“Silver Spoon, where are you going?”

“I’m going out to pick flowers for Diamond’s get well present.”

“Okay, just be careful out there.”

“Oh please, mum. I’m ten years old, what could possibly happen?”

“I had to ask, didn’t I?” Silver Spoon sighed to herself as she looked around, trying to determine where exactly she was. She knew of a secret spot just outside of Ponyville that not many ponies visited, where an abundance of Diamond Tiara’s favourite flower grew all over the place. She had come here many times before, sometimes to run away from home, sometimes to just have a picnic with her best friend.

However, knowing this place like the back of her hoof was of little help when she had lost her glasses. There was a reason she always wore those things. She was as blind as a bat without them, and she couldn’t tell what anything was around her. All she saw was just a messy blur of colours everywhere she looked. Green, blue, yellow, and red were all overlapping, with the occasional white thrown into the mix.

It was at this time that Silver Spoon thought that maybe she had become too dependent on her friend bailing her out of troublesome situations. If Diamond Tiara were here, she’d have already found her glasses, and she would be able to see the world around her again.

But as it stood, she was all alone and would have to bail herself out of this mess. “Alright, just stay calm, Silver Spoon,” she said to herself as she lifted a forehoof off of the ground. “They must be nearby, so I’ll just feel around for them and-”

K-CRACK!

As Silver spoon lowered her hoof onto the ground, she felt something that definitely wasn’t grass or dirt. It cracked under the pressure of her hoof, and she could feel plastic mixed in with something sharp. The sharp bit stung her hoof, and she yanked it away quickly with a yelp.

Then, it hit her. “Oh no…” Silver Spoon slowly lowered herself to the ground, and squinted her eyes. She couldn’t see it, but she knew what she had just stepped on. “No no no no no no no NO!” Silver Spoon fell down to her haunches, and began to panic. “W-What do I do? I can’t get home without my glasses, and hardly anypony comes round here? Mum and dad will be so worried, and I don’t think they know about this spot.”

A tear fell down Silver Spoon’s cheek at the thought of her being stranded there forever. “W-What do I do? Somepony… anypony, please help me!” Bringing her forehooves to her face, Silver Spoon let loose the waterworks that had been building up. She was always strong and brave whenever Diamond Tiara was around, but that was because Diamond Tiara was a dependable pony. She was a natural born leader. She could protect Silver Spoon from anything, and would always have her back.

On her own, though, she felt weak, and helpless, and alone, and… scared. “I’m scared,” she whispered to herself as a shiver passed through her body. “I don’t want to be stuck here forever. But what can I do? Start walking? What if I go the wrong way? I could wind up in the Everfree Forest…”

“Hey!” Silver Spoon jumped as a voice rang out above her head. She looked up, and saw a multi-coloured blur land in front of her. She couldn’t make out who it was, but that didn’t matter to the filly. She was saved, and that was all she cared about. “What’s up? I saw you cryin’. You hurt yourself?”

Silver Spoon shook her head. “I… I lost my glasses,” she said between sniffles. “I can’t see a th-thing without them, and n-now I c-can’t go home…”

She felt something warm wrap around her body, and gasped. She took a moment to figure out what it was. It felt like feathers… a wing? Right, she came from above, so she must be a Pegasus.’ The warm wing around her body filled Silver Spoon with a sense of security. She felt safe now, and her tears were beginning to slow down.

“Hey, don’t worry none! I’ll get you home, just leave it to me.”

Silver Spoon smiled at the blur that she assumed to be the pony rescuing her. “Thank you,” she said, though it came out weak.

“C’mon, no more tears. Aren’t you a big filly?”

“Uh, y-yeah, but I’m… I’m not really that good at being alone…”

“Well, you’re not alone anymore, right? What’s your name, anyway?”

Silver Spoon was about to answer, when she suddenly felt herself being lifted off of the ground. She panicked for a bit, before realising that the pony had at some point picked her up, and was now carrying her through the air. “S-Silver Spoon.”

“And I’m Rainbow Dash! No doubt you would’ve known that if you could see me, though.”

‘So this is Rainbow Dash… I’m so glad she came along when she did, otherwise, I would have been stranded there for who knows how long.’

“So, where d’you live, anyway?”

Silver Spoon took a moment to think about how she could describe her house’s location. “W-Where are we right now?”

“Just flyin’ over Sugarcube Corner.”

“Uh, then, if you take a left past the alleyway, and then-” Silver Spoon stopped, and then slammed a forehoof into her face. “Right, we’re in the air.” She heard Rainbow Dash laughing, and found herself joining in, though she was sure her laugh was more out of embarrassment than humour.

“Just a general description will do fine.”

“R-Right.” Silver Spoon felt her face becoming hotter, and could only pray that Rainbow Dash wasn’t looking. “Um, it’s a big house on a hilltop to the west of Sugarcube Corner.”

“The one with a spoon-shaped pool on the lawn?”

Silver Spoon nodded. “Y-Yeah, that’s the one.”

“Cool. I was wondering who lived there. Your folks must be loaded, huh?”

“Yeah…” A thought passed through Silver Spoon’s mind. This pony was saving her life. She would need to rewarded in some way. “Um, t-thank you for saving me back there. I-If there’s anything I can do to show my gratitude… like, say, a cash reward?”

“Nah, don’t worry about it, kid! Though, if you really wanna thank me, I guess you can tell your friends tomorrow about how you were saved by the most awesome Pegasus ever!”

Silver Spoon’s face grew even hotter. This pony hadn’t just saved her life without demanding a cash reward, but her ego was just as big as Diamond Tiara’s was, and she had the most incredible smell that Silver Spoon had ever experienced before…

“Hey, you okay?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Your face is turning red. You got a fever or something?”

Silver Spoon quickly turned her head, hoping to hide her face from sight. “I-I’m fine!” she squeaked, causing her to blush even more.

“Uh, okay… if you say so. Anyway, we’re here.” Silver Spoon felt herself being placed gently onto the ground beneath her, and looked around to try and determine where her house was. She assumed it was where the mass of brown was, but that could just as easily be somepony else’s house. She heard a knocking behind her, and turned around quickly.

“Yes?” she heard her mother call out as the sound of a door opened. “Silver Spoon! What’s wrong? And where are your glasses?”

“Seems she lost her glasses when she was out playing,” she heard Rainbow Dash explain, and immediately felt embarrassed.

“I-I wasn’t playing!” she protested. “I’m not a child! I was out collecting flowers for a friend!”

She heard Rainbow Dash laughing, and could feel her face getting warmer again. “Right, right. She lost her glasses during her… important mission… so I brought her home.”

“I see. Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. Just doin’ my job.” She heard the sounds of wings flapping, and guessed that Rainbow Dash had taken off into the air. “Catch ya later, squirt!”

As Silver Spoon felt her mother’s hoof connecting with her own, and then leading her inside the house, she simply gazed forward, allowing her mother to be her eyes, whilst her mind focused on but one thought: ‘Rainbow Dash… is… awesome.’

Two days later, the weekend was over, and it was time for the fillies and colts of Ponyville to get back to their school lives for another five days. Diamond Tiara was the focus of attention as she walked into the class, foals asking her if she was okay, and what it felt like to have your tonsils removed.

“It was great!” Diamond Tiara said as she approached her seat, flashing a smug grin at Apple Bloom as she passed her by. “I got three days off of school, and all the ice-cream I could eat after the operation!”

“No way!” Snips shouted. “Aw man, I’ve gotta have my tonsils removed, too!”

“Don’t ya already get as much ice-cream as y’all want, anyway?” Apple Bloom asked, but she was completely ignored by the pink filly.

“Was it painful?” Alula asked, a worried look on her face as she stood by Diamond Tiara’s side.

“Of course not. They put you to sleep,” she said with a roll of her eyes.

“Oh. That’s good,” Alula said, breathing a sigh of relief. “D-Did you get the get well present I sent you?”

“Let’s see… I received so many presents.” She glanced over at Apple Bloom, who frowned and quickly turned her head away. “Which one was yours again?”

“It was box of Manehatten chocolate, with the pink ribbon wrapped around it.”

“Oh yes, now I remember. They were good.” Alula’s smile grew wider, and she closed her eyes and fluttered over to her seat behind Diamond Tiara, holding a hoof over her chest as she did so, muttering about how happy she was. ‘Ugh, that filly is so weird.’ Diamond Tiara looked past Apple Bloom, at the empty seat beside her. “By the way, does anypony know where Silver Spoon is?”

“I dunno,” Snips said, exchanging a worried look with Snails. “We saw her yesterday, and she was acting pretty strange.”

Diamond Tiara raised an eyebrow at that. “She was? What, did she miss me that much?” she asked with a grin, followed by a slight giggle.

“She was acting really jumpy,” Snails said, with Snips nodding in agreement.

“We asked her what she was doing, and she just told us to mind our own business,” Snips added.

“Sounds right ta me,” Apple Bloom said.

“Are we talking about Silver Spoon?” Twist asked, approaching the group from behind. “I saw her on Saturday at the optometrist’s! I think her glasses were broken, because she was wearing her ones from last year, and she looked pretty dizzy.”

“Her ones from last year…” Apple Bloom put a hoof to her chin, trying to remember what they looked like. The image came to her, and she quickly put a hoof to her mouth to restrain her laughter. “Those silly things? They looked like somethin’ Granny’d wear!”

“Like you’re one to talk!” Diamond Tiara said, quickly coming to her friend’s defence. “You and that silly bonnet you wear whenever you go out shopping with Granny Smith!”

“Granny said bonnet’s are in style this year!”

“Oh please,” Diamond Tiara scoffed. “Granny Smith thinks everything old is still in style!”

“Mah granny has much better fashion sense than you do!” Apple Bloom shouted, glaring at her nemesis. “At least she don’t walk ‘round wearin’ a ridiculous tiara on her head!”

“You tell her Apple Bloom!” Scootaloo cheered from her seat, overhearing the loud argument between the two.

“Can it, chicken!” Diamond Tiara shouted over at Scootaloo, who growled in response. “As for your granny having more fashion sense than me, I’ve been reading every issue of Equestrian Fashion magazine every week, since I was five years old! I’ve been to more fashion shows than your sister has rodeos! Nopony in this town knows more about than fashion than me!”

“I bet my sister does,” Sweetie Belle challenged as she approached Apple Bloom’s desk. It wasn’t a challenge with any malicious intent, but just a simple, innocent statement from a filly who genuinely believed her sister to be the greatest fashion designer in the whole world.

However, Diamond Tiara didn’t take it that way. “Oh yeah? Then why was the last dress she made for me a complete disaster?”

“Because you suddenly wanted it five days earlier than you originally said, and so she had to rush to finish it?”

Diamond Tiara would have responded, but the classroom door opening drew her attention. She was expecting Cheerilee to walk in and announce the start of class, but instead, it was Silver Spoon. Everypony stopped talking, and stared at Silver Spoon as she entered the room. To say that something was different about her that day would be an understatement.

“Diamond!” she shouted with joy as she ran over to her friend’s desk, pushing Twist out of the way on her journey. “Are you okay now? School’s been, like, so boring without you here! I’ve had to keep these blank flanks in line all by myself! I’m so glad you’re back- … What’s wrong?”

Diamond Tiara wondered for a moment whether or not she was seeing things, so she looked around to see if the rest of the class was also staring at Silver Spoon. They were. There was no way she was imagining this. The only question now, was why Silver Spoon was wearing a cap over her mane with a picture of a cloud shooting out a rainbow lightning bolt on the front of it, why her glasses now had a rainbow frame, and why she had a shirt with a pixel-art picture of a blue Pegasus pony leaving a rainbow trail behind her as she flew.

“Silver Spoon?” Diamond Tiara started. “What… are you wearing?”

“Hm? Oh! I-It’s just a few things I picked up over the weekend.”

“Hey!” Snips shouted, circling Silver Spoon to get a better look at her cap. “That’s Rainbow Dash’s Cutie Mark! I didn’t know you were a dasher!”

“A-A what?” Silver Spoon asked, backing away and giving Snips a strange look, and also bringing a hoof to her nose because his breath smelled bad.

“A dasher! You know, a Rainbow Dash fan?”

“Is that true, Silver Spoon?” Diamond Tiara asked, giving the grey filly a look that made her feel uneasy.

“W-Well, it’s the first I’ve heard of such a thing. But, Rainbow Dash helped me out the day before yesterday, and I realised that she’s… pretty cool…”

“She is, isn’t she?!” Snips asked excitedly, jumping up and down in front of Silver Spoon. “This is awesome! You should join the Rainbow Dash fan club after school!”

Silver Spoon’s eyes widened. “There’s a fan club?!”

Diamond Tiara glared at her friend, who was smiling like an excited filly on Heart’s Warming Eve. “Don’t you usually have a lot of studying to do after school?”

Silver Spoon waved her hoof dismissively. “I can make time. Now, how do I join?”

“You don’t!” Scootaloo said, prompting Silver Spoon to look over to her. “‘Cause I’m the club leader! And I say, no Silver Spoons!”

“Aw, c’mon Scootaloo!” Snips cried out in protest. “What happened to ‘the more the merrier when it comes to talking about Rainbow Dash’?”

“Look, I’d sooner invite Discord or that changeling Queen to join us than I would her!”

“But-”

“It’s fine,” Silver Spoon said, grinning smugly at the Pegasus filly. “I’ll just find my own way to look up to her. After all, she probably wouldn’t think I’m cool if she sees me hanging out with a loser blank flank like you.”

“Oh yeah? I guess you didn’t know that I’m like Rainbow Dash’s little sister,” Scootaloo retorted, her own grin mirroring Silver Spoon’s.

“Hmph! That’s a lie if I’ve ever heard one.”

“You’d know all about lies, wouldn’t you?”

“I have no idea what you’re referring to,” Silver Spoon said in an innocent tone. “I’m the sweetest, most honourable mare ever to grace this land.”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle made visible shows of gagging at Silver Spoon’s claim, whilst Scootaloo just seemed to be getting more and more riled up by the second. However, before she could say anything back, the door opened once more. This time, it was Cheerilee.

“Good morning, my little ponies. If you could all take your seats, I’ll take roll call and we can jump straight into today’s lesson. I’m sure you’ll all enjoy what I have planned for to-” Cheerilee stopped talking as she reached her desk, and looked towards her students. She saw Silver Spoon and Scootaloo glaring at each other, neither one seeming to have noticed the teacher’s presence. “Girls, class has started.”

Silver Spoon finally acknowledged Cheerilee’s words, but only with a harrumph, as she turned away from Scootaloo and casually walked over to her desk, her head held high and her nose pointed in the air. “Just you wait. Rainbow Dash will forget all about you after she spends some time with me.”

Scootaloo sat down in her seat, and continued to glare at the other filly as she made her way to her own desk. “Okay, I’ll to warn Rainbow Dash about the crazy filly on her tail, when I meet her after school today at the park!”

“You what?!” Silver Spoon shouted. Scootaloo wore a victorious grin, happy to see that her boasting was getting under Silver Spoon’s skin. “Well, it just so happens that I love the park, and was planning on going there myself today. Maybe I’ll just happen to cross her path.”

Scootaloo’s grin fell, and she stared at the back of Silver Spoon’s head with a shocked look on her face. Finally, she sighed and facehooved. ‘Nice one, Scootaloo! Why not just give her fully-functioning wings, too?’

After school had finally ended, Diamond Tiara was looking forward to going to Sugarcube Corner with Silver Spoon, after not being able to go for half a week. She couldn’t have packed her books into her bag any faster, and she didn’t even bother to waste any time poking fun at Apple Bloom for her lack of Cutie Mark on her way out.

“So, Sugarcube Corner?” she asked Silver Spoon as she passed her desk. However, the response was not what she was expecting. Silver Spoon always said ‘yes’ to their plans. Diamond Tiara was always the leader between the two, and Silver Spoon was the follower. So to see her friend shake her head was quite a shock to the pink filly who was used to always getting her way.

“Sorry, Diamond, but I’ve already got plans.”

“You do? Where?”

“The park.” Scootaloo dropped her books on the floor behind Silver Spoon, creating a loud bang that startled everypony still in the classroom.

“Why you goin’ there?!” Scootaloo demanded.

“To see Rainbow Dash, obviously,” Silver Spoon replied, adjusting her glasses as she stared coolly at the frustrated Pegasus.

“Ugh, her again?” Diamond Tiara asked. “What’s with the sudden obsession about Rainbow Crash?”

Silver Spoon and Scootaloo both shot a glare at Diamond Tiara simultaneously, making her flinch and back up a bit. “Rainbow Dash,” Silver Spoon began, “Is the most awesome, most heroic pony in Ponyville! She’s so cool, she defines cool! And also, she helped me out on Saturday.”

“She did?” Diamond Tiara asked.

“Yes. Therefore, I’d like to show my thanks… That’s why I baked her some cookies yesterday.” A blush crossed Silver Spoon’s cheek as she said that. She was never one to do anything that others might consider ‘girly’, like baking, or sewing. But she actually felt quite proud of how her first time cooking something turned out. “But I couldn’t find her yesterday, so I want to give them to her toda- HEY!” Silver Spoon caught Scootaloo sneaking out of the classroom, no doubt to get to the park early and draw Rainbow Dash away. Scootaloo quickly took off, and Silver Spoon, after grabbing her bag, chased after her.

“Silver Spoon!” Diamond Tiara called out after her, but it accomplished nothing. Silver Spoon disappeared around the corner, leaving Diamond Tiara all alone in the classroom. Just her… and Alula, who was now fidgeting next to the pink filly. “… What?”

“Um, if you haven’t got any other plans, I just happen to be free right now,” Alula said. “Maybe, you and I could go to Sugarcube Corner, instead?”

Diamond Tiara groaned as the filly took a few slow steps closer to her, their hooves getting dangerously close together. She turned back to the doorway, and started to run faster than she ever had during any Gym class. “Silver Spoon, waaaaaaaait!”

Rainbow Dash sighed as she rolled over onto her side. Napping in the middle of the afternoon, on what had to be the comfiest cloud in Ponyville, was definitely the best way to spend one’s time. It was the best feeling in the world, and absolutely nothing could top it.

“Hey Rainbow Dash!”

Well, except for maybe spending time with the coolest filly in Ponyville, teaching her how to be as awesome a flyer as yourself. Opening her eyes and peeking over the edge of the cloud, Rainbow Dash could see her number one fan, Scootaloo, waving up at her from the ground.

Rainbow Dash extended her wings and jumped off of the fluffy cloud. “Hey squirt!” she called down as she slowly descended. “So, ready to forget all that useless math you learned today so you can pay attention to my lessons?”

“Already forgot it!” Scootaloo answered, saluting Rainbow Dash as she touched down onto the ground.

“Oh, you brought a friend?”

“I, uh…” Scootaloo turned around to see what Rainbow Dash was talking about, and then gasped as she saw Silver Spoon approaching them. “Y-You! How did you keep up with me?!”

“I didn’t,” Silver Spoon said, panting as she stopped in front of the two Pegasi. “Y-You told me… that you were… meeting her here… remember?”

“… Oh…”

Rainbow Dash took a closer look at the grey filly, feeling like she had seen her somewhere before. And then it hit her. “Ah! You’re that filly who lost her glasses two days ago, ain’tcha?”

Silver Spoon blushed as she looked up at the blue Pegasus with the multi-coloured mane. She already had a vague image of what Rainbow Dash looked like, but to actually see her up-close like this, and to be talking with her, was just too much for the filly.

“Y-Yes,” was about all that she managed to say.

“I see you got a new pair. Cool frame, by the way.”

A smile crossed Silver Spoon’s lips. “T-Thank you.” Silver Spoon suddenly remembered the cookies in her bag, and quickly opened her bag to take them out. She fumbled around a bit, and felt her face becoming hotter as she realised what a fool she was being in front of Rainbow Dash, but eventually, she managed to get them out. “Um, h-here,” she said, offering the small bag to Rainbow Dash. “I-I baked these for you, to thank you for helping me out before…”

“Really? Cool! Though, I already told ya that you don’t have to do anything.” Rainbow Dash accepted the bag of baked treats, not wanting to waste the filly’s efforts. She opened it up and tried one of the cookies inside. “Mm, not bad.”

Silver Spoon’s smile grew at the praise she received. “You mean it?!”

Rainbow Dash nodded her head, and then looked over at Scootaloo, who was glaring daggers at Silver Spoon. “Hey, you wanna try one, squirt?”

“No!” Silver Spoon suddenly shouted. “Er, I-I made those for you, not for her,” she added, returning Scootaloo’s glare.

“Aw, c’mon! It won’t hurt ta let her one, will it?”

“I don’t want one,” Scootaloo said. “Hey Rainbow Dash, can we go flying now?”

Rainbow Dash looked between the two fillies with a confused look on her face. She wasn’t quite sure what, but she was sure that something was up. “Uh, not quite yet. First, we need to warm up. Stretch our wing muscles, y’know?”

Scootaloo frowned, but didn’t argue. She knew that it was important to stretch before any physical exercise. “Alright,” she mumbled.

“Right! Then let’s start off with one hundred push-ups!”

The two Pegasi began their push-ups right away, with Rainbow Dash keeping her eyes on Scootaloo and matching her pace with the young filly’s. Silver Spoon’s eyes were stuck on Rainbow Dash, watching her with caught breath as she performed push-up after push-up. The filly’s heart started to beat faster as she continued to watch, and she felt herself sweating despite not actually joining in with them.

‘Oh! I know!’ Silver Spoon turned around and ran over to a nearby refreshment stand. She purchased a bottle of water for two bits, and carried it back over to where the Pegasi were doing their warm-ups. It seemed they had just finished by the time she had returned.

“Alright, next we’ll-” Rainbow Dash was cut off as Silver Spoon approached her, and held up the bottle of water towards her. “Uh… thanks.”

“I-It’s no problem,” Silver Spoon said as Rainbow Dash took the water from her. “I just thought you could do with something to cool you down is all…”

“Why are you still here, exactly?” Scootaloo asked. “You gave her your stupid cookies. Why don’t you go play ‘tea party’ with Diamond Tiara or something?”

“Hey, hey,” Rainbow Dash said, giving Scootaloo a disapproving look. “C’mon now, Scoots. What’s the harm in lettin’ her watch us?”

“The harm, is that she’s always getting on my nerves at school!” Scootaloo answered, pointing a hoof at Silver Spoon. “She and that other stuck-up kid are always giving us a hard time, calling us ‘blank flanks’ and such!”

Silver Spoon gulped and took a nervous step back, smiling sheepishly at Rainbow Dash, who was now looking at her with a neutral stare. “Is that right?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Yeah! Not to mention how they corrupted Babs before!”

“Oh, so it’s our fault that Babs momentarily had good taste in friends?” Silver Spoon retorted.

“You turned her into a bully!” Scootaloo accused.

“That was all her!”

“You made Sweetie Belle cry!”

“Everything makes Sweetie Belle cry!”

“Okay, break it up, you two!” Rainbow Dash shouted, getting in-between the two fillies before a fight could break out. “Scoots, why don’t you go wait over by the library for me? I told Twilight I’d let her join us today.”

“But-”

“I’ll deal with her,” Rainbow Dash added. Scootaloo hesitated for a second, but then nodded, and turned around to walk towards the library. When she was out of range, Rainbow Dash turned back to Silver Spoon. “Right, now-”

“It was all lies!” Silver Spoon shouted, panic overtaking all her senses. “S-She was just making it up to make me look bad, honest! I-”

“Easy, easy,” Rainbow Dash said, placing a hoof on Silver Spoon’s head. Her tone was gentle, and her eyes didn’t show any signs of anger, so Silver Spoon, taking a deep breath, managed to calm herself down. “Now, look, I know that Scootaloo wouldn’t lie like that. But, I also know she likes to overreact sometimes.

“Now, I don’t know the exact history between you two. And I can tell you’re an alright kid at heart. I’d rather not take either side here. But, if all you’re gonna do is fight each other, then, I think you probably shouldn’t stick around to watch her training with me.”

Silver Spoon shook her head quickly. “No! I want to watch! I-I want to help you out, if I can! Please!”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “Why’s that? I mean, I know I’m cool and all, but, why is it so important to you?”

Silver Spoon felt her chest tightening up. This was it, she thought. This was the moment that it would all come out. Just three simple words. She would say them, and her entire life would change. For better, or for worse, she didn’t know, but it was now or never. “I… I love you,” she said, quietly. Rainbow Dash didn’t respond, so she assumed that she didn’t say it loud enough. “I love you,” she repeated, slightly louder this time.

“Y-Yeah. I heard,” Rainbow Dash clarified, looking to the side with an uneasy feeling passing through her body. She certainly wasn’t expecting to hear that. “Uh… wow. I-I’m not… quite sure what to say here…”

“Y-You’re just, so amazing. The way you helped me out yesterday, without even knowing who I am…”

“Isn’t that what anypony’d do?”

“And then, you said that there was no need to give you a reward…”

“Well, again, it was only natural…”

“And you’re always so strong, so confident. You don’t let anything slow you down, and you always push yourself to prove that you’re the best.”

Rainbow Dash let out a nervous laugh, and leaned down to look at Silver Spoon at eyelevel. “Look kid. I’m flattered and all, but…” She hesitated for a second as she saw Silver Spoon gasp, and a tear start to form in her eye. ‘No, she needs to hear this…’ “I’m sorry, but, you should know that I can’t return your feelings…”

“… W-Why?” Silver Spoon asked. It was a stupid question. She knew the answer already, but some part of her brain seemed to believe that, maybe the answer would change, if she questioned it.

“Because, I’m a mare, and you’re a filly. There’s just, too big an age gap between us. You should… You should be looking for somepony your own age and stuff…” Rainbow Dash saw that Silver Spoon was struggling to hold her tears back, and started to feel bad for her. But, she knew that there was no other way around it. “Hey, c’mon now. No tears. You’re a big filly, right?”

Silver Spoon sniffed, and nodded her head. “S-So that’s it? I’m too young, so the answer’s ‘no’?”

“Sorry, but yeah. That’s just how life is sometimes I’m afraid… Hey, I’ll you in on a secret. When I was your age, I had this huge crush on Firefly, the Captain of the Wonderbolts before Spitfire joined. I went with my dad once to a show, where she was giving out her autograph to her fans. I told her how I felt, and she turned me down… I felt so bad for days, but, I knew that that was just the way it was meant to be…”

“… I-I’m sorry for saying anything, Rainbow Dash,” Silver Spoon said.

“No, don’t be sorry. You were brave, and I respect that…” Rainbow Dash heard hoofsteps approaching, and looked up to see two fillies walking towards them. A pink filly with a tiara, and a yellow filly with a purple mane. “Look, I’d better go and meet up with Scootaloo… Will you be alright?”

Silver Spoon sniffed back her tears once more, and nodded bravely. “Y-Yeah.”

“Alright then…” Rainbow Dash turned around, and left the filly as she flew through the park. One quick glance back confirmed that the two fillies were now comforting her, and she quietly wished her luck for the future.

“Silver Spoon?” Diamond Tiara asked as she approached her friend from the side. “Are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine,” Silver Spoon said, though it was clear from her voice that she was not. Diamond Tiara circled her to see what was wrong, and frowned when she saw tears flowing down her friend’s face. Silver Spoon fell down to her haunches, and brought her hooves up to her eyes as she finally let out her sadness. “I’m f-fine, r-really…” she said in-between sobs.

“Silver,” Diamond Tiara said, placing a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. She looked to Alula for advice, not quite sure what to do in this situation. Unfortunately, Alula was just as clueless as her. Neither of them had experienced heartbreak before, so they had no idea what it felt like. “Maybe we should go fetch Miss Cheerilee?” Diamond Tiara mouthed.

“She’s gone home already,” Alula mouthed back.

And so, the three fillies just stayed there in silence, save for the occasional sobs and hiccups that came from Silver Spoon’s mouth as she held Diamond Tiara’s hoof with her own.

Suddenly, a bouquet of flowers appeared in front of Silver Spoon, startling the three fillies. Silver Spoon’s sobbing slowed down a bit as she looked at the beautiful flowers, wondering where they had come from, and why they were there.

“Though I do not understand the situation,” a voice suddenly called out, “Seeing a foal cry is always an unruly sight.” The three fillies looked up to see a blue mare standing before them, her silver mane almost completely covered by the purple pointy hat that she wore, and her body draped in a similarly-coloured cape. “Well, unless it those two,” the mare added, shifting her eyes to the two colts running towards her. The fillies recognised them as Snips and Snails.

Silver Spoon stared at the flowers in awe, and slowly reached her hooves out to them. As she touched them, the magical aura around them vanished, and they fell into her hooves. “F-For me?”

The mare turned back to the filly with a grin on her face. “The Great and Powerful Trixie lives to put smiles on the faces of ponies everywhere with her magic! Therefore, when she sees a filly in tears, it is only natural that she should stop by to cheer her up!”

Silver Spoon blushed as Trixie patted her on the head a couple of times with her hoof. “Um, t-thank you…”

“No, no need to thank Trixie. Though, if you insist, you could always come to her show tomorrow, at this park. And of course, bring your friends along, too.”

“Trixiiiiiie!” Snips shouted as he and Snails caught up to the mare, completely out of breath. “W-When are we gonna learn how to do cool magic like you?”

“Fool!” Trixie shouted as she faced the colt, her smile replaced with a look of anger. “Before Trixie teaches you magic, you must prove you are ready by surviving her gruelling challenges of life-and-death!” ‘Just give up and go home already!’

“C-Can’t we take a brea-”

Trixie suddenly turned back to Silver Spoon, her anger now turned back into a smile. “Try to cheer up. Life is far too short for tears.” She then turned to her left, and began to run through the park, away from the two colts behind her.

“Well, that was strange,” Diamond Tiara said. “Who was that, anyway?”

“You don’t know?!” Snips shouted in shock. “That was the Great and Powerful Trixie! Only the greatest, most amazing pony in the whole world!”

Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes. ‘Didn’t they say the same thing about Rainbow Dash?’ She looked back to her friend, who seemed to have stopped crying. “… So, you want to go to Sugarcube Corner now, or-”

“Wonderful,” Silver Spoon said, confusing her friend. “She’s… She’s wonderful!”

“S-Silver Spoon?”

“How could I have been so blind? Rainbow Dash may have been an angel, but Trixie… she’s a goddess!”

Diamond Tiara brought a hoof to her face. “You can’t be serious.”

Silver Spoon ignored her though, and quickly took off through the park, chasing after the new object of her affections. “Great and Powerful Trixie, wait for meeeeee!”

“What?! No fair!” Snips shouted in protest as he and Snails took off after her. “W-We saw her first! Hey!”

Diamond Tiara simply stared in disbelief as she saw her friend and the two stupidest colts in school chase after the strangely dressed Unicorn through the park. “No way… not again…”

Alula side-stepped smoothly towards Diamond Tiara, causing the pink filly to blush as their flanks bumped together. “Don’t worry, Di. I’ll always stick by you.”

Diamond Tiara wanted to say a number of things right then. She wanted to question why Silver Spoon was acting so stupid today. She wanted to question why Alula was sticking to her like a moth to a light source. She wanted to tell Alula to back off, before she did something unladylike. She wanted to chase after Silver Spoon and drag her to Sugarcube Corner.

Instead, she simply sighed and hung her head in defeat. “… Want to go Sugarcube Corner?” she asked Alula, who responded by turning redder than a Sweet Apple Acres apple, and then fainting. “… I need new friends."

Author's Notes:

Later that week:

Rainbow Dash: I haven't seen Silver Spoon since then... I hope she isn't too hurt...

Scootaloo: Ah, she's fine. She just off chasin' that 'Great and Powerful Trixie' all over town.

Rainbow Dash: ... Wait, what?! She's chasing after Trixie?!

Scootaloo: Er, yeah... but, she stopped chasing after you.

Rainbow Dash: I can't believe this! She dumped me for that loudmouth?! *sees Silver Spoon following Trixie* *flies over to intercept filly* Hey kiddo! Wanna come flyin' with me over the Whitetail Woods?

Trixie: We were just on our way to buy some ice-cream, thank you very much!

Rainbow Dash: Ah, c'mon! You can get ice-cream anytime!

Scootaloo: ... W-What's going on?

Silver Spoon: *appears out of nowhere* Heh, what can I say? I guess they're just attracted to my maturity.

Scootaloo: ... Right, screw flying. I need my Cutie Mark. Now.

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Thanks to GlueFactory & Mudpony for pointing out some errors and helping tidy this up a bit