"You're here awful early."

Scootaloo stopped short as she approached her friends at Apple Bloom's suspicious observation. She turned and glanced at the distant clock tower in the center of town. Rats. True to her friend's accusation, she was at the schoolyard almost twenty minutes earlier than she usually was. She shrugged and feigned ignorance. "Am I? Oh well, I just woke up early today, I guess."

Her friends exchanged a look. "But you never wake up early," Sweetie Belle said. "Like...ever."

Scootaloo raised an eyebrow at her. "So what? Maybe I went to bed early last night." Both her friends narrowed their eyes at her, and she realized they knew this statement was just as absurd as the previous one. She tried to brush it off and press the conversation forward. "Anyway, forget it. How about that storm last night, huh? Pretty nasty."

Apple Bloom gave her one last skeptical look before apparently letting the matter drop and nodding somberly. "Tell me about it. We had to go out an' repair a bunch a broken branches this mornin' before I could leave."

"Yeah, I got stuck at Rarity's house all night," Sweetie Belle lamented with more theatrics than feeling. "Do you girls have any idea how early that mare gets up in the morning?"

Scootaloo grunted. "Uh, yeah, because she used to wake us all up that early, remember? She still tries, too, whenever we spend the night at her place."

Sweetie Belle sighed dramatically. "I can't believe my parents still won't let me just have a key to the house. It's not like a taxi ride home every day would kill me--or them--and it would save me the trouble of having to suffer through all of Rarity's bitching and subtle hints on how I could 'improve' myself," she said bitterly, making air quotes with her hooves. "At least she agreed that Miss Cheerilee setting me up with Diamond Tiara was a huge mistake."

Apple Bloom looked at Sweetie Belle. "So you two still haven't talked since the other day?"

Sweetie Belle laughed dryly. "Talk? To Diamond Tiara? Yeah, I'll get right on that." She scowled at the ground between her hooves. "This project is going to be a disaster."

Scootaloo shrugged. "Well, I guess you could always just, you know, do as much as you can by yourself, and just tell Miss Cheerilee that Di was being a mule, like usual. Maybe she'll let you off easy."

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle both looked at her sideways, a curious expression on their faces. Scootaloo blinked. "What?"

"'Di'?" Apple Bloom repeated. "Since when have you called Diamond Tiara 'Di'?"

A thrill of alarm fluttered in Scootaloo's chest, but she ignored it. "I dunno, it just seemed easier to say than her whole name, don't you think?"

"Sounds like a nickname."

"Yeah, so?" Scootaloo snapped. "What does it matter what I call her? And why are you so full of questions today?"

"Cuz you're full of weirdness. What happened to you last night? Yer actin' all uppity and secretive."

"I'm not actin'--I mean acting--uppity," Scootaloo protested.

"You kind of are," Sweetie Belle said, raising an eyebrow at her. "Did you have another fight with your parents?"

"No, I...nothing happened!" Scootaloo said, exasperated. "Jeez, can't a filly just have a weird morning?"

"It's Silver Spoon, isn't it?" Scootaloo was about to expand on her feigned outrage when Sweetie Belle's question suddenly blanked her mind. She stared at the unicorn, mouth half-open. Sweetie Belle shrugged. "I mean, it's the only thing that's really changed, you know. You and Silver Spoon getting along, you telling us not to make fun of her--"

"Well, you shouldn't," Scootaloo bristled.

Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes at her. "Well, yeah, but you were always the one who started it, remember? It's just weird, that's all. It's a pretty quick change of heart, ya know?"

"I...well, maybe, but I don't...that's not..." Scootaloo sputtered, trying to find a way to deflect the conversation. "Maybe I just think she deserves another chance!" she finally said, her wings flaring in exasperated surrender.

The other Crusaders stared at Scootaloo as if she'd suddenly grown a horn before their eyes. Several moments of silence passed before Sweetie Belle said with the utmost sincerity. "You're a changeling, aren't you?"

Scootaloo clopped herself in the forehead with a hoof. "No, you doofus, I'm not a changeling."

"Cuz if you are, it's fine, I mean, you seem nice enough and all, we should probably just tell Scootaloo's--"

"I'm not a changeling!" Scootaloo repeated. "Look, I..." She sighed heavily. "Alright, look. I wanna tell you girls something, but you have to promise me--and I mean Pinkie Pie Swear here--that you won't breathe a word of it to anypony else." She glared at Sweetie Belle. "Seriously, nopony."

The unicorn's eyes were wide and excited, and she nodded fervently. "We promise! Don't we, Apple Bloom?"

Apple Bloom looked at Sweetie Belle with poorly disguised skepticism. "Yeah, I promise. Do you?"

"I just said, 'we', didn't I?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Yeah, but..."

"But what?"

Scootaloo pursed her lips. "Well, it's not like you've never made and then broken that promise before, Sweetie Belle."

The unicorn's face fell. "Hey, that's not fair..."

"Well, Sweetie Belle, you know it's true." Apple Bloom shook her head. "Remember when I told you about the last family reunion?" Sweetie Belle suddenly grimaced and looked away. "Yeah. You notice how there hasn't been another one in a while?"

"Well how was I supposed to know it was such a big deal?" Sweetie Belle protested.

"Because I told you it was, and asked you not to tell anypony else!" Apple Bloom snapped. "And you said you wouldn't, and then you did."

"Yeah," Scootaloo added before Sweetie Belle could respond, "and you remember when I told you about that dream I had?"

"Um..." Sweetie Belle said nervously, "which one?"

"Pick one!" Scootaloo said, annoyed. "It doesn't matter which, because you've blabbed about them all!"

Sweetie Belle sat back on her haunches and looked at the ground, her eyes glittering with shameful tears. Scootaloo took a steadying breath. "Look, Sweetie Belle, I'm not trying to make you upset or anything, I just...look, this is really kind of private, alright, and I want to tell you, but you have got to keep it a secret. You just...haven't given me a lot of reason to think you will...you know?"

Sweetie looked up at her through glistening eyes. "But what about last Winter? I kept that secret, didn't I? And...and what about Babs!" she said, looking at Apple Bloom. "I didn't say anything about that!"

"I know," Scootaloo said, "which makes it all the more frustrating. We know you can keep a secret, but you just...don't do it very often."

"I'll keep this one, I promise!" Sweetie Belle said, eyes wide with anxious anticipation. "Cross my heart, cupcake and all!"

Scootaloo eyes her skeptically for a moment, then sighed and sat back. "Alright, alright. Look, last night..." She glanced around conspiratorially and leaned forward. The other two Crusaders leaned in as well. "Last night, I had to spend the night at Silver Spoon's house."

Sweetie Belle made a sound near the upper edge of Scootaloo's hearing range and clapped her hooves over her mouth. "No!"

Scootaloo nodded. "I went over there to...well, I was apologizing for yelling at her after class, because..." She sighed again, looking at Sweetie Belle. "Look, you know how you said it was weird for me to make a simple mistake like I did?" Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom both nodded. "Well, you were right, after all. It was weird because it wasn't a mistake. I did it on purpose."

"Told you," Apple Bloom said smugly to the unicorn. Sweetie Belle waved a hoof at her to silence her, still staring raptly at Scootaloo.

"Anyway, I was just trying to help her out, cuz she needs it, right?" Her friends nodded, and Scootaloo said, "Well, she found me out, and she was pretty spurred, so I went over to her place last night to apologize. It was no big deal, actually, and she was pretty understanding and all, but before I could come back home, it started raining, and since it was supposed to rain all night, I decided I didn't really want to have to walk all the way home in a deluge. So I asked if I could spend the night there."

"And she said yes?" Sweetie Belle asked with a distinct air of disbelief.

Scootaloo shrugged. "Yeah. I mean, it's no big deal, she's got a huge bed, and we--"

"Wait, wait," Apple Bloom interrupted. "You slept in her bed?"

Buck! Scootaloo mentally slapped herself. That was a detail she had been planning to keep to herself. She waved a hoof dismissively, trying to shrug it off. "Well, yeah, I mean...all the guest rooms were full, and it just didn't make sense to sleep on the floor when there was this huge bed with only one pony in it. I mean, I don't think you understand, when I say 'huge', I mean, like, twice as big as your bed, Sweetie Belle." She paused to let her friends conjure up a rough idea of what it looked like. "And we slept on opposite sides, so it was nothing. It was practically like sleeping in two separate beds, just with another one stuffed between them."

"Still, you were under the same sheets and everything," Sweetie Belle observed unhelpfully.

Scootaloo resisted the impulse to consider this fact in more detail and shrugged. "The point is, I was there for a long time, obviously, so we had a lot of time to just sit and talk. So we did." At this moment, all three ponies turned to watch a pair of large, ornate carriages roll up to the fence outside the schoolyard, and Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon climbed out at almost the same moment. Upon seeing one another, the two ponies exchanged a brief greeting before dismissing their rides and walking side by side into the yard. Scootaloo noticed that Silver Spoon was pointedly avoiding looking her way, instead staring at the ground and talking to her friend though a narrow frown. Diamond Tiara kept her head inclined as Silver Spoon spoke, clearly displeased with something. Hell, when isn't she? Scootaloo observed with a small smirk. "Anyway," she continued, recalling her friends' attention, "we ended up using the time to...clear the air, I guess. And it turns out that not only is she not as bad as we thought, but she's actually pretty cool."

Apple Bloom actually laughed. "Really?"

Scootaloo narrowed her eyes at her. "Yes, really. Come on, girls, is it that hard to believe that Silver Spoon might not be as bad as we always thought she was?"

Sweetie Belle shrugged. "Well, she's never been anything but an ass to us...so yeah, it's a little tough."

"Granted," Scootaloo said, "but what if maybe--just maybe--she was only being that way because she had to? Like, what if she thought her one and only friend in the world would stop being her friend if she ever stopped being a bitch to that friend's sworn enemies?"

The other two Crusaders glanced across the yard again to where Silver Spoon was now sitting in front of Diamond Tiara, her head hanging low and a somber look on her face. The pink pony in front of her was not looking at her, but instead simply standing aloof and examining a hoof with disinterest. Apple Bloom looked back at Scootaloo. "Who, Diamond Tiara?"

Scootaloo nodded. "Look, this is totally top secret, alright, so you seriously have to keep it to yourself...Sweetie Belle," she added ominously, scowling at the unicorn. Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes, but she crossed her hoof over her heart just the same. "I don't think Silver Spoon likes Diamond Tiara very much. Like, she won't say for sure, but I think there's something else going on there that just doesn't seem very...positive."

Apple Bloom watched the two earth ponies interact for a few moments before saying, "Yeah, it doesn' look like they're gettin' along real well right now, anyway." She glanced back at Scootaloo. "So, what, ya think Silver Spoon's only mean because Diamond Tiara makes her be?"

"I know it sounds crazy," Scootaloo admitted, "but every time I've gotten to talk to her away from DT, she's been really nice and friendly. Honestly, I think she's just really lonely, is all. It's not like she's got any other friends, does she?"

"What, a popular pony like her?" Sweetie Belle said.

"Well, is she really popular?" Scootaloo asked. "I mean, think about it. Who else do you see her hang out with besides Diamond tiara?" Her friends contemplated this question for several seconds. "Exactly," she continued when neither seemed able to come up with an answer. "I'm not saying she's perfect, or that we have to befriend her or anything, just...well, maybe cut her some slack. Give her a chance. Not DT," she added hastily, "DT is a cow, and should be abused at every opportunity. But Silver Spoon...let's just...not mess with her for a while, huh?"

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom looked at each other, then shrugged and nodded at her. "Alrigh', whatever you say, Scoot," Apple Bloom said. "I still think yer crazy, but you're the one who has to do a project with her."

Miss Cheerilee suddenly appeared at the entrance to the schoolhouse with her trademark bell and began ringing it to summon them inside. Scootaloo smiled at her friends as they all started making their way towards the school. "Thanks, girls. I really appreciate it."

"Don' mention it," Apple Bloom said, smiling back. "Like ah said, yer the one who has to deal with her."

As she walked towards the schoolhouse, Scootaloo's ears pricked over in Silver Spoon's direction, catching the tail end of the conversation she'd been having with Diamond Tiara as they approached.

"...said you would call me if you wanted to hang out last night, though, remember?" Silver Spoon was saying in a desperate pleading tone.

"Yes, well," Diamond Tiara said stiffly, still pointedly not looking at the other pony, "you could have called me, too. I thought at the very least you would want to discuss the day's events, if nothing else."

"Discuss?" Silver Spoon said, stopping short. "Discuss what? You mean what you were angry about after school? I thought we talked about that already!"

Diamond Tiara didn't say anything else, but simply breezed past the Crusaders, even nudging Sweetie Belle out of the way and snapping, "Watch it, marshmallow!"

Silver Spoon sighed heavily, shaking her head at the ground. Scootaloo tried to surreptitiously catch her eye, to give her some sort of encouraging smile, but the earth pony simply plodded towards the entrance to the schoolhouse, her head hanging low and her ears flat on top of her skull. Scootaloo exchanged a look with her friends, who were both wide-eyed with surprise. She tilted her head towards Silver Spoon's retreating form and mouthed, See? Her friends nodded affirmatively, and together they followed the earth pony into the school.

The day was only half over, but it was already the single strangest day Silver Spoon had ever lived through. Even allowing for the unique experience of waking up with another mare who wasn't Diamond Tiara in her bed, the morning had been odd. Carillon had been unusually chipper, and even Intricacy had something that could have been mistaken for a smile on his muzzle. Breakfast had been exceptionally pleasant, which Silver Spoon knew perfectly well was thanks in large part to Scootaloo being there to converse with, and it had taken all of her resolve not to throw caution to the wind and ask the pegasus to ride to school with her.

Class had been even stranger. After she and Diamond Tiara had finished bickering and settled into their seats--still not entirely reconciled, Silver Spoon knew--Miss Cheerilee had announced that they would have a discussion on the novel they'd been assigned to read. For once, Silver Spoon had actually done the reading, and she had been tentatively excited to participate in the discussion. This excitement had evolved into genuine pleasure as she found herself actually speaking out loud, conversing about the story, and even engaging the Crusaders--the Crusaders--in a lively debate about the main character's motivations. The crowning moment of the day had come at the end of the discussion, when Scootaloo had actually sat back in her chair and said in a sincere tone of voice, "Yeah, you're right, Silver Spoon. I guess I didn't really get that the first time."

Silver Spoon knew that Scootaloo was probably backing down on purpose--the half-smile and ghost of a wink she shot across the room at her after they'd moved on to another topic had enhanced that suspicion--but she appreciated the gesture nonetheless. Miss Cheerilee had complimented her on her insight, and she'd spent the rest of the day floating on a cloud of pride, an emotion so unfamiliar that she wasn't entirely certain how to respond. Part of her wanted to immediately run home and tell Carillon about it; another part of her wanted to share it with Diamond Tiara, to see if it could help get her back in the other filly's good graces; a final part of her just wanted to keep the whole episode to herself, to revel in the magic of feeling...successful. It was a minor victory, she knew, but somehow it just felt special.

The day had ended without any mention of math or physics or any of the other topics Silver Spoon dreaded hearing Miss Cheerilee announce, and when she finally dismissed them, Silver Spoon immediately turned to Diamond Tiara. "Hey, Di, how about--"

The chair was empty. Puzzled, Silver Spoon looked to the back of the room and barely saw a flash of white-and-lavender hair vanishing through the door to the yard. Curious, she got up from her seat and followed the retreating pony out of the schoolhouse. Normally, Diamond Tiara just waited by her desk to walk outside with Silver Spoon, but on those rare occasions where they had to part ways at the end of class, she almost always stopped at the edge of the yard, where they would sit and chat until one of their carriages arrived.

Outside, Silver Spoon saw the pink earth pony trotting hastily across the dry grass towards the dirt road beyond. She was about to put on a burst of speed and try to catch up with her when Diamond Tiara did something she'd never seen the other pony do before. Instead of pulling up short at the gate and waiting for either Silver Spoon or her ride to arrive, she left the yard entirely and started trotting up the road back towards Levade Lane.

Silver Spoon sat back on her haunches, utterly bemused. Never in the course of their friendship had she seen Diamond Tiara intentionally walk home. She wasn't entirely certain Diamond Tiara knew how to get back to the subdivision without a driver. The prim, proud pony never wasted time and energy walking if there was any way she could get a ride instead, but even now Silver Spoon could see her slowly shrinking into the distance, clearly intent on making her way to her destination as fast as possible.

Silver Spoon watched her retreating friend with a combined sense of confusion and unease for a few moments before she was interrupted by a sudden shout from behind. "Hey, Spoon!"

The silver filly jumped a little and turned to see Scootaloo coming out of the schoolhouse, her ubiquitous posse in tow. She relaxed a little at the sight, but still maintained a feigned sense of haughty indifference. "Yes, Scootaloo?"

Scootaloo's mouth was pulled taut, a distinct air of impatience and irritation in her tone, but something glittered in her eyes that told Silver Spoon not to be concerned. "Thought you could get away after class, huh? You know we've still got a flank-load of work to do on this stupid project, right?"

Silver Spoon drew herself up theatrically, inclining her head and looking down her nose at the pegasus. "Yes, and what of it? Did you expect me to wait beside your desk while you dawdled with your...friends?" She glanced to Scootaloo's side, giving Apple Bloom a supremely disdainful look. The earth pony stared back through half-lidded eyes, but for once, Silver Spoon noted, she didn't seem particularly upset. Standing next to her, Sweetie Belle even seemed...amused? She felt an unwarranted stab of chagrin at their reaction; normally just talking to her aggravated the Crusaders, but for some reason they didn't seem to be responding today. It was just as well, she reminded herself, as she was trying not to be quite so antagonistic--for Scootaloo's sake, anyway--but it almost felt like the balance of power had shifted...as though they knew something she didn't.

Fleetingly, she wondered if Scootaloo had caved in and told her friends what she and Silver Spoon had discussed the night before, but she dismissed the thought almost immediately. Scootaloo was a little tactless, a little churlish, but she was trustworthy. Silver Spoon decided she must be imagining things. The pegasus bolstered this assessment with a dismissive sniff and a sneer. "No, but you took off so fast I figured you must've forgotten we were going to work on it again tonight."

"It's a little early, don't you think?" Silver Spoon asked, genuinely surprised.

Scootaloo shrugged. "I think it doesn't matter. I want to get as much done as we can as fast as we can, so we can get it done and go our separate ways."

Silver Spoon narrowed her eyes at her. "Fine. Let's go, then."

"Yeah, let's," Scootaloo agreed. She glanced over her shoulder at her friends, who were both watching the conversation with interest. "Girls, I hate to have to take off, but if this stupid project is ever going to get done, it's gonna take some long nights. I'll talk to you later, alright?"

Apple Bloom cut her eyes at Silver Spoon as she said, "Yeah, alrigh'. We'll be at my place fer a while if you get bored..." She smirked darkly. "Or tired of tryin' to drag Spoony here behind ya."

Silver Spoon glared at the other filly, but inwardly her stomach was slowly relaxing. It seemed unlikely that Scootaloo would let her friends snipe at her quite so viciously if they knew she and Silver Spoon were friends now. "Oh, how droll and original," she said flatly, "accusing me of being stupid. Truly an angle nopony has ever explored before." Rolling her eyes, she turned and started plodding off towards the edge of the yard.

Behind her, Scootaloo said her goodbyes and trotted quickly back to her side, pulling up as they got halfway to the road. "Wait until we get out of sight," she muttered through pursed lips. Silver Spoon nodded shallowly, raising a hoof to disguise the gesture as a flip of her mane. A ridiculous flutter of amusement tickled her chest as they walked without speaking, standing some distance apart but inextricably bound by their covert accord. The pair managed to maintain a sense of aloof disinterest in one another until they turned a corner and the schoolhouse disappeared behind them. Scootaloo exhaled forcefully and grinned at her. "No sweat."

Silver Spoon giggled and nodded. "Yeah, well...lots of practice, right?"

"Yeah, yeah...sorry about that. And about Apple Bloom, too." She smiled wanly. "Old habits die hard, I guess."

"Well," Silver Spoon said, "I wouldn't expect anything else out of Apple Bloom. I mean, it's not like she knows anything's changed, right?" When Scootaloo didn't immediately respond, she raised an eyebrow at her and repeated, "Right?"

"Well..." Scootaloo said, grimacing.

Silver Spoon glared at her. "Scootaloo, you said you'd keep it a secret!"

Scootaloo held up a hoof defensively. "Whoa, hang on, I didn't tell them we're friends or anything, I just told them I spent the night at your place, that's all."

"All? Scootaloo, that's exactly what I wanted to keep secret!" she said, her voice shrill. "I told you--"

"Relax, Spoon, it's okay. I didn't tell them anything special, just the basics. I came over to--to talk about the project, it started raining, and I had to stay. No big deal."

Silver Spoon thought Scootaloo might have paused for an instant, as if she had forgotten what lie she'd fed the other Crusaders, but she let it go. There were more pressing issues to address. "Scootaloo, I told you I wanted to keep this to ourselves. I'm not comfortable with other ponies knowing that you've been spending the night, I don't want it to get around that we're friends, I don't--"

"Silver Spoon!" Scootaloo interrupted her, a hint of frustration in her voice. "I get it, I really do. And I swear I tried to keep it a secret, but...well, Apple Bloom's a lot smarter than you and DT ever gave her credit for. I admit, I screwed up because I showed up at school way too early, but she and Sweetie Belle were all over it. They knew exactly why I was early, where I had been...I couldn't have kept it a secret if I'd had my mouth taped shut." She shrugged. "Just one of those things that comes with being friends for years. You'll see: someday we'll basically be able to read each other's minds." Scootaloo pulled a comical grin. "And believe me, that'll be a rough day for you."

"Oh really?" Silver Spoon smirked, relaxing a little. "Why, you think I'm keeping secrets worth knowing?"

She shook her head, her magenta mane whipping across her forehead. "Nope. I think the thoughts in my head would scar you for life."

"Hah," Silver Spoon said, "I doubt it. It's probably all numbers and aerostynes or dats or whatever they're called."

Scootaloo laughed. "Yeah, not quite."

The two ponies giggled together for the rest of the walk, discussing what each assumed the other must be thinking about, the suggestions getting more outlandish with every step until Scootaloo finally stopped short at the mailbox outside her house and put a hoof to her heart. "As Twilight is my witness, I do not have any fantasies about riding a hydra up Levade Lane and crashing through Diamond Tiara's house to have him eat her alive." She opened the mailbox and grabbed a small stack of letters before turning to Silver Spoon with a mischievous grin. "Rich Manor is a really nice house. I'd wait until she came out, and then I'd have him eat her."

Silver Spoon giggled in spite of herself as she followed the pegasus up the sidewalk and into her house. "Mom, I'm home!" Silver Spoon flinched reflexively at Scootaloo's boorish announcement, but as before, her mother simply appeared from inside her study, a gentle smile on her face.

"Good afternoon, sweetie. Silver Spoon, how lovely to see you again."

"Thank you, ma'am," Silver Spoon said, lowering her head slightly in deference. "Did...uh...did Scootaloo tell you..."

Octavia smiled and nodded. "Yes, I was actually expecting you this time. I got Sweetie Belle's message earlier today. By the way, did you receive your mother's reply, Scootaloo?"

The pegasus nodded, disappearing from the hallway into the kitchen. "Yeah, I got it. I told Miss Cheerilee, and she said not to worry about it, that she thought it was a great idea, and that lunch tomorrow sounded awesome." There was a rattling as Scootaloo pulled open the refrigerator and stuck her head inside. "Hey, Spoon, you want something to drink, or a snack or something?"

"Um...no thank you, I'm alright," Silver Spoon said, somewhat voyeuristically curious as to what Miss Cheerilee's response had actually entailed.

Scootaloo's head appeared above the refrigerator door. "Are you sure? It's no problem."

"Why Scootaloo," Octavia said, coming out of her study and walking down the hall to peer around the corner at her daughter. "Are you actually offering your guest refreshments?" A playful grin danced across her face.

Scootaloo looked at her mother with pursed lips and half-lidded eyes. "Why yes, I suppose I am."

The earth pony giggled softly. "How very considerate of you. Would you like me to make something for you to snack on?"

Scootaloo tilted her head. "Sure, I guess. I mean, if you're offering..."

"I am," Octavia said, trading places with her daughter inside the fridge.

Scootaloo stepped around the door with two bottles of soda tucked under her wing. She paused to open them both and drop a straw into one before offering it to Silver Spoon. "Here," she said without preface.

Silver Spoon blushed lightly and took the proffered bottle. "Oh, thank you." She took a polite sip of the drink. It was light and tasty, somewhat similar to the freshly mixed sodas she was used to getting from the kitchen, but somehow...friendlier. There was no pretense, no show, just a bottle of soda, a mass-produced label stuck to the glass and a bendy straw collecting carbonation inside. It was strangely pleasant, and she took another drink, less politely this time.

Scootaloo did not bother to put a straw into her bottle, but simply tilted her head back with the soda pressed to her lips. Silver Spoon watched with a mixture of awe and disgust as the pegasus swiftly and methodically drained the bottle dry. When she finally came up for air, she sighed contentedly and grinned at Silver Spoon, who simply shook her head, smiling.

Octavia ignored her daughter's antics, saying from behind the refrigerator door, "Pickled cucumber slices and alfalfa alright?"

"Thanks, mom, that sounds great," Scootaloo said as she plodded down the hallway towards her bedroom. She beckoned Silver Spoon to follow her as she added, "We're gonna be in my room doing homework, 'kay?"

Octavia's response was muffled by the platter she had just pulled out of the fridge and was holding in her teeth. "Alrrt, swrrthrrt."

Silver Spoon followed the pegasus to her bedroom, where the orange filly climbed up onto her bed and rolled over on her back, stretching her wings and legs luxuriously. Unsure of what to do, Silver Spoon stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, sipping at her drink. After a minute, Scootaloo looked sideways at her. "You know, you could sit down or lie down or whatever you want. I really don't mind." She patted the bed next to her, folding her wing away from the bedspread to clear a space for Silver Spoon to sit next to her.

The earth pony nodded and clambered up next to Scootaloo, settling into the comforter and setting her drink on the bedside table. Scootaloo put her hooves back behind her head and said, "So Diamond Tiara seemed...well, not entirely pleased to see you this morning."

Silver Spoon grimaced. "Yeah, she...she wasn't happy with me."

Scootaloo raised an eyebrow at her. "Why? Was she expecting you to call her last night or something?"

She shook her head. "No...I mean, I didn't think so, because she specifically told me that she would call me if she wanted to hang out, but now..." She shrugged. "I don't know, she seemed really upset that I didn't."

The pegasus lifted her head off her pillow, a suspicious look on her face. "Wait, she told you she would call you, and then got spurred because you didn't call her?" She shook her head as Silver Spoon nodded affirmatively. "What a bitch."

Silver Spoon winced. "Well, I don't know about all that...I mean, I probably should have called her, right? Just to talk about the day?"

Scootaloo rolled onto her side, closer to Silver Spoon. Close enough that Silver Spoon could feel the heat radiating off her body. It was a strange sort of sensation. She only ever really got this close to Diamond Tiara and occasionally Carillon, but the sense of feeling another pony's body heat had never really meant anything to her. Now, though, she felt a little twinge of joy at the feeling of being so close to somepony who she knew actually cared about her.

Not that Carillon and Diamond Tiara didn't care, of course, but Silver Spoon knew perfectly well that Carillon was being paid to care, and Diamond Tiara...well, Silver Spoon would never say it out loud, but she wasn't exactly sure where she and Di stood anymore. Once upon a time, she would have called Diamond Tiara her closest and best friend, but the other pony had been so aloof and distant lately that now she wasn't positive that they were friends at all. She wanted to think that there was still something there, but every time she tried to bridge the gap, Diamond Tiara just seemed to pull further away.

Scootaloo on the other hoof was only drawing closer with every conversation they had, and this one was proving to be no different. "Uh, why?" the pegasus asked dryly. "You think I talk to all my friends every night? Besides, what happened yesterday before I came over that was worth talking about?"

"Oh..." Silver Spoon's face flushed. "Well, nothing, really. I mean...I came home, I talked to my father, he called me lazy and worthless, as usual, and then I went--"

"Wait, he what?" Scootaloo interrupted, her mouth falling open in shock.

Silver Spoon stopped, blinking at her. "He...he got my report card yesterday, and it was...well, not good, as I'm sure you might expect. Anyway, he wasn't real happy about it, so he told me he...I mean, he was right, obviously; if I wanted to do better, I could, right? But he just...he wasn't impressed, and he told me so. It's no big deal, it's just...how parents are, right?"

"Uh, no?" Scootaloo said, incredulous. "Who the hell told you that parents are supposed to tell their foals that they're lazy and worthless?"

"Oh, he didn't say that exactly," Silver Spoon corrected herself. "He just...implied it. He has a point, too," she added, "I mean, I do spend a lot of time hanging out with Diamond Tiara and...well, just that, really. Still, I could spend more time on my studies...right?"

The pegasus shrugged. "I don't see where. Do you really spend like, every waking second with Diamond Tiara?"

"Well, no," Silver Spoon admitted. "I haven't really spent much time with her at all, recently. But I used to meet her just about every night to do our homework and then go out for a while. We always finish our homework first, though, so I don't really know what more time I could spend on it..."

"Exactly," Scootaloo said. "Sorry, but I don't buy it. You try too hard to be called lazy." Silver Spoon blushed and smiled faintly. "You're the least lazy pony I know, seriously. Like, you spend hours on all your tests, and you seem to really want to do well on your homework and stuff, you just...you just haven't really had a whole lot of help."

Silver Spoon looked away, tears collecting in the corners of her eyes. "That's really nice of you to say, Scootaloo, but..."

"But nothing," Scootaloo interrupted her forcefully, sitting up on the comforter and bringing her eyes level with Silver Spoon's. "Look at me." She did so, a jolt of guilt gnawing at her stomach. "You are perfectly intelligent, you're determined and focused, and you just...you fell behind, that's all." She put a hoof on Silver Spoon's shoulder. Silver Spoon glanced at it, shamefully relishing the contact for a moment before turning away, still resisting the tears collecting in her eyes. "Silver Spoon..." Scootaloo said softly, drawing her gaze back to the other filly's face. Scootaloo's eyes were glistening but determined. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry you've been mistreated like this. I'm sorry your best friend is shutting you out. I'm sorry your father thinks you're worthless. It's not fair."

Silver Spoon dropped her gaze to the comforter, tears sliding down her cheeks. "It's not your fault," she murmured.

"No," Scootaloo said, "but I haven't been helping. None of the Crusaders have. And you haven't had any support resisting us, and that's awful. Look, I know we both made mistakes, but...I just wish we'd had a chance to really get to know each other, before we just decided we were enemies. I wish Diamond Tiara hadn't been making fun of Apple Bloom. I wish you guys had just been two more ponies that we could have been friends with." She sighed. "'Cuz I think we could've been really good friends, and I'm sorry we missed the opportunity."

Silver Spoon closed her eyes. "Me too..." she whispered, resting her hoof on Scootaloo's. The tears were flowing steadily now, bitter tracks of regret and frustration, confusion and anger. She sniffed and raised her free hoof to wipe them away, but before she could, a sob escaped her lips. Embarrassed, she pressed her hoof to her mouth, hoping to silence any further shameful outbursts, but this proved futile as another sob caught in her chest, still distinctly audible. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned away to hide her bitter tears, but suddenly she felt another hoof on her other shoulder, and the next moment, she found herself pressed against Scootaloo's chest, the other filly's forelegs wrapped tightly around her shoulders and pressing their heads together.

It took a moment for Silver Spoon to realize what had just happened, but when it hit her--Hugging me. Scootaloo is hugging me.--the dam suddenly exploded. Without a second thought, she buried her face in Scootaloo's shoulder and began to sob, overwhelmed by waves of pain and loneliness she hadn't realized she'd been stifling. She threw her forelegs around Scootaloo and pulled her close, reveling in the sensation of having another pony holding her, stroking her back and murmuring quietly in her ear, assuring her it was okay to cry, that it was alright to be upset, and to let herself feel the emotions she'd been ignoring for so long. The pegasus' wings curled around her, enclosing her in a cocoon of heat and pressure that soothed the pain she was just now discovering.

As she cried, Silver Spoon sniffed deeply, repeatedly, and every time she did, Scootaloo's natural scent invaded her nose, and she discovered that an aroma that had once represented hatred and abuse to her suddenly took on a new association. The smell hovering around her and gently washing over her shuddering form was pleasant and comforting...heavy and musky, like any pegasus would be, but...mild. Uplifting. It was undeniably Scootaloo, and for once, that was a good thing. No, a great thing. She drank it in, inhaling the scent hungrily and absorbing every sensation at once. The tears seemed to be draining away the ache of longing and desperate depression that had been building ever since Diamond Tiara had first begun to pull away from her, and she cried with abandon, letting the sobs pour from her throat and into Scootaloo's firm, supportive shoulder. The pegasus leaned into her, resting their heads together and rocking her lightly as she slowly cried herself out.

Several minutes later, Silver Spoon ran out of tears to shed, and she simply sat in Scootaloo's forelegs, breathing slowly and enjoying the embrace as long as she could. For her part, Scootaloo didn't seem particularly eager to pull away, but simply held her close and slowly rubbed a hoof from the back of her head down her back, then back up and down again. Her wings still wrapped tightly around Silver Spoon's lightly trembling form, their strength and endurance seemingly inexhaustible. Eventually, Silver Spoon knew she couldn't expect Scootaloo to just keep holding her forever, and she reluctantly pulled away, sniffing and wiping away the tears still clinging to her cheeks. "S-sorry," she hiccuped, noticing the alarmingly large wet spot she'd left on the other filly's shoulder.

Scootaloo glanced down at her fur and smirked. "Don't worry about it." She looked back at Silver Spoon. "Feel better?" Silver Spoon nodded sheepishly. "Good. I thought you might. Damn, did you seem to need a good cry."

Silver Spoon gave a watery chuckle, and readjusted her glasses which had been knocked askew. "Yeah...yeah, I guess I did." She sighed contentedly. "Hey, Scootaloo...I..." She smiled shyly. "Thanks, Scootaloo. For...you know, for being...there. For me. I know we haven't been friends for too long, but..."

Scootaloo waved a hoof nonchalantly. "Don't worry about it, Spoon. Honestly, I've known you for a long time, you know? Just...not as friends." Silver Spoon giggled. "Anyway, it's no big deal. You needed somepony...anypony...to be here for you, and I...heck, I was just lucky enough to be here when you needed me."

"Lucky?"

Scootaloo nodded. "Yeah. I'm glad you let me do that for you. I wasn't sure, you know, before I hugged you if you'd be okay with it or not. I didn't want to risk what we've got going on as friends--especially since it's pretty new--but...you looked like you really needed a hug."

Silver Spoon smiled, a light blush coloring her cheeks. "Yeah...yeah, I really did."

Scootaloo reached out and pulled her into another tight, brief embrace. "Well, good. I'm glad I could give you that, at least."

Silver Spoon melted into the contact as long as it lasted, and when Scootaloo pulled away, she sat back and let the smile she'd been guarding spread across her muzzle unchecked. "Me too."

"Sorry it took so long," Octavia said as she entered Scootaloo's room, bearing before her a plate of pickled cucumber slices with alfalfa piled on top. "I couldn't find the alfalfa because it seems your mother was using the box to prop open the window in her studio."

Scootaloo giggled. "No problem, mom. We were just chatting anyway. We haven't even started our homework yet."

Octavia nodded, setting the plate on Scootaloo's desk. "Well, dinner is at seven. Silver Spoon, would you like to join us again?"

Silver Spoon nodded enthusiastically. "If you'll have me, Miss Philharmonica."

The grey earth pony chuckled softly, putting a hoof to her chest. "Oh my! Please, call me Octavia, or at least Miss Octavia. I know my name is not exactly a joy to enunciate."

"Okay, Miss Octavia," Silver Spoon said. "Thank you for the snack, and for having me in your home."

Octavia smiled broadly. "Not at all, darling. Quite glad to have you."

"Is Mama Vy not home yet?" Scootaloo asked.

Octavia shook her head. "No, not yet. Apparently she came across a...snag while working that will keep her for a few hours yet." There was an indistinct twinkle in Octavia's eye that suggested she wasn't sharing all the available details with the two fillies.

Scootaloo shrugged, apparently oblivious. "Alright. Thanks again, mom." Octavia nodded and left. Scootaloo turned back to Silver Spoon. "Right, so--homework. What do you want to do first?"

Silver Spoon blinked. "Wait, you really want to do homework together? I thought we were just going to work on the project."

Scootaloo shook her head. "Nah. I want to see how you do your homework, and I figured we could just do it together. I mean, I usually do mine as soon as I get home, anyway, so this is as good a time as any, right?"

"I guess..." Silver Spoon blushed faintly. She wasn't particularly enthusiastic about letting Scootaloo see just how terrible she was at...well, almost everything. Still, Scootaloo had been understanding and helpful so far. Maybe this would turn out as beneficial the rest of their interaction had been. Scootaloo had already climbed down off the bed and was digging in her discarded saddlebags for her books. Silver Spoon did the same, nosing into her designer bag and extracting her well-worn books with some trepidation. "Are you sure you want to...I dunno, 'drag me along', as Apple Bloom said?"

Scootaloo stopped suddenly and dropped her books, whirling on her hoof and stomping across the room towards the silver earth pony. "Look, let's get one thing straight, alright? I don't want to hear you saying anything negative about yourself any more, got it?"

Silver Spoon wilted under the pegasus' intense gaze. "I...yeah, but--"

"No buts!" Scootaloo put her hooves under Silver Spoon's shoulders and propped her back up on her hooves. "You're not a burden, you're not stupid, you just need somepony to give you a boost to catch you back up, that's all. I'm miles ahead, so who better, huh?" Silver Spoon blushed and tried to look away, but Scootaloo caught her chin with a hoof, forcing her to look back into her eyes. "Just relax. I mean jeez, have a little faith in yourself. I'll let you know if you start to be stupid, 'kay?"

Silver Spoon giggled and nodded. "Alright." She collected her things and settled down on the floor next to Scootaloo, who already had her books and papers spread out in front of her.

For the next hour or so, the two ponies worked diligently at the homework Miss Cheerilee had set them. Some of the topics had gone smoothly, like vocabulary and literature, two subjects that Silver Spoon was barely passing. With Scootaloo's help, she noticed that even the subjects she wasn't afraid of seemed easy and even pleasant to work on. The pegasus had several mnemonics and other study tricks she used to make the topics easier, and she eagerly shared them with her new study partner. Her enthusiasm continued even when they started to tackle more daunting subjects like math and science, both of which Scootaloo was an absolute phenom with. She was so far ahead of the rest of the class that she had finished the homework already, and spent part of the hour simply helping Silver Spoon understand what was being taught, and how to do the work.

The whole experience was utterly magical for Silver Spoon, who--despite having gotten a taste of being Scootaloo's student already--was elated to find that it didn't seem to matter what topic they were studying; Scootaloo was an amazing teacher, and she understood almost every topic inside and out. She was so smart that Silver Spoon spent much of the evening simply marveling at how easily the pegasus seemed to just absorb information. It was obvious she preferred math and science, but she applied the same intensity and focus to all subjects, and she managed to understand the less mathematical disciplines equally well. The result was that that same enthusiasm for knowledge and learning bled into every aspect of her schooling, and she eagerly shared it with Silver Spoon, who found herself similarly fascinated by Scootaloo's excitement.

Less than two hours later, Scootaloo finally sat back and said, "Well, that's it, I guess. We're set for homework for tonight."

Silver Spoon stared at her notebook, utterly flummoxed. Scootaloo was right, they'd completed all the assignments for the evening. Puzzled, she said, "Are...are we supposed to be?"

Scootaloo raised an eyebrow at her. "Uh...yeah. You're supposed to be done with your homework every night. You know, since it's due the next day."

"Oh," Silver Spoon said, blushing intensely, "I guess I just...I always assumed Di and I were turning our homework in early...I mean, it seemed really hard for just one night..."

Scootaloo waved a hoof. "Yeah, it's hard if you're trying to learn it all with Diamond Tiara standing over your shoulder, criticizing everything you do. But it's totally doable if you're working on it with me," she said, grinning.

Silver Spoon giggled. "Yeah, it really is. I'm surprised, actually, I expected this to take a lot longer. I mean, not because you weren't good at it, but...I dunno," she said. "Diamond Tiara always takes a while, and I always just sort of waited for her to be done. You're a lot quicker than she is."

Scootaloo grinned smugly. "Well, I'm also a lot smarter than she is."

Silver Spoon wasn't sure how to respond to this. "I guess. Anyway, I'm glad we're done. I don't really like math that much."

Scootaloo shrugged. "Honestly, I never really understood why ponies didn't like math. It seemed way too easy and logical to me to dislike."

"Easy?" Silver Spoon scoffed. "If only. Once Miss Cheerilee started adding letters to the mix, I got lost."

"Honestly?" Scootaloo asked. "Did you really lose track as soon as we started with variables?"

"I don't know if it was right at that moment, exactly, but it wasn't far afterwards. I just didn't really understand why we were using letters. I get it now," she said, quelling Scootaloo's concerns, "but at the time it didn't make sense. Anyway, it kind of went downhill from there."

Scootaloo snorted. "That sucks. Math doesn't really get interesting until you start adding variables. I mean, before 'x' you just have numbers. You can't really calculate anything without 'x', right?"

Silver Spoon shrugged. "I dunno. I just know metal. Metal and the crafting thereof."

Scootaloo nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense. How did you even come by metalwork, anyway?"

Silver Spoon said, "Well, one day my father was working in his shop, and my mom had dropped me off for the night, so my father had just given me some scrap metal to...I dunno, to play with, I guess. He's a metalworker, too, so he ends up with a lot of it. Anyway," she continued, ignoring Scootaloo's skeptical look, "I just played with the scrap for a while, and it seemed to me that if I could bend the pieces or stick them together, I could do a lot more. After a while, Intricacy helped me got ahold of some more effective tools, and before I really knew what I was doing, I was making some of the toys I've got sitting in my cabinet." She shrugged again. "It's no big deal, honestly. That stuff just goes together without a lot of trouble."

Scootaloo shook her head. "You say that, but believe me, as an engineer, I can't even imagine how to make some of those parts."

"Huh," Silver Spoon said curiously, "I had never really considered that. Is it really that hard to imagine? I mean, you use them in your designs, right? How hard could it be to envision making them?"

"Harder than you think, apparently," Scootaloo said. Her mother Octavia's appearance at the open door stopped her from expounding as she glanced up and said, "Hey mom, what's up?"

Octavia grinned at her, an unusual expression for the prim earth pony to sport. "Your mother would like to speak to you in the living room, if she could."

Scootaloo stood up, making a curious sound. "Alright. I'll be back in a sec, Spoon."

"Actually," Octavia said, still smiling, "I think you'd be best served by coming with her...just for a bit."

Silver Spoon exchanged a puzzled look with Scootaloo, who trotted out into the hallway. Silver Spoon followed, suddenly massively curious about what exactly Miss Octavia could be talking about.

Before the small convoy could completely enter the living room, however, Scootaloo's face lit up and she suddenly exclaimed, "Dash!"

Silver Spoon knew what the shout meant before Scootaloo dove out of sight, into the living room. She walked forward and glanced around the corner anyway, confirming her suspicions.

There in the living room, lazing on the sofa next to Scootaloo's blue-maned unicorn mother was none other than the Wonderbolts' newest recruit, Rainbow "Sonic Rainboom" Dash. The chromatically-maned mare was sitting nonchalantly in the living room, relaxing against the cushions and grinning broadly as the younger pegasus dove into her midsection, wrapping her hooves around the older mare and hugging her tightly. The Wonderbolt laughed. "Hey, squirt. Nice to see you, too."

Scootaloo's wide, powerful wings were beating the air in excitement, whipping the still atmosphere into a small hurricane. "Rainbow Dash, I can't believe it! Why didn't you tell me you were coming to visit?!"

The cyan mare laughed, reaching up and catching her elated fan's wings to stop her from causing a tornado. "Well, it wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you ahead of time, would it?" She grinned broadly. "Besides, it was totally worth it just to see the look on your face."

Scootaloo squeezed the older mare's middle tightly and said, "This is the best surprise ever! Did you know she was coming?" She asked the mare sitting next to her.

Vinyl nodded. "Yeah. She told me a few weeks ago that she was gonna be in Ponyville for a short visit, and asked me to try to keep it a secret so she could surprise you. It wasn't easy," she added grimly, "what with you and your crazy obsession with everything Wonderbolt."

Scootaloo giggled. "So, how long are you in town for, then?" she asked, grinning up at Rainbow Dash as her wings continued to unconsciously struggle against Rainbow's grip.

The older pegasus pursed her lips. "Well, not too long, unfortunately. I'm only here for the night. Gotta be on my way tomorrow evening, cuz I'm just doing a quick publicity tour. You know, signing autographs, shaking hooves...still," she smirked down at Scootaloo, "I was hoping you could do dinner with me, at least. We've got a lot to catch up on. Maybe you could spend the night at my place? You know, just so we don't have to wake your parents up when we finish talking around three tomorrow morning, right?" She grinned and winked at Scootaloo, whose face reddened slightly.

"Can I?" she asked, looking at Vinyl.

The unicorn glanced briefly at her mate before saying, "Yeah, it's alright. Just be home tomorrow before midnight, alright?"

Scootaloo nodded fervently. "Definitely!" she said, before jumping around the living room in a bizarre show of excitement. "I can't believe it! Rainbow Dash, in Ponyville!"

The cyan mare laughed again. "Hey, I grew up here, remember?" she said. "It's not like I'd forget, right? Come on, kid, we've got a lot to catch up on." Scootaloo was at her side in an instant, and together the two pegasi took off out the front door, disappearing into the night for a long overdue date.

Silver Spoon stood awkwardly at the front door, watching Scootaloo disappear into the darkness, babbling excitedly as she trailed along beside her idol. She didn't begrudge the pegasus her excitement, nor her sudden unannounced exit, but she wasn't entirely certain what to do next. What did one do when the pony whose house they were visiting left with another, older pony? She glanced up at Octavia, who was standing next to her.

The older mare smiled warmly. "Don't worry, dear. Honestly, I was expecting her to leave as soon as she found out Rainbow Dash was visiting. If you still want to have dinner with us, we'd love to have you. I know it might be a little strange, eating with a couple ponies you only barely know, but--."

Silver Spoon interrupted her without really meaning to. "I'd love to!"

Octavia recovered from being cut off with poise and smiled. "Wonderful. It is still awfully early, though, so I was curious if you'd be interested in starting your cello lessons this evening. I have nothing else planned, and this would be an excellent opportunity for us to simply discuss where you are in your tutelage and to come up with a plan for where we want to go from here."

Silver Spoon found herself suddenly keen on the idea of learning to play the cello again, and she smiled at the earth pony. "Yeah, that sounds great. Thank you, Miss Octavia."

Octavia smiled warmly. "You're quite welcome."