Celestia sat across from Luna at the dining table. Both ate quietly before Luna looked up at her sister. "I feel as if I have made an important step forward today."

Celestia's expression brightened. "Please, do tell."

Luna waved a hoof. "Time is one thing we both have in abundance. I have been behaving as a short-lived pony." She tapped the tabletop with a hoof. "No plan of mine will be hindered if I must wait a generation. I will let Silver Stars live peacefully, serving as her godmother." She sat up straight. "It is time for me to behave my age."

Celestia clopped her hooves together once. "I know you hate it when I say it, but it's true. I am so proud of you right now, sister."

Luna huffed softly. "I'm not doing it for your approval, Tia. Silver has been the center of my meddling for long enough. She can bear her foal in peace." She raised a brow. "Will you also leave her be?"

Celestia tilted her head. "I have little waiting on her, though I did bless her and her foal, to make the birth easier. She--"

Luna jerked upright. "You did what?"

Celestia looked surprised at Luna's strong reaction. "I blessed them. So she would have a good birth. She asked for it."

Luna sank against a hoof. "Tia, sister... I already blessed Silver Stars, slowly, over the course of weeks. Did you not see she was quite well ripened for such a young flower?"

Celestia raised a hoof over her mouth. "I had thought that was my own hoofwork in changing her." She frowned. "You have shown exceptional growth today, I suppose it's just my turn. I have made a mistake. How do you propose to address it?"

Luna tilted her head. "I... Thank you, Tia." She watched Celestia a moment, savoring this rare moment when her sister admitted cleanly to wrongdoing. "You've already done it. She is full of both our magics. I assume she didn't look immediately ill?"

Celestia shook her head. "A little overwhelmed, but that is a natural reaction. She went off with Twilight immediately after."

Luna rolled a hoof in the air. "Silver is a lunar pony, with a lunar foal, both very pure bred, and yet..."

Celestia suddenly smiled. "And yet, it is Twilight's foal. Her name comes to haunt us again."

Luna smiled even as she sighed. "Where day meets night. Are we still making a foal?"

Celestia tilted her head. "I saw the swell of it. What do you mean?"

Luna wobbled a hoof. "I have swollen with life before, but it was no foal. What if what Silver holds so lovingly is something greater, or less, than a foal?"

Celestia frowned at the thought. "It would break her heart, and it wouldn't do well by Twilight either."

Luna rested her hooves on the table. "Let us make an oath, to each other, sister. The former human, Silver Stars, has been the middle grounds of our petty squabbles long enough."

"What do you suggest?"

Luna smiled. "I am entirely convinced she will do what is best for Equestria until the end of her days. Let us treat her well, together. As Twilight's friend, and as ours. Let there be no more scheming on our part towards her, for better or worse, and let no magic of ours touch her unless she requests it."

Celestia flashed a gentle smile. "I can agree to this. I will add one thing. Let neither of us intimidate her into asking. You know she would do whatever you asked if you asked the right way. Does this mean you won't chase her hoof anymore?"

Luna huffed at that. "Low blow, Tia... She is hooves-off unless she comes to me begging, and then I will perhaps consider."

Celestia leaned forward. "Then you are available. I have a few strapping stallions I'd love to introduce you to."

Luna turned red. "Tia!"

Celestia waved off the shout. "None of that. You need to learn how to be loved. You just leave this to me and you'll be so much happier in no time at all. A real warrior! I know how you are. Some of the guards that served along Silver were quite brave and fierce in their defense of the Crystal Empire. I'm certain they might interest you..."

A unicorn poked his head up under the cloth, looking directly at Silver. His horn flashed and Silver's heart crystal was wrenched free without a word. The unicorn slipped away and it was quiet again. The sense of movement stopped after some amount of time. Starlight appeared, slipping under the cover without pulling it up. "Oh poor thing. Still holding it in?"

Being reminded made her nod quickly. She really did have to go.

Starlight smiled, then frowned. "Where's her pendant?"

A male voice replied. "It was a heart crystal. I've stowed it in the back for safe keeping."

Starlight rolled her eyes, then moved for the door. She undid the lock and allowed Silver out They were in the middle of some kind of forest. Silver could hardly see anything but a lot of trees. Starlight nudged her along towards some bushes. "Go on, I won't let any of those stallions bother you."

Silver nodded at her and looked around for a place with some privacy, but Starlight kept her in view at all times. Eventually Silver gave up and did her business. Starlight approached to put Silver away. Silver pulled away, trying to resist until Starlight just plucked her up with magic and carted her off towards the cage. "Don't be a bad girl. Good girls get treated very well. Have you changed your mind? If your cutie mark is removed, you could be on your way home soon. They're nothing but trouble anyway. Look at all the pain yours has caused you."

Starlight set Silver down in the cage, then stepped in after her and closed the door. "All you have to do is lay down and let me take care of you."

Silver stepped back nervously, but there wasn't much room for retreat in the cage. "I'm fine with my cutie mark, thank you."

Starlight advanced on Silver, raising a hoof to stroke over her chin. "Poor little mare. You'll come around. Nights with me are a lot less cold than the floor of this cage by yourself." She turned away, brushing Silver's face with her tail before she departed.

Silver sank to the floor. It was cold. She wondered why Starlight seemed to want to convince her into it instead of just taking it, but decided not to complain. The foggy mugginess of a neutralized cutie mark was horrible, and she didn't want it. She looked up to where she thought the moon was, hoping Twilight might be coming soon to rescue her.

Twilight recovered from the stunning magic just before she struck the ground herself. She righted herself and pulled back into the air, surrounding herself with a bright shield. There were no additional attacks coming. And no Silver. Twilight cringed, looking around slowly over the ground, trying to locate where Silver had fallen to. It occurred to her that Silver's heart crystal was attuned to her. She cleared her mind and sent out her thoughts, trying to find the crystal, but... nothing. "She must be asleep." Without Silver's consciousness, the crystal wouldn't be fully powered enough to trace, at least easily.

Twilight took off to Ponyville, grim and resolute. She landed on her balcony and trotted inside. She went to her room and threw herself on her bed, eyes closed and marshaling her magic. She let Silver fall, she would find her and rescue her. Those that attacked them would pay. She wouldn't admit it, but the lingering fury at Silver's alarming words only built over time, focusing on their attackers. By the time she felt the return ping on her magic, she was ready to bring down the full weight of her fury on those that wronged her. As her emotions built, she felt a sudden wave of hope and helplessness in overwhelming pulses. She shook herself out. "Get it together, Twilight. Silver is counting on you!"

She let out her breath and rose to her hooves. She called up her shield and went over her spells. "Zap in next to Silver. Make them pay. Get out." With her plan gone over in the simplest of checklists, she felt ready. She focused on the signal, pulling it tighter and tighter. It was clear Silver was still not filling it with magic. She must be very hurt. The thought of it made her scowl. They would pay...

Twilight appeared beside a wagon with a pop. Twilight looked over at it and nodded. Silver must be inside. She launched up into the canopy of the forest they were in, magic gathering dangerously just over her horn. She hurled the mass down at the wagons and the forward part of the caravan train was obliterated instantly.

Silver looked up at the sound of wings. There was a bright flash. Silver died. She was barely aware of the happening, it was over so quickly.

Twilight landed with a soft panting. There was nothing left. The door to the wagon beside her opened and a unicorn stepped out. Starlight?! "You get away from Silver!" Twilight slammed Starlight to the ground with her magic. "You awful pony! Give up, give up right now!"

Starlight scrambled against the ground, trying to regain her hooving unsuccessfully. "Twilight? What did you... do?"

Twilight stepped towards Starlight, growling. She passed the open door and looked inside. Silver wasn't in there. There were no other ponies in there. She released Starlight numbly. "Where is Silver?"

Starlight got to her hooves quickly. "You destroyed everything! You and your wicked cutie mark!" There was a bright flash, and Starlight fled into the thick forest, quickly lost to sight. Twilight didn't chase her. She just wasn't important anymore.

Twilight sank before the crater she made. "Silver..."

Author's Notes:

And she/he died. The end!

It will never be the end for the typos.