My name is Silver Spoon. When most ponies look at me, they see some rich filly who is best friends with Diamond Tiara. Yeah, so I’m rich. I’m also confident, intelligent, and, if I must say so, pretty darn good-looking.
But that’s not what makes me unique. You see, I have this special power. I can see when a pony is going to die.
It’s more of a sixth sense, really. My eyes allow me to see aura of every pony around me. I don’t remember when it started happening or why I’m the only pony that’s even aware of it. I just look at a pony and I can tell when they are going to die.
Okay, so many I don’t know exactly when they are going to die. What I can see, though, is their aura.
So, it’s sort of like this. When I look at ponies, I usually see them surrounded in a bright green glow. This means they will live a long life as the color is reminiscent of nature in the summer. Green grass and trees, vibrant, full of hope and future. I quickly grew bored of seeing their aura. Like I care whether or not that filly grows up to start her own family or that stallion lives to a ripe old age. How does that affect me? Why should I care?
Then, I began to notice something different. Some ponies did not have a green aura at all. Theirs was a shade brighter, more yellow. I didn’t understand what this meant. At first, nothing happened. The ponies I saw with this yellow glow looked no different than any other. But as time went on, I began to notice something.
These “yellow” ponies began to die a lot sooner.
The first time I understood the relevance of the yellow glow, was when the wife of one of my father’s business associates passed away. We were attending an event in Vanhoover when I first introduced to the mare in question. She was beautiful, all decked out in her finery, a trophy wife if I ever saw one. Her aura was a bright yellow; the sort of color you’d see on those traffic lights in big cities like Manhattan just before the light changed. Like a…warning.
Just two weeks later, I heard she died in a terrible airship accident. It was all over the news.
I started to pay attention more after that. Once I noticed the yellow aura around ponies, I took note and began to notice a pattern. These ponies, no matter how healthy, no matter how successful, would die long before they reached old age. The cause was usually an accident, someone who didn’t look both ways before crossing a street, or a slip on the staircase.
Once I realized what this meant, it wasn’t long before I began introducing myself to them. I wanted to learn their names, their backgrounds, just enough information to surmise how he or she would meet their end. It usually happened in a few weeks, but others died just days after we’d met. Needless to say, I found the yellow aura to be far more entertaining.
And that’s when I noticed the final aura.
The phrase “seeing red” comes to mind. Unlike the first two auras, this new red color is a neither vivid nor radiant. It is simply a thin outline that clings the edges the unfortunate mare or stallion. Unlike the yellow aura, pony won’t die by some tragic accident.
Those encased in the red aura were going to be murdered.
These “red” ponies were few and far between as Equestria is a safe country, after all. Murder was almost unheard of and usually the stuff of fiction and history class. To say I was thrilled would be an understatement. Unlike the yellow aura, I didn’t have time to contemplate new and creative deaths, only surmise that those in red would meet their demise at the hooves of some crazed maniac, escaped convict, or monster. Living in a small community at the edge of the Everfree Forest, the last one was not far-fetched. Ponyville attracted danger like moths to a flame.
Still, we were pretty safe, and I never caught a glimpse of the red aura while in Ponyville. We were a tight-knit group. Every pony knew every pony else. It was the town of friendship.
That’s why when, on the first day of school, I nearly jumped out of my chair I saw it.
I had been the first one to arrive. Diamond Tiara was running a little late and I began to get annoyed. I looked outside the window, thinking of how that cute colt I met the other day would meet his end after seeing his yellow aura. It would probably be something sports-related. He had seemed the athletic type. He’d probably snap his neck or suffer some serious head trauma. Given the recklessness of colts, I’d given him about two days, three tops, before he died.
The door opened and, one by one, my classmates began to file in.
Finally, I thought. The first day was always boring, especially with…
“Howdy there, Silver Spoon,” said Apple Bloom from across the room.
I opened my mouth, but not to say “hi.” The filly’s body was encased in a red outline. She smiled at me, oblivious to her fate. I could not believe it. Apple Bloom? Here? In Ponyville? How?
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were not far behind. Laughing at some private joke, the two were completely oblivious to the fact that they were both glowing red. More students began to enter, one after the other. Pipsqueak, Rumble, Snips, Snails, Twist, Featherweight, Aura, Sunny Daze, Peachy Pie…Diamond Tiara.
All of them were encased in the same red line. Each of them. Laughing. Complaining. Oblivious.
I didn’t hear Diamond Tiara as she sat down next to me. I couldn’t stop looking at the aura which hung around her like bloody skin. Our classmates began to take their seats. My head went from one to the other, my mouth hanging open, my heart tremoring.
That’s when I noticed the window. The aura appeared pink in the glass, like rotten meat, but there was no doubt that it was my own face in that glow. I was seeing red alright. My reflection trembled as reality began to settle in.
“Silver Spoon,” Diamond’s voice caught my attention. “What is wrong with you?”
How could I tell her? What could I tell her? I didn’t share this gift with anyone. No. Not a gift. A curse.
Miss Cheerilee stepped through the door, her eyes downcast, her aura, a sickly shade of green. She closed the door behind her and smiled. “Good morning, class.”
