Silver Spoon took a seat, silently watching the other ponies around the table talk about the most recent rumors that had been floating around school.

“Well, I don't believe anyponies word on the subject,” Sweetie Belle said.

“It doesn't really matter who won that race. Everyone already knows Rainbow Dash is faster than Spitfire.” Scootaloo said, glancing at the doors of Sugarcube Corner. “What's taking Pinkie Pie so long with our food?”

“Who knows. I still say Spitfire is faster.” Diamond said with a small snort.

Silver Spoon let out a small sigh, following Scoot’s line of sight to the door. Just then, Pinkie Pie came out, followed by Apple Cobbler who was carrying plates to another group from their school. Pinkie Pie delivered their meals to them, she had awkwardly balanced two plates on one hoof and two plates on her nose. Pinkie Pie had some weird talents and this was one of them.

“Two Dandy Lion sandwiches on apple seed bread and two Dragon Sun sandwiches also on apple seed bread.” She smiled brightly and bounced off to another table.

“Pinkie Pie's so weird...” Scootaloo said biting into her Dragon Sun sandwich.

“Yeah, but her cupcakes are the best in Equestria!” Sweetie Belle said.

“Those strudels Mr. Cake makes are pretty good too,” Diamond added with a glance at Sweetie Belle.

Silver Spoon simply sighed silently and started eating her Dandy Lion sandwich. She had hoped to bump into Featherweight at some point. She'd promised herself last night, before bed, to ask him out on a date. It had been forever since they actually hung out. She couldn't even remember the last time they had spent time together outside the classroom.

Her thoughts blocked out those around her until Diamond Tiara shook her back to reality. “Silvy? Are you okay?”

Silver Spoon nodded her head, “Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking.” She looked at Diamond hoping she wouldn't ask any further questions. After a moment, Tiara sighed and went back to her previous conversation. Even though it was only half way through the day, Featherweight was the priority in her mind and she couldn't help but think of him. It irritated her that she could be so absorbed in her thoughts. They were distracting her from her friends, from her classes, and from her work.

Just last week, she was making horseshoes for an elderly mare and got the size wrong! She made two sets of four and all eight shoes were the wrong size. Her father wasn't too happy about having to apologize and reimburse his customers. Needless to say, she hadn’t been allowed to help in the forge since then.

“I think Rainbow Dash was faster than Spitfire,” said Scootaloo, smirking as she stuck her tongue out at Sweetie Belle and Diamond Tiara.

“Well I’ma head back to the school now, gotta meet up with Featherweight before class.”

Silver looked up and saw Applebloom standing at the far end of the table. All sorts of questions ran through her mind. What had she missed? When did Applebloom get here? Where did Applebloom come from? And most importantly, What did she say about Featherweight?

Applebloom said her goodbyes and started trotting away. Silver Spoon stood and quickly followed. “Hey, Applebloom?”

“Whatcha need?” she asked with a smile.

“You said something about meeting Featherweight.” She hesitated for a moment. “I was wondering why?”

“Oh. Well. Him and I have, well, we've been talkin' lately.” She seemed to hesitate this time.
“Look, I'm gonna to be late so I've gotta get going.” She turned and galloped away, leaving Silver Spoon’s jaw to drop.

Slowly Silver turned and walked back to the others at the table. In a quiet flat voice, she asked the others, “Are Applebloom and Featherweight a 'thing' now?”

“Yeah, I had thought that was obvious. They've been meeting for lunch nearly every day for the past few weeks,” Sweetie Belle said without thinking.

Diamond Tiara simply shook her head and looked at her friend. “Silvy, don't let it bother you.”

Silver Spoon simply nodded and turned away from the table with tears boiling in her eyes. She gave the group a weary smile before turning and walking away from the table. Once she was out of sight she broke into a steady gallop towards home.

I hope no pony followed... she thought as she ran. Finally slowing down, she stopped near a thick tree in the middle of the park and simply laid down with her hooves over her muzzle and her eyes clenched closed. Tears were still streaming down her cheeks.

Why am I crying over this colt? She rubbed her eyes clear and looked around. Nopony was in sight. She put her hoof back over her nose and smiled to herself.

“I should try to be happy for both of them. I mean, she is the one he's always liked. Even though he never said anything about her, it's always been obvious,” she quietly thought out loud.

Closing her eyes once more she took a deep breath and exhaled through her nose. Enjoying the absence of ponies and noise was calming to her. She could hear the birds singing all around her, their songs perfectly tuned and beautifully sung. Quietly she began humming to the birds’ song, simple, short, high-pitched notes.

She opened her eyes and sat up slowly, still humming the birds’ melody. Slowly she began swaying her head back and forth to match. As she swayed back and forth, she began to hum the rhythm of a lullaby her mother used to sing to her when she was younger. Allowing the childhood song to soothe her mind and just let her it rest.

Several minutes later she gave a weak smile, stood up, and began walking again. Her mane was a bit messy but she didn't care. She didn't meet very many ponies as she walked through town towards her father's blacksmith.

Entering her home through the back door which opened into their kitchen she saw her mother, who was laying on the couch in the living room reading a book. Her mom didn't even stop to see what she was doing or why she was home this early.

Father was probably out in the shop working. He usually spent all his time there, running the shop and filling out orders. There wasn't a lot of business here at The Shining Horseshoe, even though her father was a hard worker. Then again, her father was considered one of the best blacksmiths in all of Equestria.

She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, “Um... Mom?”

“What is it?” Her mother didn't even look up from her book.

“Nothing,” she whispered with her ears falling flat. She had hoped her mother would have at least noticed her skipping school. Or had acknowledged her without being spoken to first.

She silently went upstairs and dropped her satchel on the floor next to the door before flopping down on her bed. She took her glasses off and sat them on her nightstand.

She opened the nightstand's drawer and pulled out a small dark velvet blue bag. Inside it were pills, sleeping pills to be exact. She lifted the bag to her lips and quickly swallowed a couple of them before laying back down.

It didn’t matter how much she rolled around, she couldn't get comfortable. Even with the pills, her headache just continued to pulse in her ears and if she pulled a blanket onto her, she got too hot. As soon as she tossed the blanket aside, she got too cold. Her body just didn't want to let her sleep!

After laying there tossing and turning for what felt like forever she growled and rolled off her bed. Putting her glasses back on she headed downstairs and out the front door. She followed the well-walked path into her father’s blacksmith. Putting safety goggles on over her glasses as well as a blacksmith's apron and a heavy black jacket to cover her back from loose embers. Sitting down, she tied a blue ribbon on the end of her tail to keep it neat and out of the way.

She closed her eyes tight, the headache wasn’t being kind, and the drowsiness from the medication wasn’t helping. She stood up and ventured in cautiously. Her father had always been very strict about her work in the forge. She had made a few mistakes which ended up costing her father respectable clients or simply wasted his materials. His home-made steel ingots were hard enough to make and the materials that went into a single ingot were quite expensive.

“Dad?” she asked as she walked through the forge. He wasn't anywhere to be seen. She simply checked the usual places like the anvils and the ovens... He was at neither workstation, he wasn't at his workbench either. The only place left to check was his personal office. She walked up to the closed door at the back of the workshop. It was in the furthest corner away from the ovens and anvils. As she knocked at the door it slowly cracked open so she just pushed it the rest of the way. The room was dark and empty, her father was no where to be seen.

She sighed, closing the door and heading back over to his work bench. Grabbing a few tools, she lit the ovens and began working while she let her mind explore.

My only real friend has been pretty much ignoring me lately. Along with the one colt who actually understands me. Both of them gone, leaving me to support them when they are down and never there for me when I need somepony. When I need them!

How is it that not even my own family can see how upset I am? How lonely I've become? I'd bet if somepony were to come in here right now and catch me sitting in this oven they would laugh and watch as I- No. I'm not suicidal. Am I?

With a deep breath and a sigh she placed the melted metal into an ingot mold, she then tightened the lid on and let it set. She sat down, leaning against the wall. She closed her eyes once again, feeling the pills she had taken.

Diamond’s been spending all her spare time at the Carousel Boutique hanging out with Sweetie Bell and the other Crusaders. And now Applebloom's with Featherweight? Maybe? Either way. I don't know how much more of them all I can take... It's like I'm invisible whenever I'm around them. There's no point in me even being there and listening or trying to contribute to the conversations, I just get ignored when I do speak.

She looked up and saw Diamond Tiara standing there. She didn't have any safety equipment on, which was fine because she usually didn't stay in the forge very long. She always complained about the heat messing up her mane or the dust and dirt getting in her coat.

What do you want! She thought as tears began to boil and a nearly silent wail escaped her lips.

Diamond Tiara didn't speak, she simply sat down next to her and pulled her into a hug. This just made her cry more! She knocked her goggles and glasses off with the back of her hoof, they both just fell to the ground. Silver Spoon just buried her face in Diamond Tiara's neck and mane. After a short while her wailing turned to silent sobbing and quiet sniffling. Diamond simply rested her chin on top of her head and calmly brushed her mane.

Eventually Diamond nudged Silver Spoon with her shoulder, making Silver look up at her.

“Why did you leave?” She asked calmly looking her best friend in the eyes.

“I...” She struggled to find a reply, “I...”

Silver simply pulled away from Diamond’s head and looked at the floor between them. Diamond Tiara leaned forward and rubbed her cheek against the top of Silver's head, between her ears. It was something she had always done ever since they were fillies. She never understood why Tiara did this but she always loved it and the feeling it gave her. It felt like a flurry of butterflies were released in her stomach. It was a hot fluttering feeling that lifted her spirit.

Finally she cracked a weak smile. “Thanks, Tiara...”

“I'm always here for you Silvy. You're like a sister to me.” She smiled softly in return.

“I guess I ran away earlier because I felt out of place, unwanted, or rather unneeded.” She paused, expecting Tiara to jump to her hooves and start spouting off something crazy and really self-centered like she always used to.

Now, ever since that night we spent with the Crusaders, she's changed.

Silver Spoon continued, “I was also upset to hear that Applebloom is with Featherweight, It feels like the only two friends I really had were taken from me. Applebloom got Featherweight and, well, Sweetie Belle stole you. I mean, you and those three get along so well, I just end up on the sidelines.”

She sighed and put her glasses and safety goggles back on, looking around the forge. It wasn’t brightly lit, it reminded her of a candle lit bathroom. She stood up and went back to walked back to the furnace. Diamond simply stayed where she was and watched her work. She unclasped the lid to the ingot and then flipped it over, and taking the cast off. The ingot was still soft and warm which was perfect.

She quickly grabbed the small ingot in some metal claws, which didn't conduct heat. She reheated the ingot in the smallest of her father’s ovens then took it to the anvil and began shaping the metal to her hearts desire.

After a moment or two, she took it back to the oven and reheated it again. She repeated this process a few more times before dunking the red hot metal into a bucket of cold water. The moment the metal made contact a column of steam shot to the ceiling and dispersed throughout the room.

Why would she just randomly show up here and do this... All this... Everything that has always been the old her and then just suddenly turn around and be the new her... the friendly her... the Diamond Tiara that everyone liked. She didn't care if Diamond used to be a complete bitch. She never was to her, and always stood up for her whenever somepony tried to get at her. Diamond was like the sister she had never had. And now what was she? Some pony every pony wanted to know. But why was she there now? A pony. A friend. Her sister.

Silver removed her goggles and set the metal on the workbench. Turning off the larger ovens, leaving the smallest one on for warmth and light.

She turned back to Diamond who was still patiently waiting for her. Okay, who are you and what did you do with the real Diamond Tiara, she thought.

“Diamond? Are you okay?”

“Yes, I'm just waiting for you to stop and listen,” she said calmly before standing up and walking over to stand in front of Silver Spoon.

“I'm sorry. I've just got so much on my mind.” Silver said as she looked at the floor then back up at her friend. “I know, I know. you're my friend and you're always here for me.”

She saw Diamond smile a bit.

“Close but wrong. You're my sister. And I'll always be here, rather you want me here or not.” Diamond sat down. “Look, I understand that you're upset over me spending more time with Sweetie Belle and the others but I'm trying really hard to reshape who I am. I'm trying really hard to be there for you and still try to move forward and make my dad proud of me.”

She stopped immediately and drew her into a hug. “I'm sorry. I need to start thinking before speaking... Don't I?”

Silver Spoon could help but just nod a little.

“Well still, I understand how you feel about your parents... I was there at one point too you know.”

“Diamond. I know you've had a rough family life too, but your dad actively sought to make you a better mare and tried to spend time with you. I don't exist in my mom’s reality, at least not as anything more than a breath of wind in the room.” Silver Spoon sighed, biting back her disappointment and pain.

“Then there's my father. Yes, he tries to connect with me, but most the time he doesn't see me as his daughter, I’m more like his assistant. He even paid me for helping him in the forge! He treats me like an employee he wants to like!” Her eyes swelled with tears and she clenched her teeth and eyes tightly closed.

Diamond Tiara simply shook her head. “I wasn't comparing our families.”

“I know you weren't, but I'm just so angry and pissed off. I just don't know what to do anymore, I have no friends other than you and Featherweight, who I doubt I can trust anymore. I mean, he's been avoiding me for weeks! Probably since he and Applebloom began seeing each other.” Her eyes were still full and flowing.

“Silvy...” Diamond Tiara stepped closer and tried to pull her into another hug but this time, Silver Spoon pulled away and continued to rage.

“No! No more 'Silvy...' pity. I'm a grown mare now! I don't need a pony like you to pick me up every time I fall down! I swear it!” She finally laid down on the floor of the workshop with her eyes hidden behind her hooves and mane.

“I swear it...” she whispered before silently whimpering.

Diamond Tiara simply laid down next to her and rested her chin on her friends shoulder. “You may not need a pony like me,” she whispered with tears beginning to flow.

Silver Spoon uncovered her muzzle but kept her eyes closed, “I.. just don't know... anymore.” she said through her heaves.

Diamond spoke up again. “You know. When we were younger. The only reason I kept you around and protected you and kept you away from colts was because I had hoped you were like me.” Diamond sat up and Silver Spoon followed suit looking at her the entire time.

“Diamond wh-”

“Silvy, I always had a crush on you when we were growing up. But you ended up being into colts instead of fillies. now you're more of a sister to me now. So I do love you, but as family. You’re my sister and I’ll always be there to protect those I love.”

“So you're a fillyfooler after all?” For some reason, Silver Spoon wasn't surprised.

“Yes. But that's not the point. The point is that there is, at least, one pony who you can call family and who loves you unconditionally.” Diamond smiled softly.

“I suppose you're right Diamond.” Silver Spoon rubbed her cheeks and eyes dry with her forelegs and smiled, “I'm glad you're my sister.”

Diamond's smile grew bigger. “I think we need to get you some new friends, Silver Spoon.”

Silver Spoon shrugged and looked back to the floor. “Well. I guess it would be worth a try. Though I don't know how that would go.” She stood up and turned back towards the workbench where her metal creation lay. She looked down at it. Tiara had come to stand next to her, also down looking at it.

She had turned the metal ingot into a heart. The metal heart was cold to the touch, having already cooled. The scrap of metal barely even resembled a heart at all. In the center of the heart was a large hole, as if it were missing its core. The edges of the hole were sharp and uneven. The light gray metal had dents and burn marks all across its surface.

My heart needs to be fixed. Soon.

Damnit. What are you doing here NOW of all times… She thought as her father appeared in the doorway behind Diamond Tiara.

“Well? What are you doing in here, I told you to stay out. Do your father’s rules mean nothing to you?"