when she realized that Diamond Tiara was basically going to do the same thing she always did: complain about things and act like she was better than it all. This was their senior year, the last year of high school, and she had not wanted it to start just like every other had since elementary school. She wanted it to be different. She wanted it to be memorable. Although she had know it was unlikely, Silver Spoon had really been hoping that with the threat of adulthood pending, Diamond Tiara would return from her vacation with a more mature attitude. It became quite clear how wrong she had been when they got to school, and Diamond Tiara started bragging about her vacation in the tropics and showing off the brand new -- and much, much more expensive (as she pointed out quite loudly) -- tiara she had gotten during the trip. There had even been some extra effort on Diamond's part to make certain ponies even more jealous than the rest. Over a decade, and some things had not changed: such as Diamond Tiara's favorite targets for teasing and harassing. Granted, one of them had gotten a lot bigger and tougher, and had even threatened to give Diamond Tiara what for a few times. Unfortunately, not even the threat of physical retaliation had not seemed to discourage her. If anything, she seemed to take it as a challenge. "Hey, Silver," Diamond whispered. "Look." Up ahead and off to one side of the path sat a familiar white form of a unicorn. Silver Spoon recognized her instantly. Number three on Diamond Tiara's list of favorite victims: Sweetie Belle. Currently she was paying more attention to something off in the woods than anything else, completely unaware of their approach. Silver Spoon felt her jaw clench as she had to bite back the urge to groan. She really did not want to do this. Not now. And definitely not with her. Of the three choice victims, Sweetie Belle was the one that had become the least fun to Spoon. "Well look at that," Diamond Tiara called out. A sneer spread across her face as she stalked toward her target. "If it isn't Squirtie Belle." At the sound of Diamond's voice, Silver could see Sweetie Belle jump. Turning around, the petite unicorn looked up at the approaching Diamond Tiara, green eyes wide under her hat. Sweetie gripped at a notebook, holding it close to her chest. "What do you want?" Sweetie Belle asked. It was kind of sad how her voice cracked, and squeaked at the end. Closing her eyes, Silver Spoon rubbed at her forehead. She did not want to do this. She did not want to be involved in this. Really, at this point she would prefer to do anything else. They were supposed to be going to Diamond Tiara's house to hang out and have a slumber party. That sounded like it would be a lot more fun than teasing another pony. "What do you have there?" Diamond Tiara asked. "Nothing," Sweetie Belle answered. "It's just a notebook with some stuff written in it." Oh no, Silver Spoon thought. That had been the wrong answer. "Stuff" indicated that it was personal, and that meant that Diamond Tiara would want to know about even more. Especially if it was something that she could use to embarrass her victim in front of everypony at a later time. "Ooooohhhhh," Diamond cooed. "A notebook with 'stuff' you say? What kind of stuff? Is it about your boyfriend?" Pausing, she tapped at her chin. "What was his name? Muddy Splash or something?" "I don't have a boyfriend," Sweetie snapped, her eyes narrowing in anger. "And even if I did, whatever I wrote is private. Who would have a name like that anyways?" "Tell you what," Diamond Tiara said as she smiled and held out a hand, "you let me see your stupid little notebook, and you won't have to find out. Okay?" "What does that mean?" Sweetie Belle asked, taking a step back. A part of Silver Spoon wanted to tell Sweetie Belle to run. She could guess what was going to happen. This was all going to far. "Just give me the notebook," Diamond Tiara said. "No." Taking another step back, Sweetie Belle turned to hold the notebook further away. "I said give me the notebook, you little squirt," Diamond growled out. Her ears pulled back against her head as he bared her teeth. "And I said 'no!'" With a snarl, Diamond Tiara reached out and grabbed a hold of Sweetie Belle's dress. With a hard yank, she pulled the smaller mare closer. Diamond grabbed a hold of the notebook and started yanking. "Give it to me you little--" "Let her go!" For a moment, time seemed to stop with everything frozen in place. The air, the trees, even the insects all stopped and turned quiet. Eyes wide, both Diamond Tiara and Sweetie Belle turned to look at the pony that dared speak up. At which point, Silver Spoon realized that it had been her who had said something. She did not remember doing it, but there was no other pony around, and they were staring at her. "What!" Diamond snapped. "Did you! Say?!" "I said let her go," Silver Spoon repeated, shifting. Why did she do that? Why? Now she was on Diamond Tiara's Radar of Wrath. She had to do something. Say something that would defuse the situation. "Come on Diamond. This is boring." Shifting, she looked down at the ground, focusing on the puddle of mud. "Besides, it's just a stupid notebook. There's probably, like, nothing cool or interesting in it. Just some stupid love poems or something." Diamond Tiara shifted, her stance getting wider. There was a hiss from Sweetie Belle as the grip on her arm tightened. "You..." Diamond said slowly, "want... me... to let... her... go?" "Yeah. Come on. You made your point and it's not like you need to find out more about her anyways. It's just a waste." For a moment, everything turned quiet again. Silver Spoon shifted, looking up just enough to watch Diamond Tiara while still keeping her head down. Diamond's eyes were narrowed as she glared at Silver, her jaw clenched tight and teeth bared. Silver fought the urge to shrink back, to flinch. She just had to stay still and wait for Diamond to make her decision. Silently, Silver Spoon prayed to Celestia that she would not end up Diamond's list of victims. The glare vanished as a smirk spread across Diamond Tiara's mouth. The look sent a shiver down Silver Spoon's spine since she had seen that look before, just never aimed in her direction. "You know what?" Diamond Tiara asked. "Fine." Adjusting her stance, Diamond Tiara gave Sweetie Belle a hard shove. One of her legs stuck out to catch the other mare's throwing her off balance. Still trying to keep her notebook close, Sweetie Belle through out one arm to try and break her fall. There was a thick, wet splattering sound and Sweetie Belle landed in the puddle of mud. Instead of breaking her fall, the outstretched arm made her turn onto her side. The hat went fluttering from her head, and the notebook slipped from her grip. "What in Tartarus is wrong with you?!" Silver Spoon bellowed out, much to her own surprise. She could feel one of her hands clenching hard enough for her nails to dig into her palm. "And what is that supposed to mean?" Diamond Tiara yelled back, stomping toward Silver Spoon. "This," she motioned toward Sweetie Belle, "is stupid. And pointless. It's our senior years. We're supposed to be learning to be grown-ups, and you're still doing this... childish, bratty stuff." "Childish?" "Yes. Childish! And worse. Look at this." Again, Silver Spoon motioned at Sweetie Belle, who was now sitting up in the puddle of mud. "You shoved her into the mud." "Why do you care so much?" Diamond Tiara asked. "Because this is too far!" Silver Spoon shouted, finding herself nose to nose with Diamond Tiara. "It's bad enough that you still have to tease them over, like, whatever petty slight you've deluded yourself with them having done --" "Petty?" Diamond Tiara cried out. "-- but now you're actually resorting to physically assaulting them. And her of all ponies. It's... lame." "That's enough," Diamond growled, grabbing the front of Silver Spoon's outfit. "I will not put up with any more of your insubordination. You got me?" Anger flared in Silver Spoon, burning hotter than before. One of her hands grabbed Diamond Tiara's wrist as the other reached out to Tiara's chest. Giving the arm on her top a yank, Silver shoved hard. There was a pop of stitches and ripping of fabric as Diamond tore it. "Don't put your hands on me!" Silver Spoon yelled. "And you're not my boss. You're supposed to be my friend." "Friend?" Diamond said. "Ha! I was only friends with you because you were the only pony even close to being as rich as I am. Plus I knew the moment I saw you that you were totally spineless. You were never my friend. You were just some shallow, weak, wimpy, pathetic little yes mare that I kept around because I knew that you would do what I want when I wanted and were too much of a coward to ever really stand up to me." With each of Diamond Tiara's insults, Silver Spoon's anger gave away to fear and sadness. In truth, there had been times when she was very much scared about the very things that Diamond Tiara was saying. It was like hearing the worst things she had thought about herself being said, and by the one pony that was supposed to be her friend no less. Everything started to get blurry. "Well you were wrong," Silver huffed, her voice thick with emotions as she tried to blink back tears. "And anyways, who would want to be friends with a spoiled, selfish, egotistical, rude, brat like you!" She took a swing at Diamond Tiara. Unfortunately it was wide and horribly sloppy. Even if she had managed to hit, she had not put any sort of real weight behind it. It probably would have just glanced off of Diamond Tiara harmlessly. "And what are you going to do?" Diamond Tiara asked, once again moving toward Silver Spoon. "Be more like her? Or the rest of them? Some wimpy little nopony?" "At least they are able of actually caring for and supporting each other," Silver Spoon retorted. "And if they were 'noponies,' then why do you always work so hard to be so... so... such... such a... such a bitch to them?" Once again, everything seemed to freeze and go silent. Slowly it sank in what Silver Spoon had just said. Worse, she was aware that she had totally meant it in the worst way possible. "Wh...what did you call me?" Diamond Tiara asked. Fuck it, Silver Spoon thought. I'm already dead. May as well go for broke. "I called you, a bitch," she stated. "Like, I knew you were stupid since I've been doing the homework for both us, but I thought you at least knew what that word meant." "You want to get into this?" Diamond Tiara snapped. "Because if it wasn't for me, you would just be another pony that got picked on and ignored." "If it weren't for YOU, I would probably have more friends. Real friends. Ones that actually cared about me and what I wanted to do once in a while instead of only thinking about themselves." "Oh yeah?" "Yeah!" "Well if you want to be like them so badly..." Taking another step forward, Diamond Tiara gave Silver Spoon a hard shove. Before she could even register what was happening, Silver was stumbling backwards, trying to catch her balance. One foot got sank in the mud, getting stuck, as the other slipped out from under her. There was a flash of pain from her ankle as she fell backwards. A splat sound filled her ears as she felt something wet on her back. "... then you can just lay in filth like them," Diamond Tiara finished. With that she turned and stopped off, heading down the trail. "And you can forget about staying the night at my house," she called back. Silver Spoon did not say anything to that. She just sort of laid there, letting it all sink in. She had pretty much just ended her longest -- and pretty much only -- friendship. Now she was laying in mud. Plus, she had a whole school year of Diamond Tiara's wrath and social pariahism from the her former victims to look forward to. This year was going to suck. Horribly. At least if she had waited until after school ended, she would not have to worry about things so much. Some ponies lost touch after they graduated normally, so she could have waited until then, started avoiding Diamond Tiara, and just pretend that it was life taking its natural course. "It was song lyrics." The sound of Sweetie Belle's voice broke Silver Spoon from her thoughts of the dark, lonely future that was approaching her for the next nine months. "What?" Silver Spoon asked, turning to look at the other mare. "My notebook," Sweetie said. "It was full of lyrics for songs I was writing." Turning away, she started searching through the mud. Silver Spoon continued to lay there, just watching. Finally, Sweetie managed to pull something out of the mess. It was about the right size and shape to be a notebook, but was covered, the was plopping off in thick gooey blobs. "Whatever," Silver Spoon said, turning away from Sweetie Belle as she moved to sit up. "Like I care about your stupid notebook. It would have been a lot easier on all of us if you had just let her look at the stupid thing." "But it's private," Sweetie Belle whined. "Not even Apple Bloom or Scootaloo have ever seen what was inside it. I haven't even show it to Rarity." She sighed. "Although I doubt it matters now. The mud and water's pretty much ruined it all." With a snort, Silver Spoon pushed her way back to her feet. There was an ache in her ankle from the fall, but it was tolerable. She would be fine -- if uncomfortable -- walking on it to get home. Although she would probably want to ice and wrap it after. Pulling free of the irritable muck, she sloshed her way out mud puddle. Once back on solid, dry, ground, she tried to slough off as much of the stuff for her fur and clothing as she could. It was a miracle that not only were her glasses still on, but they were not covered as well. "Do you want to come over to my house?" Sweetie Belle asked. The question made Silver Spoon freeze. Was this really happening? Seriously? Was a mare that she had helped pick on for years actually asking her over? It had to be her imagination, or maybe she misheard. Either way, there was no way she had actually heard that. "What?" she asked, turning to look at Sweetie from the corner of her eye. "Do you want to come over to my house?" Sweetie Belle repeated. "I mean, you did kind of get in this situation because you were trying to protect me from Diamond Tiara. The least I could do is let you use our shower and give you something to eat." She perked up. "I bet I can even convince Rarity to let you stay the night. And I bet she will mend your dress." At that last part, Silver Spoon looked down at her top. During the argument, she had completely forgotten that Diamond Tiara had grabbed a hold of it, and that it had ripped when she had shoved her. There was now a large tear across the front. Not enough to expose her bra or show anything inappropriate, but it was definitely obvious. "Come on," Sweetie said as she moved to stand beside Silver. "The worst that happens is that you go home a little later wearing some borrowed clothes." "'Borrowed clothes?'" Silver repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Well, yeah. I mean, even if you decide to just shower and leave, you can't really walk home in a muddy dress. And I don't think you have a change of clothes in your school bag." "No, I don't," Silver Spoon confirmed. She had actually dropped off her change of clothes at Diamond Tiara's before school. Not like Diamond Tiara would ever let her borrow clothes, even though they were supposed to be best friends. Although really -- like so many other things when it came to Diamond Tiara -- it only worked one way. Diamond Tiara had borrowed plenty of outfits from Silver Spoon over the years. Which now that she thought about it, she never got back most of the time. How many of her clothes did she end up never getting back? Then there was the question of why? Diamond Tiara could have the latest of any outfit from anywhere in Equestria if she just asked her father for it, so why would she even borrow Silver's clothes in the first place? "So what do you say?" Sweetie Belle asked. With a sigh, Silver Spoon nodded and let out a small, "fine." She started along the path, mud plopping off her as she went. "Let's just hurry up so no pony I know sees me like this."
Busted at the Boutique"Why are we going to the back door?" Silver Spoon asked as they reached the back door of Carousal Boutique. "I normally come this way," Sweetie Belle answered. "Plus, the front is also Rarity's shop, and she is insanely obsessive about how it looks, especially during business hours. If she caught us tracking mud through there -- and she would, trust me -- she would probably kill us and use our hides for new outfits." Grabbing the knob, she pushed it open. "Okay, so why are we here? I mean, I thought we were going to your house." Stopping, Sweetie Belle turned around and looked at Silver Spoon. Tilting her head, she looked at Silver with confusion. "What?" Silver asked. "You mean you don't know?" "Know what?" "I live with my sister," Sweetie Belle explained. "I have for the last five years. After my parents decided to drop me off and take another trip, Rarity decided to just file for guardianship." She turned back toward the door. "I wondered why you and Diamond Tiara never teased me about it." As Sweetie Belle went inside, Silver Spoon stood there, staring at the doorway and the mare entering. Sweetie Belle was living with Rarity? For the past five years? And she had never known? Of course not. She had never bothered to get to know about Sweetie Belle or her friends any more than what Diamond Tiara did. Was it possible that Diamond Tiara knew? No. If she had known, Diamond Tiara would definitely have made fun of Sweetie Belle over it. Even now, Silver Spoon could hear Diamond talking about how Sweetie's parents did not want her, and how they were always pawning her off on her sister just to get away from her. "I'm sorry," Silver Spoon said as she finally came into the house. "It's fine," Sweetie Belle answered. "Okay. So here's the plan: you wait in my room while I take a shower. That way I'll be nice and clean while I talk to Rarity. Then you take a shower while I talk to her about you staying the night. That way--" The rest of what Sweetie Belle was going to lost as an ear-piercing shriek filled the air. "Good gracious," Rarity shouted as she ran down the stairs toward the pair of them. "Sweetie Belle, what in Equestria happened to you?" "Hi, Rarity," Sweetie Belle said with a smile. "You remember Silver Spoon, right?" With a slight smile of her own, Silver Spoon raised a hand to wave at Rarity. The moment Rarity turned to look at her, Silver froze. The look that she got could only be described as "icy" as those blue eyes narrowed. It sent a shiver down along Silver's spine, making her slouch down an try to make herself seem smaller. Rarity's lips pursed out as she crossed her arms, continuing to stare at Silver Spoon. "Yes," Rarity stated. "I recall her quite well. Shall I then presume that your current... appearance... has something to do with that Diamond Tiara?" "It's kind of a long and complicated story," Sweetie Belle replied, "and as you can see, Silver and I are really muddy. So... how about I tell you about it while you make hot chocolate and Silver takes a shower to get cleaned up." "Hold on." Rarity stepped forward, holding up a hand and raising an eyebrow. "You mean to tell me, that you want --" she waved toward Silver Spoon "-- her... to take a shower here? Even though she is more than likely an accomplice in the fact that you are currently covered horn to hoof in mud?" "Yes?" Sweetie Belle replied. "Please?" Shifting, Rarity turned to place her full attention on Sweetie Belle. The younger mare continued to look up at her older sister with her wide, pleading, green eyes. One of Rarity's ears flickered as she stared back. Finally, she let out a sigh and shook her head. "Oh, very well," Rarity said. "Silver Spoon, go ahead and wash up. The bathroom is upstairs at the end of the hallway. Sweetie Belle and I will be in the kitchen." "Actually, she doesn't have any other clothes," Sweetie Belle said. "So I need to give her some to borrow." "So you are having her shower here, and lending her clothes?" Rarity asked, getting a nod. "This must be a very interesting story. Very well then." She moved past the pair. "I will be in the kitchen. Join me as soon as you are finished assisting your... associate..." Once Rarity walked past them and headed into the kitchen, Sweetie Belle led Silver Spoon upstairs and to her bedroom. Going to the dresser, Sweetie pulled a drawer open and started to rifle through it. While she did, Silver Spoon looked around the room. It was smaller than her own, and not nearly as much stuff as she had. There was a pile of stuffed toys, some of which looked pretty worn. Against the wall opposite the bed was a television with a video game console plugged into it. A Super Neigh-tendo maybe? That was actually pretty old if it was. Two or three generations in fact. Silver Spoon found the place kind of small, and empty. At the same time, there was something... cozy... and comforting about the place. "Here you go," Sweetie Belle said as she handed some clothes to Silver Spoon. "They're a little big on me, but they should be fine for you tonight. Clean towels are in the cabinets right beside the door in the bathroom." With a nod, Silver Spoon left Sweetie Belle's room and headed to the bathroom. Setting the clean clothes down on the counter, she started to undress, folding the muddy clothes and setting them aside. Stepping into the shower, she turned on the water. The cold of it sent a shock through her body. After adjusting the temperature, she stood under the spray and watched as the mud ran off her body, swirling down the drain. Down the drain. A figure of speech used to describe when something was quickly passing from a pony's grasp, often by going wrong in a massive way. It seemed like an appropriate metaphor for what was going on in her life for today: going down the drain in a horribly muddy mess. She had lost the one pony she had thought of as a friend. A terrible one, sure, but a friend nonetheless. Now she was looking at months of being ignored at best, or vengeful attacks by Diamond Tiara and former victims at worst. Why did she have to interfere? Why did Diamond Tiara had to do something so stupid? Why did they have to fight. Why? Why? Why?! All of the emotions and strain of that few moments came down on Silver Spoon. All of the anger, the fear, the sadness, the grief. Every emotion and then some flooded through her, bubbling to the surface and ready to burst. So why could she not cry? She felt overwhelmed with emotion and that she had to express them, but she could not physically come to tears. That was what was supposed to happen, was it not? It was what happened in some of the books she had read. Something would happen to the lead female -- be it the main character or romantic interest -- and she would wind up sitting in the shower in the fetal position, rocking back and forth, and crying while the water poured over their form. Maybe that was the problem? It was not working because she was standing. Sitting down, she pulled her legs up against her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Resting her head on her knees, she let the water run down her body as she sat there. She still felt highly emotional, but unable to cry. Maybe the water was too warm? It was kind of comforting feeling the warmth seeping into her body, relaxing her muscles as the water soaked into her coat and hair. Maybe colder water would work. The character did normally stay in the shower until it went cold, did they not? Reaching up, she took a hold of the hot water handle, and turned it down until the shower was freezing. Silver Spoon took a deep breath and let it out, but still could not get the bubble of emotions to burst and come out. With a sigh of frustration, she got back up and once again turned up the warm water. She grabbed the soap, shampoo, and conditioner, and scrubbed herself. Probably harder than she should have. By the time she was finished, her scalp tingled and her arms ached. She had never washed herself so hard that her muscles hurt from it. She had not even known that was possible. Still, it probably helped to make sure that all the mud was gone from her. Once out and dry, Silver put on the borrowed clothes. They did not exactly fit her well. The legs of the pants were short, coming up to mid-calf, and were tight against her thighs. The waistband was snug. The backside was also tight, giving her a bit of wedgie. At least there was no sign of trouble in the front. Similarly, the shirt had some of the same troubles. Silver Spoon's stomach was slightly exposed because it was too short. The sleeves ended before her wrists, closer to the middle of her forearm, and her upper arm was being squeezed. She almost felt like she could tear the seams if she flexed. The chest of the shirt was also tight, compressing her breasts and making her nipples poke out. She did not want to be seen like this. She did not want to sleep in these. Silver Spoon wanted her regular night clothes: an over-sized shirt and boxer shorts she always wore. This made her feel too exposed. "Looks like somepony's getting a bit of belly on them," Diamond Tiara stated, poking Silver Spoon in the stomach. Flinching, Silver pulled at the shirt, trying to cover her stomach. "You are so lucky your breasts are so small," Diamond Tiara groaned. "At least that way colts will look you in the face." She pulled at the fabric of her chest, trying to stretch it a little more. "Hey," Diamond Tiara shouted. "Watch where you're going before your butt knocks something over." Her face heated up as she noticed the cleft between her cheeks, perfectly outlining them. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and slowly let it out. She told herself it would be fine. It was just for one night after all, and she was not going anywhere. The only ponies that would see her like this were Sweetie Belle and Rarity. Silver doubted they would actually say anything on the matter. Well, they might comment on the poor fit of the clothes, but that would be it. Adjusting her glasses, Silver Spoon gave herself one last look over before heading out of the bathroom and down to the kitchen. Sitting at a table were Rarity and Sweetie Belle, with Rarity facing the door. At the sight of Silver Spoon, Rarity raised one of her eyebrows. "Well, Sweetie," she said, "it seems your... friend... has finished her shower. Now go up and take yours while we have... a little talk." That "a little talk" sent a shiver down Silver Spoon's spine. Normally when she hears somepony use the term in that tone of voice, they pretty much mean an interrogation. This was not going to go well for her. "Okay," Sweetie Belle said. Grabbing the mug beside her, she chugged down the rest of its contents before getting up. As she walked by, Silver could not help but notice the hot chocolate mustache. Under different circumstances, she would find it funny (or cute). As it was, Silver Spoon was dreading the idea of being left alone with Rarity. Getting up, Rarity walked over to the stove and grabbed a mug. "Have a seat." Stifling the urge to gulp, Silver moved to sit in the seat that Sweetie Belle had just left. "Not there," Rarity called out. "It's still rather muddy from Sweetie Belle after all." Turning around, she approached with a mug in hand. As Silver Spoon sat down in a clean chair, Rarity placed the mug in front of her before sitting back down again. Picking up the mug, Silver took a sip. The chocolate was wonderful. It was made with actual milk (or cream?) and chocolate. None of that terrible hot water and powder that so many seemed to use. It was also nice and warm, but not hot enough to risk burning her mouth. It would have been perfect if there had been some marshmallows in it. "Now," Rarity said as she sat down, "tell me what happened." She brought her arms up, head resting on her hand. Her blue eyes narrowed as she pinned the young mare with her gaze. Silver Spoon gulped the mouthful of hot chocolate -- probably louder than necessary -- and set the mug down. She still kept a firm grip on it however, shifting it back and forth and watching the dark liquid shift. "Didn't... didn't Sweetie Belle tell you?" "Yes, she did," Rarity answered. "And now I want to hear your version of the story. You were there after all, and were involved in it, were you not?" "...yes..." "So I would like to hear you tell it," Rarity stated. Silver Spoon looked up to find that she was being stared out. It felt like she was pinned in place, that those eyes were looking right through her, seeing anything and everything. After letting out a sigh, Silver Spoon took another drink of her hot chocolate. "Well, if you want the full story," she said, "then you really have to start with this morning..." So Silver Spoon started telling her version of what happened, starting with her hoping that Diamond Tiara would be different since they were starting their senior year. She talked about the bragging, the teasing, and the complaining. She talked about her irritation and frustration that Diamond was exactly the same childish pony she had always known, and the disappointment that it looked like nothing was going to change. As she got to the part where they had actually found Sweetie Belle, the emotional bubble finally burst. Anger coursed through her as she talked about how Diamond Tiara started to belittle Sweetie, then how Diamond tried to get the stupid notebook. Some of the anger turned toward Silver herself as she felt horrible for having let it go that far. Not just that day but for years. Pausing, Silver found that the handle to the mug had come off at some point while she was talking, and was now in her hand. "Sorry," she said, setting it down on the table. "Don't worry about it now," Rarity replied. "Continue." After the attempt to try and get Diamond Tiara to just let Sweetie go, came the argument after pushing her into the mud. Finally the tears came. All the sadness, anger, and hurt from what happened burst forth. Especially as she remembered what Diamond Tiara had said to her and she thought about how her longest friendship was pretty much over. She ended up having to stop as it was too hard to talk while she broke into full sobs. Rarity did not say anything, but she did give Silver Spoon a handkerchief to use. After finishing the whole story -- ending with when Rarity found them -- Silver Spoon felt... exhausted. All of the anger and sadness was drained from her, but so was all of her energy. Silver felt like she could really use a nap or something. "Well," Rarity finally stated, "I must say that is a very entertaining tale." Getting up, she brushed at her blouse and stroked her pants into place. "Very well," Rarity said. "I suppose you can stay for the night. I normally don't allow Sweetie to have others stay over on school nights, but this is a bit of an extenuating circumstance. However, since it is a school night, that will mean that you will go to bed the same time as Sweetie Belle, with no argument. Understood?" "Yes, ma'am," Silver replied. "Good. Now take your garments to my office and I will see about restoring them." She started for the doorway. "I am going to pick up some supper for us all to eat. While I am gone, I expect the two of you to do any homework you have." "Yes, ma'am," Silver repeated, giving a nod. She continued to sit there, watching as Rarity made her way for the door. Once Rarity was gone, Silver let out a sigh. She had actually felt a sense of relief that she was being allowed to stay the night. The idea of going to her big empty house and staying there all alone for the night did not appeal to her. To say nothing about having to make the trip in undersized clothes that showed off far more of her body than she was comfortable with. "So do you have any homework?" Sweetie Belle asked, causing Silver Spoon to jump her seat. Sweetie stood at the base of the staircase, hands in front of her. She was dressed in yellow pajamas covered in pink hearts, which Silver Spoon found absolutely adorable on her. The short pastel hair was still wet from the shower, but it was definitely returning to its naturally curly state. "How long have you been there?" Silver asked. "Around 'extenuating circumstances,'" Sweetie replied, walking closer. "Pretty sure Rarity said that as much for me as for you." She shifted. "So, do you have any homework?" "No," Silver answered. "Great." Grabbing Silver's wrist, Sweetie started to pull her up. "I can show you around quickly, then we can play video games or something until dinner. C'mon."
Food and GamesDinner was kind of familiar to Silver Spoon, in an awkward silence type of way. The food was pretty good: moogolian vegetables and noodles in hot sesame oil. During the meal, none of them actually talked very much. It was very much like when she had dinner with her own parents. Although Rarity did try to start a conversation start to a conversation a couple times with Sweetie Belle. In a way, it was actually more awkward than dinner at home. Both because it was with ponies that she hardly knew, and because it was a safe guess that the silence was at least partially because of her. After dinner (and a fortune cookie which read "a good friend catches you when you fall"), Sweetie Belle took Silver Spoon back up to her room to play video games, which Sweetie let Silver choose. Not being familiar with most of the games (and a little surprised at having it be her choice since normally Diamond Tiara decided what they were going to do), she ended up picking one that had the Power Ponies on the front since she recognized them. "Can I ask you something?" Sweetie said after they had been playing a while. Shifting, Silver looked at Sweetie from the corner of one eye. Sweetie was not looking at her, most of her attention still on the game. "I guess," Silver answered. "When you and Diamond Tiara started fighting, you said that you do the homework for both of you. Is that true?" Pausing the game, Silver Spoon thought about the question. Had she actually said that? She had. It was actually one of the first insults she had thrown at Diamond Tiara after calling her a bitch. She could not believe that either of those had been spoken by her. What had she been thinking. She had not been. Silver was just letting her mouth run without thinking because of her anger. "No," Silver answered. "It's not true. I just said it to hurt Diamond Tiara." Although technically that was not the entire truth. They actually ended up having to help each other when it came to homework. Diamond seemed to have a pretty good mind when it came to history, keeping track of dates and events. She had also been good at geography back when it was a part of the classes (probably because she has been to some of the most influential and wealthy parts of Equestria? Except Diamond had shown the same talent for regions well beyond Equestrian borders). Silver, however had the better head for numbers, so math came a lot easier to her. And while she did not technically do Diamond's homework for her, she did have to help Diamond by going through it step by step. Having Diamond complain about it, calling math stupid, and wondering when she would ever use it did not help make it any easier. "Sorry about what happened," Sweetie Belle said. "Between you and Diamond, I mean." Silver did not expect that. "...sorry about your notebook..." she replied. After playing games and getting bored, the two of them watched a movie on television. It was some cheesy teen romantic comedy where a nerdy looking girl gets a make-over to "become hot" (even though she was attractive to begin with) and ends up getting the attention of the popular jock colt she had been crushing on, only to realize she was in love with her best male friend all along. While watching the movie, the two of them sat on the floor with the backs against the bed's baseboard. Some time during the first date scene between the food getting spilled on the main character and the first kiss, Sweetie Belle had shifted, leaning against Silver Spoon's arm. The warmth of the contact was comforting, and Sweetie Belle looked so cute like that. The last thought was actually a surprise to Silver Spoon. Why would she think that? Especially about Sweetie Belle? Sure, she was a petite thing, that was sweet, and very adorable... Shifting, Silver Spoon turned away from Sweetie Belle, staring at the television screen. She could feel her cheeks heating up. What was wrong with her? With the girl getting with her true love at the school dance, the movie came to an end and another started. From the moment Silver saw that it was written by, directed by, and starring Stone Farrier, she knew that it was going to be one of his stupid comedies. A fact that was confirmed as soon as she saw that he was going to be also playing his twin sister. "Do you really...." Silver started to ask, but stopped when she saw that Sweetie Belle had fallen asleep against her. The white cheek that was against Silver's arm was all squished and misshapen. Sweetie's mouth hung partially open as she breathed slowly. Silver Spoon now found herself slightly conflicted. On one hand, she did not want to sit through the stupid movie. The opening credits were not even finished yet and she was already tired of it. On the other, she found that she did not want to disturb Sweetie Belle. She looked so cute and innocent sleeping, that it would have been a shame to wake her up. After several seconds of conflict, Silver finally decided to just let Sweetie Belle sleep while putting up with the stupid movie. The next thing Silver Spoon knew, she was being gently shaken. With a groan, she opened her eyes, looking up at Rarity staring down at the two of them. "I was coming up to tell the two of you it was time for bed," she said with a smile, "but it seems you were already sleeping. Although, I think that it would be much more comfortable to sleep in the bed." A thump drew Silver's attention to Sweetie Belle, who was already crawling up into the bed. If Sweetie woke up at all, she went back to sleep as soon as she flopped down onto the sheets. Silver Spoon, however, was more conscious than that. Getting up, she walked around the edge of the bed, set her glasses on an end table, then climbed on and laid down. Quietly, Rarity left the room. Except now, Silver Spoon was wide awake. With a huff, she stared up at the ceiling, unable to get back to sleep. Why did this have to happen? It was not the first time she had been tired, but could not go to sleep once in bed. It was doubtful it would be the last. Still, it was frustrating. Why had she been able to sleep fine on the floor mere seconds ago, but was now stuck staring up at the ceiling. As Silver Spoon laid there, Sweetie Belle shifted. Rolling over, Sweetie curled up against Silver, resting her chin on Silver's chest and throwing an arm across her stomach. A low murmur escaped Sweetie Belle as she curled up against the other young mare. Looking down at the snoozing bed mate, Silver Spoon felt herself smiling a little. Reaching down, she placed a hand on the middle of Sweetie's back. Slowly, the feeling of the other pony's warmth seeped into her, helping her relax as she drifted off to sleep again.
