Luna watched Silver patiently. Silver looked back at her. She was regal, tall, proud... Silver felt the familiar stirrings of sympathy. "I want you to be happy."

Luna tilted her head. "I was happy. You did your part."

Silver pointed at Luna. "You were right, before, that I had a lot of agony in my life, but that doesn't change yours. You chose to peer into my soul. You chose to fight for me, in a variety of ways, often without my asking. You chose to let Celestia have her way. Well, she did, and now I'm a mare... A happily-married mare, with a family... I... think I love you, Luna, but I can't hurt them."

Luna reached with her wings, drawing Silver closer. "What if I could make you stallion once more?"

Silver tilted her head, "There is a foal in me, that I have learned to love. I won't risk it."

Luna turned Silver over, who offered no resistance. Soon Luna was rubbing her undercarriage and across her belly. "I heard of your battle in the north, defending the Crystal Empire... You are a true warrior."

Silver closed her eyes, enjoying the petting as she nodded. "I did what I had to... to protect ponies around me."

Luna perked an ear. "That is exactly what a true warrior does." She gently poked the forming foal. "Are you happy as a mother?"

Silver sighed gently. "I think I am?" She opened her eyes and looked at Luna. "This is better, for us."

Luna tilted her head. "For us?"

Silver smiled and held Luna's hoof in two of her own. "Talking... You don't need to read me like a book, when you can talk, as a friend, and... more."

Luna frowned. "Don't tease me! You just said you were loyal to your herd, which does not include me..."

Silver pulled at the hoof she held. "You asked me to see you as a mother. Did you mean that, or were you playing with me?"

Luna clenched her teeth, tail lashing as she delayed in responding. Silver nodded a little. "I know that feeling. You want more, but you're afraid to let go of what's offered."

Luna pulled her hoof back, slipping it out of Silver's grip. "I want you, entirely, as my own."

Silver rolled up onto her belly. "That ship has sailed. I belong to my herd. If you hurt them, I would never forgive you." Silver rose to her hooves.

Luna tilted her head. "Are you leaving?"

Silver advanced on Luna instead, nudging her over. She lacked the strength to force Luna, but Luna went along with it, peering at Silver curiously. Silver nuzzled at Luna's underside until she found what she was looking for. "Will you watch over me? You can have me, in a fashion, but not as it once was."

Luna began to voice objection, but was cut off when Silver attached to her like an overgrown foal. She settled limply and they were silent together for several minutes of companionable quiet. "This is hardly an answer," spoke Luna at last. "But it will do... Do you still love me?"

Silver sat up on her haunches. "As a foal. I want you to be happy, and I love you, but we aren't mates."

Luna nodded slowly as she sat up. "Very well... As your mother, I bid you to return once a moon. We will share stories, and be together."

Silver smiled gently. "That I can manage, gladly. I really do like you, Luna. I don't want to... drift apart more than we already have."

Luna kissed Silver, on the lips. The passion was a bit much for 'motherly', but Silver let it slide. "I should see what Celestia wants. Please, be well. I want to hear about other friends you make beside myself."

Luna's expression went bitter swiftly, and she waved Silver off. "I would still like to see you, all of you. Perhaps another time."

Silver emerged from Luna's quarters and found her way back towards the Day Court. On the way, a guard stopped her. "Celestia wishes to see you. Follow me." Silver followed without objection, finding herself in a small room with a single table and a few cushions for seats. Silver placed herself on one and curled comfortably to wait.

Celestia arrived as Silver began to nod off. Silver didn't know Celestia was there until a hoof patted over her smoothed mane. "I see you've started minding your appearance."

Silver jerked upright, sitting up to face Celestia. Celestia smiled gently. "You look better for it. Do you still miss your masculinity?"

Silver's expression darkened. "That's... just an unkind thing to start with."

Celestia nodded and reached out, petting Silver's mane. "It was, my apologies. You are adapting well to life, and I find myself proud to call you one of my little ponies."

The mere presence of the sun princess made Silver feel somehow relaxed and sleepy. Like Luna, Celestia felt like a mother or grandmother she could curl up in the presence in, if not for... "Don't you feel guilty at all? You stole a huge part of me, then you insist I thank you for it. I was not an unhappy male, or a violent one... You have to know that."

"Are you angry?"

Silver searched for that answer, pawing at her cushion with her hooves. "I'm pretty awful at holding grudges... I've adapted, as you said, but that doesn't make it... right. How can I trust you when you trust me so little that you'd rip pieces of me away?"

Celestia leaned in, nose-to-nose. "You frighten me, little pony. Seeing you swell with life, and surrounding yourself with loving ponies, this puts me at ease. Have you been kind to Twilight?"

Silver tilted her head. "I love her. I think she loves me. We... understand each other. We've both been changed." Silver rose a brow. "Come to think of it, we've both been changed at your hooves. Do you ever regret changing her either?"

Celestia shook her head. "It was her destiny, and she is better for it. Why should I regret that?"

Silver sank a little. "She hides her sadness behind her neurotic behavior, but she was hurt. You never warned her, just foisted it on her, as if it were the natural state of things."

"It was." Celestia rose to her full height. "It may yet be your destiny as well."

Silver's guts clenched as she shrank back from Celestia. "I'm so very much not princess material... There are other, more worthy, ponies."

Celestia nudged Silver over with a gold-shod hoof. "It was no coincidence you've found yourself at Twilight's side. You were meant to stand there, beside her. Magic without innovation is stagnation. You can help Twilight, be a key for her to unlock her full potential." Celestia leaned in over Silver. "You do like Twilight, don't you?"

Silver nodded and moved to roll over, but was hefted up in golden magic and brought towards Celestia. "Then be the best wife you can be. I ask no further. If your herd can bring happiness to Twilight, without distracting her, then you are doing me a great favor." Celestia clucked her tongue. "This reminds me. Don't taunt my little sister any further. She's been hurt enough as it is."

Silver frowned at the suggestion. "I have not teased her. I've tried everything reasonable to be kind to her, and to have a healthy relationship."

Celestia waved a hoof lightly. "I will see to Luna's happiness. You're just complicating things. Focus on Twilight. I should think one princess is more than enough for a pony to concern themselves with." That hoof moved and cupped Silver under the snout, raising it to look her in the eyes. "Are you happy as a pony?"

Silver nodded, tail swaying. "I... am. I like... most of it at least. I like having fur. I like the tail. I like the twitchy ears. I like having my purpose right there on my butt."

"Flank."

"Sorry, flank. I love my herd." Silver glanced away from Celestia. "I want to like you, but you refuse to concede you did anything wrong at all."

"I haven't." Celestia raised Silver up and kissed her pregnant belly. "You are objectively better as a mare, both to others and yourself."

Silver squirmed in the magic grip. "Why do my feelings count for nothing?"

Celestia lowered Silver and kissed away a tear. "Is that how you feel? I care how you feel, Silver Stars." Silver could feel Celestia growing warmer, and began to feel more drowsy, as if she were laying out on a bright sunny day. "You look happier than you were before. I know it seems cruel when you are pulled from the comfortable bed you once knew, but you are in a better place."

Silver suddenly smiled. "Alright. I have it. Would you let me go back to being a stallion after I've birthed my foal?"

"I don't think you'll want to."

"Humor me." Silver held up a hoof. "If I wanted to, and made that decision, would you respect it?"

Celestia looked genuinely thoughtful. Seeing her consider it bolstered Silver's spirits. "If you truly wished it..."

Silver perked her ears up. "Really? You promise it? Swear it?"

Celestia held up a hoof. "I swear on my crown. If you request to return to being a stallion when you are not with foal, I will respect your wish and do everything in my power to make it so."

Silver gave a nervous giggle, wriggling in the golden magic. Everything seemed a little brighter. "Thank you... That's all I ask. It's my body, I should have a say in what happens to it."

Celestia's snout rubbed against Silver's pregnant belly. "I still believe you will have no such true desire. You will enjoy being a mother."

Silver flushed softly. "That may happen... but it's still my choice. Is that unreasonable?"

Celestia shook her head. "I suppose it isn't. You've been a model pony, for the most part. Do you know that I love you?"

Silver found that easy to believe on reflection. "Not like a lover, or even entirely like a mother."

Celestia nodded. "You are my little pony, growing into a fine mare. Perhaps you should write me friendship letters, as Twilight once did."

Silver snorted loudly. "No thank you! But if you're so interested, I'll tell you the last friendship lesson I learned." Celestia tilted her head curiously, so Silver continued. "I learned Twilight and I share a little hurt, and we understand one another. I learned that our friends can have deep hurts that they don't make obvious. This doesn't make them bad ponies, just alive. As friends we should be there for them."

Celestia lifted an ear. "That was a bit more mature than I've come to expect."

Silver shrugged, "You are speaking to a middle-aged person turned young again. I didn't become a kid along the way, at least not mentally."

Author's Notes:

All the royalty! All the typos!