Scootaloo woke up the following morning to quiet murmuring conversation between voices she didn't immediately recognize. She kept her eyes closed for a few moments, to reorient herself with the waking world. It had been something of a strange night, full of disjointed, bizarre dreams interspersed with moments of clarity that had seemed unforgettable at the time, but were now frustratingly elusive. She did remember, however, just how much Silver Spoon had featured in these dreams. Mostly, she had just been there, not necessarily central, but Scootaloo had always noticed her somewhere in the otherwise hazy morass of confusion. Now, back in reality, she recognized one of the voices as belonging to the same filly, speaking in hushed tones clearly intended to avoid waking the pegasus.

"...can't believe it, honestly. I'm just wondering if she'll wake up and realize she made some huge mistake and...go back to the way things were."

That's right, Scootaloo thought. I spent the night at Spoon's place. The voice Scootaloo didn't recognize responded in a soothing tone, "Now, Silver Spoon, you know you can't expect every midnight confession to end the same way, right? Just because one time--"

"I know, Carillon," Silver Spoon interrupted the voice with a hint of frustrated exasperation. "Still...it just seemed too...perfect. Like, perfect enough that it couldn't possibly last more than one night, you know?"

"I suppose there's only one way to find out, right?"

Silver Spoon grunted in derisive amusement. "Yeah, because I'm totally going to ask."

"Maybe you should," the voice said. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"You know exactly what 'the worst' is, Carillon." There was a long silence, and then Silver Spoon said, "I don't know if I want to know, honestly."

Scootaloo knew she was eavesdropping on a private conversation, and as fascinating as it was to hear two ponies speaking as though they thought they couldn't be overheard, her conscience was starting to get the better of her, and she finally decided it was time to make herself known. With a theatrical stretching of wings and forelegs, she struggled out from underneath the sheets and sat up, yawning broadly and spreading her wings wide.

Across the room, Silver Spoon and a unicorn Scootaloo didn't recognize were arranged at her vanity, the unicorn standing behind the earth pony and fussily arranging her mane and tail into the intricate braids Silver Spoon always wore. At Scootaloo's intentionally audible rousing, both ponies looked back at the bed. The unicorn--Carillon, Scootaloo guessed--smiled broadly and immediately started walking towards the bed. "Good morning, Miss Scratch-Philhar--"

"Scootaloo, please," Scootaloo said, her voice gravelly with sleep. It was a request she was used to making; most ponies who addressed her in a formal capacity used both of her last names, and she was typically quick to correct them, and have them use her first name instead, mostly to save time and effort. Only Miss Cheerilee still insisted on using her surnames, as she did with most ponies in her class. Something about implying respect or some nonsense.

Carillon nodded. "Of course. Good morning, Miss Scootaloo."

"No, just..." Scootaloo shook her head. "Just Scootaloo."

Silver Spoon smirked. "Let it go, Scoot. She'll call you 'Miss' no matter what you say."

"But I'm not a 'Miss'," Scootaloo protested.

"Of course you are," Carillon insisted, coming over to the side of the bed. "Now, is there anything I can get for you this morning? Anything I can do? Would you like me to start a bath or prepare breakfast or groom you?"

Scootaloo stared at her, nonplussed. "Uh..." In truth, all the options sounded amazing, but something inside her insisted she should refuse. "No, that's...that's okay."

Carillon seemed perturbed. "Are you certain?" She glanced back at Silver Spoon. "It's no trouble, honestly."

Scootaloo nodded, struggling over to the edge of the mattress and climbing out of the bed. "Yeah, I'm good."

The unicorn and the earth pony exchanged a knowing look. Silver Spoon said, "You do realize she gets paid for this, right? It's literally what we employ her to do."

Scootaloo scowled at her. "Yeah, I get that. It just...I dunno," she fretted. "It feels weird."

Silver Spoon smirked. "Well, it shouldn't. You said yourself my family's well-off, right?" Scootaloo nodded. "Well, this is one of the perks." She gestured to the unicorn, who was still standing anxiously next to the sleep-tousled Scootaloo. "Please go ahead and draw her a bath, and have the kitchen prepare breakfast for when she's done."

Scootaloo's stomach tightened a little in guilt at the idea of having other ponies being ordered to do things for her benefit, but Carillon's reaction couldn't have been more pleased. She grinned broadly and nodded at Silver Spoon. "Of course, miss, right away." Then she trotted lightly out of the room, closing the door behind her with the silent ease of a practiced servant.

Silver Spoon shook her head at Scootaloo. "Am I really going to have to force you to take advantage of spending the night in a house with a live-in staff?"

Scootaloo scowled and trudged over to the vanity to stand next to the earth pony. "Maybe. It just feels weird, that's all," she repeated. "I mean...I know that's what they get paid to do, but..." She grimaced. "I feel guilty. Like somehow they think I think they're below me or something."

Silver Spoon shrugged. "Why would they think that?"

"Because I'm ordering them around," Scootaloo said.

"No you're not," Silver Spoon said. "Carillon offered, or didn't you notice? And besides, even if you were ordering them around, they're not your friends, they're my father's employees, and doing what you order them to do doesn't make them below you, it's literally their job."

Scootaloo grimaced at her reflection in the vanity mirror. "I don't think I could do a job like that."

Silver Spoon laughed. "No, I bet not." She smiled at the pegasus. "That's what makes them special, actually. I'm always impressed by our staff. They're pretty amazing."

"Really?"

Silver Spoon nodded. "Sure. I mean, you met Intricacy, right?" Scootaloo indicated she had. "Well, he's easily the best butler I've ever met, and I've met quite a few. He knows everything about the house, all the staff, all the family members, he's always exactly where we need him, exactly when we need him, and he's never in the way. The house couldn't run without him, and he knows it, but he still maintains the same poise and humility expected of a household servant." She gestured towards the door the unicorn had just left through. "And Carillon is even more special. Not only does she take care of my room and all the guest rooms, but she's always keeping tabs on my calendar, reminding me of appointments, scheduling important dates--doctor's visits and such--grooming and taking care of me, and she still finds time to be my tutor and my friend." She smiled. "If they were slaves, or displeased with their lot, I don't think any of our servants would be nearly as good at their job."

"I guess not," Scootaloo agreed. "But I thought you said you didn't have any other friends. Does Carillon not count?"

Silver Spoon pursed her lips. "Well...not really...I mean, she's friendly, and she acts like a friend, but she's more...like distant family, I guess. Anyway, I don't really count ponies who are being paid to be my friend," she said wanly.

"Oh, right...I guess that's fair enough," Scootaloo said. She examined Silver Spoon's braided hair with interest. "I did always wonder how you managed to style your hair so perfectly by yourself every morning. I guess it never really occurred to me that you might have somepony else do it for you."

Silver Spoon nodded, glancing down at her tail. "Yeah, I couldn't do this myself. Before I had a hoofmaiden, I just brushed it out and let it hang loose." She smirked. "It wasn't a pretty sight."

"Like hell it wasn't," Scootaloo heard her mouth traitorously uttering, and it was only with a supreme effort that she managed to keep a straight face as Silver Spoon turned and stared at her in surprise. Scrambling for an excuse, she added, "I mean, it's not like you have ugly hair or anything. The braid's nice and all, but there's nothing wrong with the natural look. Like, look at me," she said, grinning. "I don't do anything to my mane, and it looks awesome all by itself."

"Hah," Silver Spoon scoffed, giving her hair an appraising look. "Awesome isn't the first word I'd use."

"Hey, now," Scootaloo said, stung. "It's not that bad...is it?"

"Well, no," Silver Spoon mused noncommittally. "Not bad per se, but..." She reached up and starting running a hoof through Scootaloo's tousled mane, trying to get it to lay flat. "It could use a little TLC, I think. I bet Carillon could do wonders if you'd give her a chance."

Scootaloo's heart skipped a beat as Silver Spoon stroked her hair, little shivers of unfocused excitement arcing down her spine. Anxiously, she brushed the other filly's hoof away, snorting. "Yeah, I bet. Let's not, though. I don't think I'm exactly ready to show up at school with a fully styled mane. At the very least, I should probably warn the Crusaders, or they'll think I'm a changeling."

Silver Spoon giggled. "Yeah, I guess you're right." After a few moments of silence, she said quietly, "Hey, Scootaloo...speaking of showing up at school..." She blushed deeply, tapping her hooves together and looking down at them. "Do you think...would you mind if we...didn't show up at the same time this morning? I mean, like...together?"

Scootaloo smirked. "Lemme guess...afraid Diamond Tiara will notice, huh?"

The blush intensified, turning her grey face maroon. "Y...yeah, something like that. I mean...I still do want to be friends...that is, of course, assuming you do too..." She looked up, apprehension mingling with poorly disguised longing etched across her elegant features.

The pegasus' smirk fell instantly into a wide, amused smile. "Of course I do, silly. Why wouldn't I? It's not like a whole lot of time has passed since I offered in the first place, is it?"

"Well, no, but..." Silver Spoon rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof. "I was just afraid you might've...you know, changed your mind after you'd gotten a chance to sleep on it."

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "This isn't exactly like choosing what academy or university to attend, Spoon. It's just a friendship. It's not exactly the biggest deal in the world."

The earth pony smiled shyly. "It's a pretty big deal to me, you know."

"So I've gathered," Scootaloo said, grinning. "Well, don't worry so much. Friendship shouldn't make you nervous, it should just be...fun. Pleasant. I mean, not always, obviously," she recanted, rolling her eyes as she recalled some of the incidents that she and the Crusaders had stumbled through over the course of their relationship, "but at the end of the day, it shouldn't feel like work. And it shouldn't make you unhappy," she said, eyeing Silver Spoon significantly.

Silver Spoon didn't react, but simply smiled. "Yeah...alright. I'll try not to worry. Still, you know how Di gets. I just think it'd be better to wait until I've had a chance to...ease her into it, I guess. So she has some sort of forewarning before we just show up in the same carriage, or walking side-by-side."

Scootaloo nodded. "Yeah, I figured you might say that, and if you didn't, I was probably going to say it myself. Diamond Tiara isn't very good at sharing."

"You have no idea," Silver Spoon said with great subtext. "And I'm not sure it would be a great idea to tell Swee--uh...the Crusaders, either," she amended quickly.

She needn't have. "Yeah, I know what you're saying. Sweetie Belle does like to talk. Don't worry," she said, "I don't mind keeping it under wraps until you're comfortable. I'm not sure how my friends would react anyway..." she added, smirking.

"Well, I guess I haven't really given them a whole lot of positive association, have I?"

Scootaloo shrugged. "They'll come around."

There was a quiet tapping at the door, and Silver Spoon said, "Come in." The door opened and Carillon entered, dipping her head shallowly as she did.

"Miss, your bath is ready. Do you have any specific requests for breakfast that I can pass on to the kitchen?"

It took a few moments for Scootaloo to realize the unicorn was addressing her. "Uh...no, just...whatever Silver Spoon was gonna have."

The unicorn nodded and smiled. "Very well, madam. Miss Spoon, would you like the kitchen to serve your breakfast now, or would you prefer to wait for your guest?"

The two fillies looked at each other. "Uh...well, my mane still needs to be finished, so...I guess I'll wait," Silver Spoon said.

"Of course, Miss Spoon. I'll be right back. Miss Scootaloo, would you please come with me?" Scootaloo nodded and followed the unicorn out into the hallway, plodding awkwardly behind the primly dressed servant. She couldn't stop staring at every inch of the manor they passed, from every piece of artwork and every wooden surface, polished to a mirrorlike shine, to every open door she passed, inside which was one servant or another, diligently cleaning, stocking, tidying, or preparing the room beyond. Each servant glanced up from their work to see who was passing, and upon seeing somepony following Carillon, they all paused to nod curtly in Scootaloo's direction. This didn't exactly lessen the awkwardness of the walk, and the pegasus was relieved when they finally passed through a tall pair of doors leading to an expansive, pristinely clean bathroom.

Carillon paused just inside the doorway, letting Scootaloo pass. "The bath is already drawn, of course. If it's not to your liking, please let me know, and I'll make it right. Would you like someone to care for your mane and tail while you bathe?"

Scootaloo blushed. "Um...no, that's alright."

"Very well. Can we groom your wings for you, then?"

Scootaloo shook her head frantically. "No! I mean...no thanks."

"Are you certain?" Carillon asked. "The staff groomer is a very accomplished--"

"No, it's...it's alright," Scootaloo insisted, the blush still hot on her cheeks. "I...I'm not real comfortable with having other ponies touch my wings..."

"Of course, ma'am." Carillon nodded. "Very well. There is a bellcord by the tub if you need any assistance at all. Grooming products are, of course, in the cabinet above the tub. Enjoy," she added with a smile that Scootaloo could tell was perfectly genuine, but somehow still felt odd. Then the unicorn left, and Scootaloo turned and climbed into the full tub.

The bath was naturally perfect, the water precisely the right temperature--hot but not scalding--and the available products, which were vast in their scope, were all heavenly scented, and felt amazing when she dug them into her mane and rubbed them into her fur. The pegasus sighed heavily and settled into the water, her face the only part of her body still above the surface. Despite being a pegasus, and largely uninterested in grooming in general--pegasi typically 'bathed' by flying through rainstorms, which rendered bathing redundant--Scootaloo could appreciate a bath this flawless. Her entire body relaxed, and she let her wings float aimlessly in the water, the feathers soaking and softening in the heat, allowing her to easily and painlessly pull out the pinfeathers that had collected since she'd last groomed.

As she rubbed and picked at the irritating white shafts among her long orange plumage, the pegasus contemplated the previous night in the light of the early morning. It had certain been an interesting evening, she had to admit. Not necessarily negatively so, of course, but there was something unsettling about being forced to confront and accept a facet of her personality that she'd been resisting for so long. How long, she wondered, had she been...interested in females? She didn't want to use the expletive filly-fooler again, not now. As upsetting as that moment had been, it wasn't exactly like she was personally opposed to same-sex relationships. After all, her parents were both female, weren't they? They seemed to get along alright, and no one really bothered them much. In truth, Scootaloo had only met a few ponies who'd been in any way disparaging to gay ponies of either gender, and the only one she cared about was Diamond Tiara--and even Diamond Tiara's opinion only mattered because they were classmates. Beyond that, it didn't really matter to her, or really seemed to matter to anypony else.

Scootaloo contemplated this for a moment. Why had she resisted for so long, anyway? Weren't unicorns in particular rather famous for their homosexuality? And pegasi we renowned for their casual attitude towards gender and even species with respect to relationships. Why should Scootaloo have expected to be any different? The pegasus sighed lightly. She knew the answer to this question, of course, even though she was doing her best to pretend she didn't.

Ponyville was an earth pony settlement. The little village had been home to earth ponies exclusively for decades, and only recently had the ratio begun to shift away from that. Earth ponies weren't exactly famous for their tolerance of same-sex relationships, and that prejudice was still--if quietly--prevalent among most of the earth pony residents, especially those who had grown up with similarly prejudiced parents. Even Apple Bloom had occasionally, and unintentionally, Scootaloo hoped, implied that Scootaloo's parents were somehow unnatural for being together. Scootaloo's insistence that since Vinyl was a unicorn, it didn't matter what gender they both were had fallen on deaf ears.

She assumed it was just part of being an earth pony raised in an earth pony village. She'd also decided it wasn't worth risking their friendship over making a big deal of, a decision she was now questioning. Sooner or later, she'd have to tell her friends what she'd discovered about herself, and while Sweetie Belle was likely to take it in stride (even though she'd probably tell everypony she knew within minutes), Scootaloo wasn't exactly sure how Apple Bloom would react. As cosmopolitan as Ponyville was, Apple Bloom was a farm pony, and farm ponies tended to pass their prejudices and values down along with their uncanny farming knowledge.

Scootaloo sighed theatrically as she fell back against the tub edge, her wings now properly de-pinned. Why did life have to be so difficult all the time? Couldn't she have just grown up normal? Able to fly, not forced to run away when she was a filly, attracted to stallions...not that she wasn't, of course, she mused idly. Hadn't she had her first intentional orgasm while imagining a long, celebratory romp with Buck Yeager after a particularly harrowing test flight they'd undertaken together? A sudden jolt in her midsection that quickly softened into a slow heat spreading through her flanks indicated that her body remembered the experience all too well. The mental image of lying on her back, wings spread wide across the filthy hangar floor, and her flight suit torn open from neck to tail in their haste, the passion of their shared experience too intense and urgent to wait even long enough to escape the oil-slicked concrete before Buck took her by the shoulders, pinning her forelegs to her sides, the hunger in his eyes piercing into hers as he--

Scootaloo's eyes snapped open. Whoa... she thought, her chest heaving and her wings suddenly cramped against the sides of the tub. Yeah...yeah, still a big fan of that... Blushing furiously, she glanced down through the water between her legs. She couldn't quite see it, but oh, Luna could she feel the heat searing through her marehood. Even in the sultry sauna of the steam-soaked bathroom, the slow burn of her sudden arousal brought a light sheen of sweat to her face. Every nerve in her body hummed with anxious desire, and she unconsciously slid one of her hooves across the fur of her belly, down between her legs, and rested it gently against the hot, swollen lips there.

Don't do it, Scootaloo chided herself. You're in somepony else's house. Her body refused to listen, and another jolt of adrenaline shot through her stomach as she idly swept the water around the sensitive slit, caressing it without directly touching herself. It had been a while, she reflected bashfully, and she had been riding on high emotion for several days now without allowing herself any sort of release. Another gentle touch sent sparks of longing up her spine, and her wings strained against the tub, the muscles tightening furiously in her arousal. Fine, but...do it quickly, she acquiesced, her face burning with anticipatory shame. The steady, powerful pulse of heat in her nethers suggested that she wouldn't have to worry too much about that.

Shifting slightly, the pegasus turned sideways and climbed to her knees in the tub to let her sopping wings stretch out. They eagerly spread to their full span, dripping all over the pristine tile floor at the head and foot of the bath. Situated now so she was leaning against the long edge of the tub, Scootaloo slid a hoof down her front again, gingerly resting the tip against her burning slit. The effect was mild but intense, and she gasped lightly at the touch. She shot a guilty look at the closed bathroom door, but continued to explore herself, parting the lips and gently caressing the slick heat beyond. She felt her inner walls tightening reflexively as she stroked the entrance with her hoof. She repeated the gesture, reveling in the delicious frustration of pent up arousal, closing her eyes and recalling the image that had started this fire in the first place. Kneeling in the tub, she imagined straddling the powerful, svelte stallion's lower body, feeling his hot, twitching member sliding between her flanks, pushing through her tail and matting the fur there with thick, slow drops of semen. She imagined pressing her searing marehood down against his midsection, feeling the fur sliding against her winking clitoris and bringing with it fresh tides of her own juices slowly seeping into his fur and silently begging him to make use of them.

Scootaloo felt a moan building deep in her chest as she slowly, firmly worked a hoof between her legs, sliding it back and forth, the trembling in her foreleg blissfully adding another dimension of stimulation to the steady stroke. She bit down on her free hoof to stifle her reflexive vocalizations and leaned against the edge of the tub as she lifted her tail out of the water, unconsciously presenting her hindquarters to her imaginary suitor. Water cascaded off the fur and dripped down her back as she began to work herself deeper, dipping the tip of her hoof into the tight opening behind the eagerly parted lips as the winking button above them continued to rhythmically stroke itself against her hoof.

She was close now, Scootaloo knew, panting into the fur of her foreleg as sweat ran in rivulets down her face. She had only been playing for a minute or so, but she could already feel the slow euphoric tightening of an orgasm building deep in her belly. For a moment, she considered following her fantasy to its conclusion, as she usually did, but a sudden, wicked idea crossed her mind, and her sex-soaked brain immediately dove on the opportunity, calling up an entirely new scene. Instead of kneeling on a hangar floor, Scootaloo found herself kneeling on thick, soft rose-colored carpet, leaning not against a tub, but against an enormous four-poster bed. Lying on her back, directly in front of Scootaloo's eager face, was Silver Spoon, her rear legs splayed wide and her tender pink marehood laid bare and glistening in front of the pegasus' nose.

A sudden jolt of renewed pleasure scorched through Scootaloo's body, and she felt herself clenching tightly in a small, intense omen of the coming storm. Gasping more loudly now, she groaned into her hoof and squeezed her eyes shut, calling up the image again and intently filling in as much detail as she could. She saw Silver Spoon lying back, leaning on her elbows on the bed, looking down at the pegasus, who was kneeling in what she imagined was one of the best places she could ever find herself. Silver Spoon's cheeks formed a bright crimson frame for a tiny, shy smile that she was sheepishly flashing. "Scootaloo...I...I've never done anything like this before..." the imaginary Silver Spoon said quietly, her voice shaking. Her ears folded back against her head, and she whispered, "Please be gentle..."

Back in the real world, a stab of ecstasy shot through Scootaloo's stomach, and she felt her hoof sliding more easily across her wide-open slit as she produced even more fluids in her delirious arousal. Another small orgasm rolled through her body, and she paused to bite down on her hoof again, struggling to hold back her euphoric vocalizations and failing miserably. A small part of her that was still able to pay attention flinched inwardly at the sound of her moans echoing off the tile walls, but she ignored it as she felt a third and larger orgasm mounting deep in her belly. She rubbed furiously at her swollen lips, splashing water over the edges of the tub and knocking over the bottles of products sitting around the bath as her wings seized and flexed of their own accord, stretching to their limits. In her mind, she leaned forward into Silver Spoon's privates, taking a deep breath through her nose. She imagined a sultry, sour scent not unlike the way Scootaloo knew she herself smelled, although naturally infused with some of Silver Spoon's own unique scent. She imagined some of the lingering essence from Silver Spoon's bedroom hanging lightly in the air, and her eyes rolled back in her head in ecstasy. Finally, she leaned forward the rest of the way and lightly kissed the other filly's burning pink marehood.

The imaginary embrace was more than Scootaloo could take, and she felt the dam break deep within her. A rolling, powerful orgasm exploded from her twitching clitoris, through her shivering thighs and up through her belly, past quaking inner walls that clenched rhythmically, sending out waves of pleasure with every pulsing flex. Her hooves and wings shook, and her right hoof dug deep between the lips, desperately stroking herself to draw out every last vestige of the surging orgasm. Her teeth clenched hard on her hoof as she moaned loudly, unable to stop herself. The cry echoed off the tile walls, and she flinched at the realization that if anypony was within a few hooves of the door, they'd hear her ecstatic vocalizations. Even so, she continued to ride the ebbing climax as it slowly faded, leaving the young mare sitting limp in the tub, her head on the edge of the tub and both hooves and wings dangling loosely at her sides.

The pegasus panted heavily, still grunting every so often as the last fading jolts of pleasure raced through her quivering, exhausted frame. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Scootaloo was aware that as much as she wanted to simply lie here and bask in the afterglow of her overdue and utterly satisfying sexual release, she did still have to go to school today, and if she and Silver Spoon were going to try and part ways far away enough to keep from being suspected of being together, they'd have to leave a little earlier than she was used to. To that end, she slowly pulled herself upright in the tub, making sure to dunk her hair and wings one last time to wash away the sweat she'd generated through her unplanned exercise routine. Then she pulled the plug in the bottom and climbed out onto shaky legs, grabbing a towel off the stack sitting next to the tub.

A few minutes later, Scootaloo pushed her way out of the bathroom and was startled to discover Carillon waiting just outside the door with a pleasant smile and a brush in her magical aura. Panicking slightly, Scootaloo asked, "H-how long have you been standing here?"

Carillon tilted her head slightly, thinking. "Well, I went to finish Miss Spoon's mane and tail, but I came back as soon as I could to be sure to be here when you finished. Maybe...ten minutes?"

Scootaloo felt the blood draining from her face. "I...see. You didn't...um...I mean, you didn't...hear anything strange...did you?" she asked tightly.

Carillon's face was inscrutable. "I haven't the faintest idea what you mean, Miss Scootaloo."

Scootaloo examined the unicorn's expression, trying to discern if she was lying or not. Silver Spoon was right, she realized. Like any good household servant, Carillon either genuinely didn't care what the ponies she was working for did, or she was surprisingly capable of hiding it. Either way, Scootaloo decided to let it go and said, "Right...anyway, I guess Silver Spoon's already having breakfast, isn't she? I know I took a while."

Carillon nodded shallowly, still smiling pleasantly. "Yes, but not for very long. I believe you can join her in a moment, if you wish. Would you like me to brush your mane out for you first?"

"No, I..." Scootaloo sighed. "Yeah, fine. Not too much, though," she warned, "I don't want to look prissy or anything."

"Of course," Carillon said, coming forward and starting to brush her mane. To her credit, Scootaloo admitted ruefully, the unicorn was extremely talented, and she drew the brush through her thick, short mane deftly and swiftly, pulling but never really hurting as she tugged at the small snarls and tangles Scootaloo had accidentally created while fiercely washing her hair. It was actually quite pleasant, reminiscent of younger days when her mothers would brush out her mane and tail after a bath while they all sat together in the living room. A pang of guilt and wistful longing tightened around her heart, and she unconsciously leaned into the brush strokes, bashfully enjoying the sensation of being groomed. Entirely too soon, the unicorn made her way back in front of the pegasus and nodded curtly. "There you are, madam. Is that to your liking?" she asked, holding up a mirror. Scootaloo glanced at her reflection and was surprised to find herself pleased with the result.

"Uh...yeah, it is, actually." Her mane was not particularly different than she normally wore it, with a short curl at the front edge and a feathered nape. The only real difference was that instead of looking messy and unkempt, the 'style' looked as though she'd intentionally brushed it into place, smooth and tidy. "How did you do that? It looks like...heck, like I always have it, except better."

Carillon smiled and chuckled quietly. "Thank you, madam. I did ask Miss Spoon how you prefer to have your mane styled, and she showed me a few photos from her yearbooks." The smile broadened warmly. "You do seem to have a unique style that you like."

Scootaloo smirked. "Yeah, well...I guess I've just never really put a lot of thought into my mane style, honestly."

Carillon nodded. "You are quite fortunate. Your mane is very attractive without much attention."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Scootaloo said, blushing. "It's just hair..."

"I can think of a few things I could do to take advantage of your natural beauty, but I'm not sure it would be necessary," Carillon continued without a hint of sarcasm or sycophancy. "I've always said the same to Miss Spoon, too, but she does seem to prefer her braids."

Scootaloo grunted her assent, still blushing under the relentless praise. "Yeah, I saw Silver Spoon last night with her mane down, and she looks just fine. I dunno who told her otherwise, but they were crazy."

"Yes, well..." Carillon hesitated for a fraction of a second, as though catching herself about to say something she shouldn't. Instead she simply smiled again and said, "Anyway, please follow me to the dining room, Miss Scootaloo."

Scootaloo dutifully followed the unicorn back out to the main rotunda of the manor, still trying to hide the trembling in her legs that had resulted from her 'solo flight' in the bathroom. She hoped the high blush had faded from her cheeks as well, although the most obvious indicator--her wings--had obediently folded back against her shoulders and were now calm and content. Scootaloo mused that it had probably been harder to keep them from stiffening reflexively the last few days primarily because she had been so pent up. Spending so much of the last week in Silver Spoon's close company couldn't possibly have helped, she reflected wanly. At the very least, she was now sated; hopefully they'd be more obedient for a while.

Down the staircase and down another hallway, Carillon led Scootaloo to a pair of wide double doors and deftly pushed one of them open, dipping her head very slightly as she said, "The dining hall, Miss Scootaloo." The pegasus walked into the room, still silently wishing Carillon would stop calling her 'Miss' and 'Madam'. Obviously there was nothing for it, but it still felt disingenuous to her; she wasn't wealthy or powerful or famous, she was just...Scootaloo. She didn't deserve to be served by anypony, least of all by somepony who was clearly very talented and dedicated to her role.

Inside the dining hall, Scootaloo noted that there was absolutely no reason she and Silver Spoon should be eating at a table this long and ornately set. It was wide enough for a row of place settings on either side with space in the middle for centerpieces and candelabras, of which it had at least a dozen each. The table was some eighty hooves long, long enough for at least sixty ponies to sit comfortably and not have to brush against one another at all. In a pinch, she imagined they could probably have fit over a hundred ponies at the table without it feeling terribly cramped. The room itself was as tall as a cathedral, the vaulted ceiling towering over the eating space, and hanging from the middle of the ceiling was a chandelier almost as large as the one in the rotunda, all glittering crystals and brilliant fairy lights effortlessly illuminating every inch of the enormous room. Along one wall was a long buffet table, currently standing empty, and much like the rest of the house, every open space of wall housed some exquisite piece of artwork.

Scootaloo paused to absorb the sight, her mouth hanging open slightly in awe. Sometimes, in her wildest fantasies, she had imagined living a truly decadent life, spending money with abandon and building extravagant monuments to her own wanton self-indulgence. She had not even come close. This was wealth on a titanic scale, a level that made petty wishes for fancy toys and multiple homes seem trite. It made her feel pathetically inadequate simply to be standing here, woefully out of place.

"Hey, Scootaloo!" Silver Spoon's hail brought Scootaloo out of her stunned trance, and the pegasus looked down to one end of the room to see the grey filly sitting at the head of the table, waving her over. She traipsed across the absurd distance and settled herself into one of the seats next to Silver Spoon.

"Hey, Spoon." She glanced down at the table top and blinked. "You don't have any food."

Silver Spoon shrugged. "Not yet. I told them to wait for you."

"You didn't have to do that," Scootaloo protested. "You could've started without me. It doesn't bother me."

"And waiting didn't bother me, so we're even." She smiled. "Besides, I didn't want to finish early and then have to sit here and stare at you while you caught up." She leaned forward and pantomimed watching Scootaloo eat, bugging her eyes out absurdly.

Scootaloo giggled. "Alright, alright. Well, I'm here now, so let's eat already."

Silver Spoon grinned. "For sure."

The meal passed mostly in silence as Scootaloo stuffed one ridiculously amazing course after another into her famished mouth, marveling at the quality and subtle excellence of foods she'd been eating her whole life, but had apparently never had cooked properly. The chefs in the Silver Estate kitchen were supremely skilled, she could tell, and she could practically taste their exorbitant salaries in every bite. When both ponies finished, they sat at the table for a few minutes, chatting aimlessly.

"So," Scootaloo said, "did you manage to finish your homework from last night? I know I interrupted you while you were working on it..."

Silver Spoon shook her head, laying her ears flat on her head. "Of course not. I never finish my homework before the day it's due."

"Never?" Scootaloo said, surprised. "But you always turn something in."

The grey filly nodded, pointedly avoiding Scootaloo's gaze. "Yeah, well...I usually just...copy Diamond Tiara's work if I don't manage to get something written. I try not to do it too often, because I don't want Miss Cheerilee to get too suspicious, but..." She shrugged helplessly. "Sometimes I just can't even figure out where to start, and if Di and I don't work on it together, I don't usually get anything done."

"Yeah, well," Scootaloo said, "that doesn't honestly surprise me too much. I mean, if you're having trouble keeping up anyway, and Diamond Tiara's your only study partner...well, DT doesn't exactly seem like the best teacher to me."

"Oh, no," Silver Spoon said, shaking her head fervently, "she's a perfectly good teacher, I'm just...not a good student," she finished quietly.

Scootaloo rolled her eyes and leaned forward on the table. "You know, Spoon, you really can't get away with saying that anymore now that I know it's not true."

Silver Spoon blinked at her. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Oh please," Scootaloo scoffed, "I taught you the other night, remember? You were perfectly fine. You listened, asked questions, answered questions, and you were even excited when you figured something out. Hell, if I was a teacher, you'd be my favorite student."

Silver Spoon's mouth opened slightly in astonishment, and she immediately looked away, a blush suddenly rising to her cheeks. Scootaloo's heart fluttered a little at the sight. Buck, she's cute when she's flustered. How have I never noticed any of this before? She ignored the small voice suggesting that she probably had noticed before, but had intentionally ignored it. The other filly tapped her hooves together in front of her muzzle and said quietly, "You're just saying that..."

Scootaloo shrugged. "Think what you want. All I'm saying is that you're not as lost a cause as you think you are." She shook her head. "I dunno why you're so down on yourself all the time. No, wait, yes I do," she corrected herself, grimacing. "Forget I said that..."

Silver Spoon smiled. "Well, that's definitely part of it, but believe me, you and the Crusaders aren't where it all started."

"We aren't?" Scootaloo asked.

Silver Spoon shook her head. "No, I...I was kind of a lost cause a long time before you three started really fighting back."

"Really? Why's that?"

"Oh, I...uh..." Silver Spoon faltered, as if suddenly unwilling to expound further on the topic she'd raised. "I...don't really want to talk about it..."

Scootaloo was perplexed, but she saw the shade of dark memories passing over Silver Spoon's face and decided the topic was better left untouched. "Ah, never mind. Doesn't matter why you think you're stupid or incapable, just how we're going to change your mind." Silver Spoon smiled shyly up from behind her bangs, and Scootaloo felt a little swell of pleasure at the sight. She continued, eager to buoy the other filly's spirits further. "So how about we get together to work on the project some more tonight, huh? We can do homework first, then study some more for the project, and if you want, even start looking at some plans, so you get a better idea of what we're gonna try to do."

This had the desired effect, as Silver Spoon looked up and nodded at her, smiling broadly now. "Okay, that sounds good," she said. "Will your mothers be home tonight?"

Scootaloo shrugged. "I dunno, but if they are, you can bet Mama Tavi's gonna demand that you stay for dinner again." She rolled her eyes theatrically, and both fillies laughed.