Silver floated in a sea of stars. They were of wildly different sizes, with some being mere pricks of light and others quite a bit larger. She called out, "Hello?" This didn't feel like the inky void of the Text. No, it looked... worse.

Words appeared, 'You have arrived at the end of the path.'

Silver flicked her ears back. "Am I dead?"

'Yes, but you may yet walk onwards.'

Silver grit her teeth. "I said... long ago." She paused to think back on it. "I definitely said I didn't want this."

Soft stroking began to run down over Silver's back as new words appeared. 'You know I do not make you do things. I told you that this path would be long. You would suffer. You would face grave danger. You would likely die. Has this not come to be? Have I not told the truth?'

Silver sagged towards the 'ground'. "I don't want to be a princess. I was just getting half-decent at being a normal pony." She went stiff. "What about my kid?" She stomped a hoof silently. "Tell me!"

The petting grew more intense, distracting Silver, but only faintly. 'Your child is passed, as you have. You may yet walk further.'

It hadn't answered the question, and Silver demanded it. "What of my child? Can it 'walk further'?"

A powerful presence became known as Celestia emerged from the star field with the saddest expression Silver saw since she had stood over the dead body of that pegasus. A moment later, Luna appeared beside her.

Luna looked around with an expression of awe. "Where are we, sister? Why is Silver here?"

Celestia heaved a slow sigh. "This is the astral plane, dear sister. Silver has defeated my plans, again." She approached Silver. "Do you understand what you've done? I groomed Twilight Sparkle for years, gently nurturing the magic within her, guiding her growth in magic and mind to be prepared for this moment."

Silver shrank back away from Celestia. "I didn't want to come here. This wasn't my idea."

Luna quickly trotted up alongside Celestia. "Sister, please tell us clearly what is going on. Neither of us understand." She paused, sifting through Silver's memories a moment. "This is where Twilight Sparkle ascended?!"

Celestia nodded slowly. "Silver was swollen with magic, a combination of mine, yours, and even Twilight's. What might have been your shared foal is now catalyst for this."

Silver shook her head violently. "I want my child, not wings!" She sank to her belly, tears stinging at her eyes. "I didn't even find out if it was a stallion or a mare..."

Luna grit her teeth a moment. "Is there nothing we can do?"

Celestia gestured at Silver. "We can let her die. The magic will be liberated, and that will be it."

Silver struck the ground with a hoof, clambering back to standing. "Text! Stop hiding!"

Luna glanced around sharply. "It is present?"

'I am.'

Celestia recoiled back from the floating letters. "Who are you?"

'We will use Silver's title for me, Text. We stand at a crossroads. You must choose the path you will walk.'

Luna reached up, poking the word 'crossroads', which dissolved on contact. "What marvel is this? Are you a god?"

Silver looked towards the fading text. "Tell us what the paths are! Stop making me blunder along blindly."

'I watch. I can see many paths. In some, you choose to lay down and die, ending the story. In some, you rise up to power and try to shape Equestria. In others, you throw yourself wholeheartedly into being Twilight's partner, comforting her damaged soul and bringing her from the darkness she now finds herself in.'

Celestia scowled at the words, reading them quickly. "What is wrong with Twilight? She was fine just earlier today."

'...'

Silver wobbled a hoof. "Don't dot dot dot us, go on."

'She killed Silver.'

Silver bared her fangs. "What?! I... on purpose?!"

'There is but one path where you somehow emerge with your child, but it is a faint path. I do not predict you will find it.'

Luna pointed at the letters. "Will you tell us how to find this... path?" She glanced aside at Celestia. "I owe you a debt, dear sister. You brought me here so that I might preside over the ascension of the first lunar princess. This is a great honor that you could have denied me so easily." She advanced and nuzzled Celestia gently. "Your faith will be rewarded."

Celestia's darkened expression softened at Luna's words. "I could not deny you this, Lulu. If Silver accepts her destiny, it should be at your hooves that it occur."

Silver flopped onto her haunches, trying to calm herself. "Celestia, Luna... is the magic that you two put in me enough, without Twilight's?"

Luna approached Silver and looked her over intensely. "I can't see where our magic ends and Twilight's begins..."

Celestia shook her head. "I do not see it either... Will you accept your destiny, Silver? Twilight... will be shattered if you remain dead, at her hooves. Please."

Silver shook her head violently back and forth. "I don't want that on Twilight. It... had to be a mistake. Adorkable idiot..." She sank entirely to the ground. "I wanted to be a mother, not a princess..."

Luna suddenly turned to Celestia. "Silver brings up an excellent point. What would she be princess of?"

Celestia shrugged. "Twilight was the Element of Magic, but became Princess of Friendship. We can see where Silver fits in after we are finished here. Go on."

Luna reached for Silver cupping her cheeks in hooves. "There are no words I can say to ease the pain of a mother for the loss of her foal, but you will serve nopony in laying down your life as well. Accept your destiny, dear Silver Stars, and stand at our side. We will only proceed at your urging."

Silver rose up, rubbing her cheek into Luna's hoof. "Can you bring Twilight here?"

Celestia frowned in thought. "She has not yet advanced to that level. She has not yet bonded to the fabric of the world." She brushed a hoof through her flowing mane. "When we accepted our destinies and began to move the sun and the moon, they tethered us to that fabric, and their power flows through us. Twilight will find her own tether, of this I'm certain. You too, perhaps. Without it, she should not return here."

Silver's mind whirred frantically, trying to find the angle that let her walk out of the mess with her foal intact. There had to be a way, the Text said there was, but she couldn't find it... The other paths were so much more obvious. She could become a good alicorn and try to do well at Twilight's side, or even Luna or Celestia's side. She could take the power and make some crazy power play against Equestria. She didn't feel angry enough at either of them for that, she decided. Hurting was just not her goal in life. "Help me... I don't want him or her to die..."

Luna pointed at where the text had faded away. "It was correct. If there is a way, it is very well hidden. Our time draws short. We must revive you or forever lose you. Please, allow us."

Silver hung her head, then rose to her hooves. "Do I get a musical number?"

Celestia tilted her head in confusion. "What?"

Silver wobbled a hoof. "You know, going over my accomplishments, etc. etc.?"

Luna hesitantly nodded. "I suppose I can do that, but why I would sing it is beyond me."

Celestia went rigid. "Your tales carried even to here?! I did not sing to Twilight!" She stomped a hoof, looking agitated.

Despite that, the song music swelled up around all three. Luna began gently singing the tale of Silver's arrival, how she met him first in the cave while she slumbered as the human male. Images appeared around them, showing the sleeping David. It showed David carried into that first little town on the back of Wet Hoof. He met Rough Draft. He rode a train to Manehattan. He met so many, Lyra, Bon Bon, and others. He faced off against Luna's wrath at the changeling actor. He had a good time with what he thought would be his herd, before being kidnapped.

He decided to become a foal at Luna's hooves. He lived with Rough Draft and Trixie. He made new friends at school, and new enemies. He met Discord in person, and had brunch with the princesses. He experienced song magic for the first time. Luna kept right on singing as the images came and went. She seemed unaware of most of them, though Silver took them in, watching her life in Equestria play through. She saw an image of Celine and felt her heart clench. The hurt became new again as she watched several images pass of them together, being so happy and complete. Luna sung on, though a single tear ran down her cheek.

Silver shuddered, unable, unwilling more likely, to face the memories as they continued to crash down around her, but there was no looking away. The great battle with Tumble's parents brought Night Watch into her life, and cast Tumble out of it for a time. The great fireball lit up the panel it was on as Silver joyfully demonstrated her magic crafting ability, and she was in university, reunited with Lyra. She joined with Fast Change and Night Watch in the first herd that would stand the test of time, forged in the fires of Tirek's arrival. She moved against the changelings. She threw herself off a roof. She became a lunar unicorn.

Silver began to regret asking for this extended flashback, even if Luna's words were gentle and so pretty. Luna's hoof settled on Silver's head as she began to taper off. "Are you ready?"

Silver cringed, choking out a tiny, "No..." An old thought came back to her. Where were her rainbows? "Go ahead..."

Luna lifted Silver with a thought, her own hooves upraised. With a gentle mystic tug, she pulled free the magic within Silver. It swirled and bobbed around her. Silver grabbed for it, tears suddenly flowing powerfully. She thought she had heard a giggle, the barest sound of the child she was losing, but it was gone. The magic slammed into her and all was lost for a time.

Silver awoke beside a crater. She could hear sobbing, and it wasn't her own. She opened her eyes and saw Twilight with her hooves over her eyes, weeping bitterly. "Twilight?"

Twilight's head snapped up and focused on Silver. Her wings shot out wide. "Sil...ver?"

Silver rose to her own hooves and approached Twilight even as bright flashes signaled the arrival of Celestia and Luna. Twilight met Silver halfway and bowled her to the ground. Silver learned the new discomfort of having a wing compressed, but ignored it in favor of embracing Twilight with every hoof, squeezing desperately. "I'm sorry Twilight, so sorry..."

Twilight shook her head. "What in Equestria could you be sorry for? I... I blasted you... I went too far, and... what happened?"

Silver rubbed her wet snout against Twilight's chest. "I couldn't think of a way to save our foal. I failed our herd. I failed you. I..."

Twilight cringed and sank, pinning Silver down under herself. "I... it was me, Silver. I blasted you. You... don't get to blame yourself for not fixing my mistake."

Luna cleared her throat softly. "We do not mean to pry..."

Twilight only then realized the sisters were present and scrambled off of Silver, offering a hoof to help her up. Soon they sat side-by-side, facing Celestia and Luna.

Celestia smiled a sad little smile. "Welcome, Silver Stars. I am sorry for the nature in which you have joined our order, but you are welcome."

Luna frowned. "It was quite unkind for that 'Text' to taunt us with a solution without providing direction, nay, even a hint towards its location."

Silver deflated at Luna's words. "It can only show a path exists. Only our hooves can carry us on them. I wasn't strong, or clever, enough."

Twilight extended a wing to wrap around Silver, hugging her tightly. "What are you all talking about?" Twilight noticed that Silver was a little taller, but she was still smaller.

Celestia shook her head. "Let us put this behind us, for the moment. We must coronate you, Silver. The ponies will need to be informed they have a new princess."

Silver cringed at that. "I don't think the ponies of Canterlot will be thrilled at the news."

Luna tilted her head. "On the contrary, this does make your shameless display with Twilight come into a whole new focus. I doubt many will speak ill of it now. She was clearly preparing you in some way they cannot hope to comprehend."

Twilight rolled her eyes, then buried her face into Silver's neck. "I can't say sorry often or hard enough. Words aren't enough for... this."

Silver snuggled against Twilight. "Don't say that! I'm... not... I want to be with you, Twilight." She flashed a fanged smile. "We are two peas from the same pod." They sank against one another and slowly slid to the ground, united in loss and drawing strength from the fierce love both felt for one another, stoked into a painful fury in their battered hearts.

Author's Notes:

Behold...