Silver Spoon stood on the edge of the schoolyard, staring blankly at the vast playground beyond the rough wooden fence. Somewhere in the background, she could hear the familiar crunch of her father's carriage receding into the general din of chatter and laughter coming from the collected ponies milling about in front of her. As it got quieter and eventually faded away completely, the little silver filly started to shiver, tears building on her eyelids and blurring her vision. She sniffed and blinked, trying to keep them from falling, but she couldn't bear to lift a hoof to try and dab them away before they escaped and broke over her eyelashes, tracking dark grey streaks in her glossy silver fur.
Why was she here? She hadn't wanted to come to school, but her father hadn't even asked. He'd simply told her that she was going to start schooling in the fall, and that had been the end of it. She hadn't even met the teacher yet, let alone any of the other foals, and yet here she was, standing on the side of the road, contemplating the vast chasm between her and the front door of the schoolhouse, and absolutely terrified to try and navigate the constantly shifting crowd of fillies and colts sprinting around the sparsely grassed lawn. And that wasn't even counting the dozen or so older mares and stallions standing among the younger ponies, idly conversing while they waited for the teacher to come and start the school day.
Silver Spoon didn't recognize anypony here; of that she was certain. She'd spent the first minute or so frantically scanning every face and flank for a smile or a cutie mark she could identify, but nopony here even looked like somepony she might have met before. Everypony was unclothed, nopony had any jewelry or hats or cuffs or anything she had come to recognize as 'going out' clothes. They were just...here. Naked. Silver Spoon was suddenly very conscious of the designer eyeglasses she had chosen to wear instead of her normal basic black frames. At home, it had seemed perfectly normal. Subdued, even. She had nearly asked her mother if she could borrow her pearl necklace to complete the effect, but now, as she looked around the schoolyard and realized she was the only filly with any kind of special adornment at all, she was extremely glad she hadn't.
The tears continued to fall as she stood awkwardly by the side of the road, struggling to keep her legs from shaking visibly. Once or twice, one of the older ponies would glance at her, give her an appraising look, maybe a small smile that they probably thought would seem friendly and understanding, but then turn away again to continue their conversation or yell something at their foal. An audible sob escaped Silver Spoon's lips and she blushed, her silver cheeks turning a light rose color as she clamped her mouth shut, terrified that she might draw attention to herself, and yet secretly yearning for somepony--anypony--to come over and ask her what was wrong.
Suddenly, the front door of the schoolhouse opened, and a brilliant magenta mare with bouncy pink curls dancing around a broadly grinning face appeared in the entrance, a large brass bell clamped in her mouth. She was shaking the bell with gusto, the clanging voice of the old-fashioned instrument easily cutting all conversation short and drawing the attention of everypony nearby. After a moment, she spat the bell out onto the front stoop and grinned broadly at her suddenly rapt audience. "Good morning, everypony! It is absolutely wonderful to see each and every one of you here today! I see a bunch of faces I already know--" she winked at a young yellow filly with a brilliant red mane standing near the stoop "--and a few I can't wait to meet!" As she said this, she smiled down at a few foals standing back from the rest of the crowd. For a blood-freezing instant, Silver Spoon thought the mare's eyes were going to find her, but they seemed to pass over her without pause. She relaxed, even as her heart sank at being overlooked. The fuchsia mare continued, her voice as clear and engaging as the bell. "We've got a long, exciting day ahead of us, so let's get inside and get started! Everyone follow me!" She snatched the bell and disappeared into the school, followed by a shrieking, laughing pack of students and their smiling guardians.
Silver Spoon wanted to follow them. She tried desperately to make her hooves move, to lift just one off the dirt and take a step towards the schoolhouse. They were stuck fast. Her heart was pounding with fear and aching with a longing to be inside, to be laughing and talking with everypony else, but she couldn't do it. She had never really met another foal her age before, let alone spoken or played with them. The prospect of being trapped inside with a dozen or more, unsure of who to talk to or where to stand or sit or what to say, was petrifying. The tears started to flow again, the loneliness and fear so intense she could almost taste it, sitting sharply in the back of her throat as she tried in vain to stop herself from falling to her belly in the dirt, putting her face in her hooves, and breaking into sobs.
"Hi!"
A voice suddenly cut across Silver Spoon's misery, lifting her head up off the ground and turning it to face the speaker. A powder-pink filly with hair that looked like grape-and-vanilla pulled taffy cascading around her head and framing a broad grin was standing not two hooves away, smiling down at her. Silver Spoon blinked the tears out of her eyes and surreptitiously glanced around, positive the other filly had spoken to somepony else. When it was clear they were the only two ponies still standing in the yard, she looked back at the pink earth pony. "Um..." she squeaked, her voice tight with anxiety and thick with tears, "h-hi?"
"Hi!" the pink filly repeated, still smiling. "My name's Diamond Tiara. I like your braid."
"M-my...braid?"
Diamond Tiara nodded, gesturing towards Silver Spoon's mane. "It's pretty. Did you do it yourself, or did your manedresser help you?"
"Oh, my...my mother did it," Silver Spoon said, blushing faintly. "She says she likes to see my face, and the braid keeps my mane out of it..." she trailed off as she lost confidence in what she was saying, afraid of the other filly's reaction.
"I like it." The pink filly held out a hoof. "What's your name?"
"I'm...uh...I'm Silver Spoon," the silver filly said, unconsciously reaching out and taking Diamond Tiara's hoof, allowing the other pony to pull her up off the ground.
"Well, Silver Spoon," she said, "you shouldn't sit on the ground like that. You'll get dirt in your fur, and your colors are too light for that." She giggled lightly and gestured towards her own body. "So are mine. Daddy says I pick up dirt like it's my special talent."
Silver Spoon giggled in spite of herself. "What would a 'getting dirty' cutie mark look like?"
"I don't know yet, but I'm pretty good at it, so we can find out someday."
"We?" Silver Spoon's heart fluttered for an instant on the word.
Diamond Tiara nodded and opened her mouth to continue, but was suddenly interrupted by a tall brown stallion stepping out of the carriage parked on the road behind them. Silver Spoon hadn't heard it approach, and hadn't noticed it before now, but as soon as her eyes landed on it, she was surprised it could have snuck up on her. "Diamond Tiara," the stallion said, his voice deep and smooth and reassuring, "come along now, or you'll be late."
"Daddy, this is Silver Spoon," Diamond Tiara said, gesturing towards the grey filly, who shrank away meekly. "She's my new friend."
Friend... Silver Spoon heard the word echoing in her head as the stallion turned his cool blue eyes to rest on her face. He smiled warmly. "Good morning, Silver Spoon. My name's Filthy Rich. Are you here with your parents?"
"N-no, sir," Silver Spoon stammered, "m-my parents dropped me off, and..." She couldn't think of anything else to add, but the stallion simply smiled down at her and nodded towards the schoolhouse.
"No matter. Come with me, little one, we'll all go in together." Silver Spoon nodded shakily and fell in step next to Diamond Tiara. The stallion led the way, chatting amiably as they walked. "So, Silver Spoon, you must be Silversmith's youngest." She nodded. "I thought I'd seen you from time to time around the Silver Estate. I had mentioned to your father that perhaps you and my little Diamond here might like to get together for a playdate some time, but I suppose we never found the opportunity. Good thing you're both starting school this season; it'll give you a chance to get to know one another. I'm certain you'll become fast friends. I think you'll find you have a great deal in common, in fact."
The little group reached the door of the schoolhouse and Mr. Rich led the way in, holding the door for the two little fillies. Silver Spoon followed Diamond Tiara into the building, but paused inside as Diamond Tiara kept walking towards the front of the room. The pink filly noticed immediately that she'd stopped, and looked back over her shoulder. "What's wrong?"
Silver Spoon grimaced. "Where...where are we supposed to sit?"
Diamond Tiara shrugged. "I dunno. Let's find a couple seats together, though. Come on!" She smiled and waved a hoof at Silver Spoon to follow her. Some of the silver filly's anxiety faded as she started walking behind Diamond Tiara again. None of the other foals seemed to really be paying her any attention, negative or otherwise. Most of the little ponies were engaged in conversation with friends new and old, and all the adults were lining the walls of the room, chatting amongst themselves. She looked over her shoulder to see Filthy Rich standing in the back of the room. Two mares standing near him had already begun to engage him in conversation, and he was politely returning their interest, although he continued watching carefully as the two foals he'd chaperoned found their seats. When Silver Spoon looked back at him, he smiled broadly and nodded his encouragement at her. She smiled back and felt the tightness in her chest soften considerably.
Sliding into a seat next to Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon took a moment to examine the rest of the class with a curious gaze. There were perhaps fifteen other foals in the room, all of various coloration and type, all roughly her age. There were several other earth ponies, including the brilliant yellow filly she'd noticed earlier, sitting on the opposite side of the room from her, also in the front row. There were also a few unicorns sprinkled around the room, their shortish horns barely poking out from under their manes, and a smattering of pegasi, their small wings buzzing eagerly in excited anticipation of the new school season. Diamond Tiara noticed her appraising the class and said, "Do you know anypony here already?" Silver Spoon shook her head, and Diamond Tiara said, "Yeah, me either. Oh well, we can just be friends with each other for now, right?"
Silver Spoon smiled. "Yeah, that would be nice."
"Alright fillies and colts," the teacher said, taking her place at the front of the room and smiling out at the group. "Welcome to your first day of school! My name is Miss Cheerilee, and I will be your teacher. I know you all must be very excited to be here, because I certainly am!" She tilted her head and beamed, her hair tumbling around her face in cascading pink waves. "Now, our first day is going to be mostly just getting to know one another, but tomorrow we start learning for real! Parents," she said, addressing the adult ponies ringing the room, "thank you for coming today and helping me get acquainted with all of you and your foals, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist on a parent-free classroom. You understand, I'm sure; it is somewhat more difficult for young ponies to exercise their own skills and speak freely if there are adults in the room." There were some nods among the older ponies, and they slowly filed back out of the room, pausing to give their foals one last reassuring smile and wave before they left.
Silver Spoon managed to catch Filthy Rich's eye before he disappeared through the exit, and the stallion smiled warmly and gave her a wink. She smiled back and gave him a small wave. Then she turned back to the front of the classroom where Miss Cheerilee was patiently waiting for the elders to leave. Finally the door closed behind them and she smiled down at the collected students. "Alright. Now, as I said before, my name is Miss Cheerilee. I love teaching and I love sunflowers, but more than anything, I love my students. I can't wait to get to know all of you, so let's go around the room and each say our name and something we like to do." She looked down at the bright yellow earth pony in the front row. "Apple Bloom, could you start for us, please?"
The red-maned filly rolled her eyes. "Miss Cheerilee, you already said mah name!" She had a thick country accent, and Silver Spoon's highly polished sensibilities bristled involuntarily at the twang.
"Sorry, dear," Miss Cheerilee said, chuckling softly. "Could you say it again for us anyway?"
Apple Bloom grunted in irritation but stood up and faced the class anyway. "Hi. Mah name is Apple Bloom. Ah like buckin' apples." She sat back at her desk.
Silver Spoon glanced at Diamond Tiara curiously. Bucking apples? she mouthed at her new friend. The pink pony shrugged and made a buck-toothed, cross-eyed face. Silver Spoon giggled in spite of herself. Two other ponies had spoken by the time she and Diamond Tiara looked back to the front of the room.
Miss Cheerilee smiled broadly at them. "Oh, my, such pretty jewelry. And what is your name, dear?" she asked Diamond Tiara.
The pink filly stood up confidently and squeaked, "My name is Diamond Tiara, and I like going on balloon rides with my daddy."
There was a quiet snicker from the back of the class, and Diamond Tiara's face fell slightly. "What? It's fun."
"Yeah, if you're a daddy's girl." The comment was quiet, but just barely audible. Diamond Tiara frowned and scanned the back of the room, looking for the source. Silver Spoon noticed a bright orange pegasus filly smirking broadly as the pearl-colored unicorn next to her stifled a giggle.
Miss Cheerilee hadn't seemed to notice either the comment or the laughter. "Thank you, Diamond Tiara. And you, dear?" she continued, looking now at Silver Spoon.
The silver filly swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry. With shaking legs, she slowly stood up out of her desk and turned to face the class. "My...my name is Silver Spoon," she mumbled. "And I like reading books with my momma."
She regretted her statement almost before it was out of her mouth. The stifled snicker from the back of the room became an unguarded laugh, and several ponies around the orange pegasus sourcing it were giggling into their hooves as well. "Lame!" the little Pegasus squeaked, a confident smirk on her face. Silver Spoon's face flushed with embarrassment and she felt her eyes starting to sting with hurt tears.
"Excuse me!" Miss Cheerilee said, stomping towards the back of the classroom and glaring down at the pegasus. The young filly didn't flinch, meeting the older mare's gaze with cool indifference. "What is your name?"
"Scootaloo."
"I see. And did your parents bring you to school today, Scootaloo?"
The little pegasus shook her head sharply. "No, I'm only here 'cuz Miss Rarity said I'd have to try on dresses all day if I didn't."
"Well, Scootaloo, if you don't want to be sent back to Carousel Boutique for the rest of the day, I suggest you mind your manners. We do not make fun of other students in my classroom, understand?" Scootaloo shrugged nonchalantly. "Understand?" Miss Cheerilee repeated, narrowing her eyes at the filly.
Scootaloo paused for a long moment, not quite meeting the teacher's gaze. "Yeah."
"Good," Miss Cheerilee said darkly before stomping back to the front of the room. "Now, Silver Spoon, was it?" Silver Spoon nodded sheepishly. "I think it's wonderful that you enjoy reading with your mother. You needn't be ashamed of that at all."
She turned to the next filly in the row, but Silver Spoon was no longer listening. Her face burned fiercely and her eyes blurred with unshed tears. What was wrong with liking to read? It was nice to sit curled in the crook of her mother's legs, listening to her soft, warm voice lilting as she read in the gentle light of her bedside table lamp, barely bright enough to illuminate her bed in the middle of her enormous bedroom. Many times she had fallen asleep cuddled up with her mother, drifting off to long, fantastic tales of princes and princesses, dragons and hydras and evil monsters falling to the unassuming hero of the day. It was, Silver Spoon thought, the sublime experience, and she couldn't imagine why this 'Scootaloo' thought it was so funny.
"Don't worry." She looked up, blinking away tears as Diamond Tiara's whisper interrupted her thoughts. "Reading is totally cool," the pink filly said, smiling confidently. "She's just a mule. I bet her thing will be totally lame." She smirked mischievously. "And I'm gonna tell her so."
Silver Spoon chewed her lip nervously. "Don't do that, Diamond Tiara, you'll get in trouble!"
Diamond Tiara didn't respond, but simply winked at her. Miss Cheerilee continued to go around the classroom asking each foal in turn for their name and their favorite activity. Some were obvious--"HimynameisZipporwhillandIliketoflyupanddownandbackandforthreallyreallyfast!"--while others were less so--"My name's Featherweight. I like to take pictures." A few were uniquely fascinating--"My name is Rumble, and I like flying storm tracking patterns with my brother Thunderlane."--and a few were distinctly not--"My name is Snips, and I like to hang out with my friend Snails."; "My name is Snails, and I like to hang out with my friend Snips."
Eventually, Miss Cheerilee reached the orange pegasus and her unicorn friend. The unicorn went first.
"My name is Sweetie Belle, and I like making dresses and putting on makeup so I can look as pretty as my sister Rarity!"
Miss Cheerilee smiled warmly. "Thank you, Sweetie Belle." She turned a wary eye on the pegasus. "Scootaloo?"
The filly gave her a mulish look. "My name is Scootaloo. I like riding my scooter and doing awesome tricks."
"Thank you, Scootaloo, that was--"
"Why do you ride a scooter?" Diamond Tiara suddenly piped up from the front of the room. All eyes turned towards her, but the pink filly's face remained innocent and composed.
Scootaloo narrowed her eyes at her. "'Cuz it's cool. Why else?"
"Well," Diamond Tiara continued, maintaining an air of genuine curiosity, "I thought you could go way faster and do way better tricks if you just flew, instead of scooting."
Silver Spoon blinked. Diamond Tiara had a point, she realized. Scootaloo was a pegasus, after all; why would she bother rolling when she could fly? Silver Spoon had ridden scooters and tricycles before, and it was undoubtedly fun to do, but she also knew that if she could have flown, they would have paled in comparison. She glanced back to see what Scootaloo's response would be.
The little pegasus scowled at Diamond Tiara, her cheeks flushed. "So what? I can still ride if I want to."
"Yeah, but why?" Diamond Tiara asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "You can fly, can't you?"
"Of course I can!" Scootaloo said, blushing harder now. "I just like to ride my scooter, that's all! What's the big deal?"
"Girls!" Miss Cheerilee suddenly interrupted, glaring at both fillies in turn. "That's enough. Scootaloo, I think it's wonderful that you enjoy riding your scooter. Diamond Tiara, just because somepony prefers to do things one way doesn't mean they can't do it any other way. I'm sure Scootaloo can fly just fine. Now," she continued, walking back towards the front of the class, "today we're going to start learning about the alphabet, and to do that, I'm going to write all the letters here on the board, and then I'm going to write your names one by one, and together we can see how the letters make the sounds in your name."
"Ooh!" Silver Spoon said, suddenly excited, "Miss Cheerilee, Miss Cheerilee!"
The magenta mare looked at her. "Yes, Silver Spoon?"
"I can already write my name! My momma taught me how." She beamed proudly.
Miss Cheerilee smiled. "That's wonderful! Let me write the alphabet up on the board, and then maybe you can come up and write your name for us?" She turned to start writing the letters across the top of the chalkboard.
Silver Spoon nodded enthusiastically, but her elation was suddenly doused at a hissed, "Show-off..." from the rear of the class. Stung, she looked over her shoulder to see Scootaloo miming leaping out of her seat and waving her hoof at the teacher. Sweetie Belle snickered next to her. Silver Spoon was dumbfounded. Why were these fillies being so mean? What had she done to them?
Diamond Tiara nudged her shoulder. "Don't worry, Silver Spoon. She's just mad 'cuz she can't do it," she muttered under her breath. She gave Silver Spoon a reassuring smiled. "I think it's pretty cool that you can."
"You do?" Silver Spoon asked anxiously. Diamond Tiara nodded, and she relaxed a bit. "Thanks. My momma's been teaching me. I can almost write the whole alphabet now."
"Neat!" Diamond Tiara said. "I can write my initials, but I haven't quite gotten all the letters yet. Maybe you can help me?"
Silver Spoon beamed. "Sure! You wanna come over to my house later?"
"Totally. You live right next to us, I think."
"Really?" Silver Spoon said.
Diamond Tiara nodded. "Daddy's always talking about 'Mr. Smith who lives next door.' I think that's your dad."
"Yeah, Silversmith is my papa. I didn't know any fillies lived near us. We should hang out more!"
As Miss Cheerilee finished writing on the board and turned to face the class again, Diamond Tiara smiled and said, "Totally. We'll talk more later."
~~~
"So what do you like to read?" Diamond Tiara was delicately arranging her lunch on a cream-colored hoofkerchief, placing a pasty stuffed with what looked like eggplant and zucchini in the center and surrounding it with smaller portions of braised carrots, julienned squash, and a hoofful of shelled pistachios.
Silver Spoon stared in disbelief at the bounty laid out in front of her new friend. Her eyes slid down to her comparatively meager parsnip-and-pumpkin sandwich as she answered. "Um, well...my mother and I like to read old ponytales together. 'The Mare in the Moon', 'The Pony of Shadows', 'The Curse of the Castle...'"
Diamond Tiara nodded at each title. "Yeah, I like those, too. Which one's your favorite?" she asked, nonchalantly sliding the squash across the table and leaving it next to Silver Spoon's sandwich.
Silver Spoon blushed lightly and immediately pushed the vegetable strips back in front of Diamond Tiara. "Well, I like 'The Curse of the Castle' because it's got so many different stories. Each part of the castle has a different curse, and I like to find out how Chevalier is going to defeat each challenge. He always has to come up with a new plan for every room. It's exciting."
Diamond Tiara grinned. "Chevalier is my favorite, too. Which curse did you like most?"
"'The Curse of the Winking Sphinx'," Silver Spoon responded without hesitation. "I didn't think he was going to actually get the answer in time."
Diamond Tiara nodded enthusiastically. "I know. I still remember the riddle:
'When I was young, I spoke in tongues
Of flowing liquid flame...'"
Silver Spoon chimed in for the second verse, and they finished in unison.
"In time I grew, and no one knew
When I might speak again.
Then from my throat, a somber quote
Of ominous darkness came.
And now I cry and curse the sky
And share with all my pain.'"
The two fillies grinned at each other, giddily basking in the joy of sharing secret knowledge. Silver Spoon spared her lunch a momentary glance and was surprised to find that the squash had somehow found its way back in front of her. She was about to scold Diamond Tiara for trying to share her lunch when another filly's voice interrupted their conversation.
"Were y'all singin'?"
Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara looked up together to see the crimson-maned Apple Bloom standing nearby, a puzzled expression on her face. Wary, Silver Spoon braced herself for further ridicule. "It's...it's a riddle."
"A riddle?" Apple Bloom asked, tilting her head curiously. "What's that mean?"
Diamond Tiara said, "Well, it's sort of a poem that...I guess sometimes they ask questions...or tell stories...other times they just describe something--or somepony--and you have to figure out what the answer is."
Apple Bloom blinked. There was an awkward beat before she said, "So...it's a poem?"
Silver Spoon exchanged a look with Diamond Tiara. "Sssort of. I mean, sometimes they are, but other times they aren't. Sometimes they're just stories...or not even stories. It's...kind of hard to explain."
"Sounds weird to me."
Silver Spoon scowled at her. "It's not weird, it's interesting. Riddles are fun."
Apple Bloom shrugged. "If you say so."
"We do," Diamond Tiara said shortly. "Now, is there something you need?"
"Hey now," Apple Bloom said, "I was just askin'. You don' need to get all huffy about it."
"You asked, we answered. Then you said it was weird." Diamond Tiara gave her a half-lidded stare. "Excuse us if we 'get huffy' because you said something we like is weird."
"It is weird!" Apple Bloom protested, her voice shrill. "You said it was a poem, then you said it wasn', an' now I don' know what it's supposed to be!"
"It's supposed to be a game for smart ponies, which may explain why you don't get it," Diamond Tiara said. Apple Bloom's mouth dropped open. By now, a small crowd had gathered, noting the increasing volume of the exchange and naturally curious. At Diamond Tiara's barb, there was a collective intake of breath and a flurry of whispers.
"I...you..." Apple Bloom sputtered, her eyes glistening with tears. Then she turned and galloped away, wailing. "Miss Cheerileeee!"
Diamond Tiara watched her go with disinterest. "Farm ponies," she muttered. Her tone turned the phrase into a scathing epithet. Then she turned her gaze to the small circle of foals around them. "What are you looking at?" she snapped, scattering the crowd.
Silver Spoon bit her lip nervously. "Diamond Tiara, that was kind of...mean."
The pink pony sniffed contemptuously. "So? She started it. 'Sounds weird' indeed. What does she know, anyway?"
"I guess...still--"
"Forget it, Silver Spoon," Diamond Tiara said darkly, tossing a carrot into her mouth and chewing it angrily. "Some ponies just don't get along with ponies like us. They see the big houses and the nice jewelry and they think we're all stuck up and mean."
"I'm not stuck up," Silver Spoon murmured, blushing and poking at the julienned squash next to her sandwich.
"I know that, and you know that, but my daddy says some ponies just can't see past our money. They don't want to get to know us, so they never do." She sighed and glanced in the direction Apple Bloom had disappeared to. "So they make fun of us and treat us different." The pink earth pony stuck out a hoof and put it on Silver Spoon's shoulder. "We have to stick together, Silver Spoon. Maybe someday some of these ponies will see who we really are, but until then, it's just us against Equestria."
Silver Spoon looked down at the hoof and smiled faintly. "If I have to be alone with anypony, I'm glad it's you, Diamond Tiara."
The other filly smiled. "Me too, Silver Spoon. Me too."
