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The Silver Stars

by David Silver

Chapter 62: 62 - Passing Time

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Silver awoke to find Twilight busily scrawling with a bit of chalk along the wall. Looking around revealed that all the walls were covered in writing. Twilight quickly noticed she was awake and smiled. "Morning, I think. Food's over there." She pointed to a tray of cool vegetables set beside the door.

Silver moved to nibble at the food. It was bland, especially for Canterlot offerings. It was also room temperature, but her belly wouldn't refuse it, and she wolfed it down without thinking too hard about its quality. "What are you working on?"

Twilight peeked over her shoulder. "Since we're stuck here, I was working on your problem."

Silver rose up and joined Twilight, trying to read over the manic scribbles. A lot of it looked like horn letters, but an equal amount of it was unfamiliar. "I can usually spot a letter, even if I haven't memorized it... What's that?" She pointed.

Twilight tilted her head. "That's a letter? Are you sure you know them that well?"

Silver frowned. "I never saw that one before..." She clopped a hoof on the ground. "Oh gods, of course! You were taught by Celestia personally, right?"

Twilight nodded a little hesitantly. "Yes?"

Silver pointed at the mystery letter. "She casually taught you letters that normal schools don't teach!" Silver brightened with curiosity. "I wonder what it does... You probably know so many new letters. Urg! Why did I leave my notebook at home!?"

Twilight brightened watching Silver start to geek out. "I can forget how passionate you can get about magic..." Twilight reached and rubbed that dreadful spot. Silver's thoughts crashed violently and she squeaked, recoiling away from Twilight. "That's the problem I plan to fix."

Silver shook her head. "Please don't touch me like that unless you... That sounds so selfish." She flopped down, aborting the thought.

Twilight frowned. "Be selfish. Tell me. I want you to be honest, with me, and yourself. Especially yourself."

Silver peeked up at Twilight before she drew a shaking breath. "I don't want to be touched there by you unless it's part of... love. If you want to hug me, fine. You want to kiss me there? No problem... But that rubbing... It makes my skin scrawl and reminds me of too much."

Twilight nodded lightly. "Wish granted. And if I disagreed, I'd say so. Friends can say 'no' without stopping being friends. Stop assuming everypony around you will turn away from you at the slightest provocation."

Silver's ears sagged a little. "Sometimes I wonder why there's so much fuss around me. I'm not that special."

Twilight softly tapped Silver on the nose. "Too bad. We disagree. Now do you want to know what I'm doing?"

Silver sat up, then rose back to her hooves. "I do. How does all this translate to me? I can't make out the pattern with all the new letters in there."

Twilight perked an ear. "So your talent doesn't work with new letters? I suppose that makes sense." She made a quick mark towards the ceiling. "I'm still working on the basic hypothesis. Right now it wouldn't do much more than put you into a receptive state."

Silver burst into giggles. "Do not share this spell with Fast Change or very little work will get done."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Noted. We need a lot more than that to get to where you want to go."

Silver gestured at the mess. "Where do you you plan to go then? What is this building towards?"

Twilight nodded her head firmly. "You inspired me, talking about 'souls' and things. What if your--our foal wasn't destroyed? If they are in that other place, maybe they can be called back? It's all extremely theoretical, and it may turn out to be nothing but a waste of time... But I owe you that much." She made another mark and frowned. "Even if it did work, the magic required would be more than even I could put out at once."

Silver raised a hoof. "Well you have another princess ready to give her all."

Twilight nodded. "I figured you would be, but we'd need another. Perhaps Cadance, or Luna..."

Silver perked an ear. "Not Celestia?"

Twilight looked guilty. "Uh, yeah, or Celestia." She sank a little. "I'm not sure how I feel about her right now. I mean... She gave me exactly what I wanted. I'm being punished. This room is maddening, but you shouldn't be in here! You're a victim, not a criminal..." She reached a hoof, brushing across Silver's slender snout. "And you being here makes me happier, which somewhat negates the whole punishment thing."

Silver nuzzled the hoof. "Let's use the time productively."

And so they did.


Luna sat across from Celestia. "You are in the wrong."

Celestia raised a brow. "What about?"

Luna gestured vaguely. "We promised to interfere no longer. Silver has done nothing wrong, and yet there she is."

Celestia nodded. "There she is, beside the pony she adores. Given enough time, they may yet produce a new foal."

Luna snorted loudly. "They are not farm beasts, to be contained in a room until breeding is a success. One is your pupil, who idolizes your every step, the other is a fragile soul who is already convinced you hate them entirely. Do you not see the widening rift you make between yourself and Silver? I would think you, oh politically-minded sister, would wish a new princess to be at your side, not opposed to you."

Celestia raised a brow lightly. "And what do you suggest then?"

Luna clopped the top of the table. "Enough games. Tell Silver exactly how you feel and what you want, and assume she is an adult. We cannot keep them both as if they are wayward foals. Keeping Silver out of the dreamscape was needlessly cruel." She crossed her forehooves. "I will not do it again. She has only just discovered this aspect of her life, and I will not hold her back from it."

Celestia waved at Luna. "Now that you have a student of your own, you fear upsetting them, is that it?"

Luna frowned deeply. "She is a friend, a confidant, and a student. She is also a subject. She is many things, but a criminal she is not. She has done everything we've asked. Stop torturing her."

Celestia leaned forward in her seat. "But I am not torturing her, as you say. I am guiding them towards happiness. They will find deeper love with Twilight Sparkle over time, and they will bond tightly. They are meant for each other. I am certain she will unlock Twilight's next step along."

Luna heaved an exasperated sigh. "Please, just for once, dear sister, consider the steps and not just the end goal. Silver loves Twilight, this much is true, but being forced like this... Give them choice." She waved a hoof. "Have faith for once. Let your people find their way on their own."

Celestia suddenly stood up. "I will speak to her. I think you're being far too melodramatic about this whole thing, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and have a one-on-one with Silver and see how she feels."

Luna brightened a little. "Will you release her if I am right?"

Celestia half-lidded her eyes. "And if I'm right?"

Luna shook her head quickly. "This is not a wager! I'm trying to do the right thing, sister. Please, be serious."

Celestia turned away and departed, leaving the frustrated Luna behind. Luna let loose her magic, and a pink pony faded into view. Cadance shook her head slowly. "You weren't lying."

Luna nodded. "I fear for her, and for Equestria. She means well by the whole, but..."

Cadance frowned. "But she is willing to crush anything in the way to that happy ending. You were right, this is a serious concern, but what can we do about it?"

Luna sagged a little. "Challenging her publicly would do little good for us."

Cadance sat across from Luna. "I confess, I thought you were being jealous... Are Twilight and Silver alright?"

Luna nodded in reply. "Twilight wanted to be punished, and is being so. Silver shows signs of agitation, but is getting along with Twilight. I shudder to think if Celestia had placed them separately. Isolation reform, as if that's what either of them needs."

Cadance shuddered softly. "That sounds terrible. We'll talk more. I'm going to discuss this with Shining." She quietly departed.


The door to their small room opened and a voice called in. "Silver Stars, step out."

Silver glanced at Twilight. "Be strong."

Twilight smiled. "Get going. I'm fine."

Silver emerged into darkness, which she quickly realized was a burlap bag over her head. She was led along in the dark of the sack for several minutes, then nudged to lay down on a cushion. A golden glow wrapped around the bag and lifted it, revealing she was seated at a small table across from Celestia. "Hello."

Silver blinked. "Um... Hi?" Her ears spun back as her heart picked up, thinking of a thousand reasons Celestia could want to suddenly speak, many not good. "I'm sorry?"

Celestia tilted her head. "What could you be sorry for?"

Silver frowned in thought. "Uh... I killed that pegasus? I... corrupted? Twilight?" Each word had its own question, and Silver shuffled uncomfortably. "I don't know! You just hate me."

Celestia drew Silver closer, her wings deceptively powerful. "Would I bless someone I hated?"

Silver shuddered. "I lost that child, despite the blessing... Maybe because of it. You didn't try to help it."

Celestia shook her head slowly. "There is very little that can interfere with ascendance in any positive fashion. You are the first to be bearing a foal during it. I had hoped you would become a mother first, and a princess afterwards, if at all."

Silver suddenly lashed out a hoof, thudding against Celestia's chest. "You're hurting Twilight. Stop it."

Celestia snorted softly. "I have given her exactly what she wished. Now it is your turn." She set Silver on the table. "Poor damaged thing. Your tears move me." She rose a hoof under Silver's chin, raising it so they looked eye-to-eye. "I know you surrendered your favor to Luna, but that was dirty pool. What do you really want?"

Silver froze a moment. What did she want? What could she deliver? "I want to be treated as an equal. I want to be spoken to, instead of at. I want you to stop dragging me into things."

Celestia spun Silver over, belly-up, without effort, tracing a hoof slowly across her. "You say that, but your eyes, those moist, tearful... searching eyes. You want to be loved. You want to be accepted."

Silver did want that, and began to squirm under Celestia's gaze as her petting grew more intense. Silver almost fell into it, surrendered to her gentle siren's call, but her hoof pressed against that emptiness, and the angry pain flared up. Silver gave a sudden almost-strangled yelp and shied from her. "You had your chance. I don't need to be your... pet. I am ready to be a mother, and an adult. I might be small, but no more." She moved to sit up and Celestia began stroking her, robbing her of her strength as giddy pleasure built in her.

Celestia could learn fast, and avoided that sensitive place of discomfort. "I saw your eyes in my dream. You stared at him. Do you still think yourself a stallion, or are you mare entirely?"

Silver flushed at the question. "There are very few I want to be under. Your dream fantasy isn't one of them."

"That doesn't answer the question." She leaned in and licked away the tears under one of Silver's eyes. "What are you?"

Silver sighed out as she flopped. "Complicated question... I... I'm comfortable in this body now. I'm alright being a mare."

Celestia smiled almost triumphantly. "I had thought you would. Are you not thankful, looking back?"

Silver tilted her head at Celestia. "You were... just plain horrible. I say that in the nicest way, which isn't very nice I suppose, but you were. Trapping me like that, using Twilight... That bet! I know about that! If you had just... asked? If you just walked up to me and asked, 'Hey, Silver, I want to make you a mare for a while.'" She snorted. "Heck, if you got Twilight to ask as part of one of her tests, I probably wouldn't have thought of refusing her, but you could have asked yourself." Silver rolled up to sitting at last. "Why don't you have even a shred of faith in me?"

Celestia waved at Silver. "But see what good has come of it."

Silver grabbed at one of Celestia's forelegs and buried her tear-covered face in it a moment, getting it damp. "This is not good. I could have gotten here without being angry with you. I could have gotten here without any of that... Now I'm a mother without a foal, with a heavy crown I don't know how to wear. Was that the goal? Really?" She spread her wings wide to either side. "It's not in my nature to hate, but you're testing even my patience. I want to love you."

Celestia rolled Silver back upright and looked at her curiously a moment. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you want to love me?"

Silver considered that with a chin tapping. "That's a good question. You... the you I knew before I came here was the epitome of a kind mother. I guess I fell in love with the idea of that, of being watched over, and loved, like that."

Celestia brushed over Silver's back with the tips of her wings. "That is still possible, little lunar princess."

Silver frowned at Celestia. "I told Twilight, and it goes double for you. Stop touching me like that unless you mean it. You don't like that I'm a lunar pony, let alone a lunar princess. Stop pretending this softness just to slap me around more later. You said I was a good pony before, then you hurled me under the bus to save Twilight without hesitation, or asking, again." She threw up her forehooves. "Now I get to look forward to ponies staring at me when I didn't even do a damn thing this time!" Celestia reached to pet Silver but was brushed away angrily. "I did exactly what you said to do! I gave up. I rolled over. I waited for help. My reward was a lost foal, and new responsibilities, then to be put on public display as a 'corruptor'. What is it about me that disgusts you to the core?"

Celestia ruffled her wings uncomfortably. The conversation had gone to places she had not planned for. "Silver, I do not hate you. You are one of my precious little ponies."

Silver thrust a hoof at Celestia. "Prove it! You're all pretty words until it's time for action, then you crush anyone in the way."

Celestia huffed softly. "Very well. The favor is yours to ask. What is it you wish?"

Silver closed her eyes. "Fine. I asked for the impossible once and got the best few weeks of my life. Here we go. I want my foal back. I want that precious little life back from wherever ponies go when they're not alive. Is there a pony heaven? Do you even know what I'm saying?"

Celestia tilted her head. "Not exactly, but I know what you are referring to. Your foal can't be.. brought back, because it's already here."

Silver blinked. "Come again?"

Celestia reached out, brushing slowly along one of Silver's wings. "Your foal is in you, part of you. When you learn how to tap into your new nature, you may even become familiar with them."

Silver shuddered as her imagination spun wildly. "What kind of life is that, trapped inside of me? Can they see? Can they hear? Will they grow?" She stopped dead and looked at Celestia. "Are you telling the truth?"

Celestia placed a hoof over her chest. "I swear it. Your foal yet lives."

Silver collapsed to the table limply. "Alive... Shit..."

"Language."

"Fuck the language!" Silver sat up onto her haunches. "I'm... stupidly happy to hear he or she is alive, but I don't want them to be stuck in me forever! That isn't the life I want for my kid." She slid off the table. "You wanted me to be a mother, well this is what you got. I want my child, alive, separate from me. I want to hold them, not... this."

Celestia shook her head. "Your child will never be complete. At best you may separate for small times, but they will need to return to you or perish."

Silver flared her wings. "What if something happens to me? Celestia... This..."

Celestia sighed gently. "This is the truth. It is more than you had moments ago."

Silver nodded slowly. "That is true. Thank you. Thank you for telling me, and letting me decide what to do with it." She moved around Celestia. "Do you plan to keep me here?"

Celestia gestured off. "You will be returned to Twilight's side. That is where you wish to be, is it not?"

Silver tilted her head. "Sort of? I didn't want to be a criminal in a cage. I didn't want to be accused of somehow helping ensure my own foal's death... who isn't even dead? Why is Twilight in jail if nopony died?"

Celestia gave a wan smile. "That is what she wanted. Please, keep her company, and help her through this dark time. I cannot do that."

Silver sat up straight, "That is a request I can fulfill with pleasure. Is that why the food's terrible?"

Celestia waved a wing. "She must feel punished, or she will accuse me of not 'performing justice'. I care for her, Silver. She is practically a daughter to me. Will you care for her?"

Silver bobbed her head. "Of course. I love her, as much as I know how to love anything. I'm becoming convinced I really don't know that very well."

Celestia arched a brow high. "That is a powerful thing to realize. If you wish to speak to me again, knock three times, then four."

Silver was sent back to her room with Twilight, head full of plenty of new things to consider.

Author's Notes:

You know what you need? An extra long chapter!

Now with 20% more typos! Jumbo everything!

Next Chapter: 63 - True Forgiveness Estimated time remaining: 7 Hours, 45 Minutes
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