With the near-disastrous return of winter, Silver wandered away from the racetrack. It was nice to be free of that small room, and she saw no reason to rush indoors just yet. The soft crunch of snow beneath her hooves gave her a feeling of nostalgia. It had been over twenty years since she had last had the pleasure of snow. "You should always get enough snow each year to get tired of it." She giggled a bit at her old saying, and looked forward to getting tired of the snow.

A pair of eyes followed Silver’s movements, wondering just how to approach the mare. From her spot in the forest, she was well hidden, the last thing she wanted to do was raise attention. She watched the grey pegasus take off, leaving Silver all alone. This was her chance, she thought to herself. “Hmm, aren’t you just a pretty little thing now?” Glimmer softly spoke, stepping out into Silver’s view.

Silver drew up short, chest tightening as she realized who was in front of her. "Um…" She wasn't sure how to react. "If you're planning on trying to take me again…" She hunched down a little, as if ready to battle if need be.

“Oh relax, Princess, I’m just here to look today,” Glimmer responded with a smirk, taking another step forward. “I’ve set aside that job for more personal pursuits.”

Silver perked up a little, ears directed at Glimmer as caution turned partially to curiosity. "You gave up the job? So… who was asking anyway?" She spread out her wings a little, ruffling them in a nervous display.

With a small chuckle, Glimmer shook her head. “That’d be unprofessional of me, even if I’m no longer on the job," she began, walking up to Silver, that smirk still on her face. “But, for a price, I might be willing to divulge that information.”

Silver's nose flared softly. "Price? I haven't actually been paid yet…" She became a little shy at Glimmer's approach and tried to counter it with her own movement, circling around Glimmer. "I only just became a princess."

A tail flicked upwards, brushing at Silver’s face. “Oh, it’s not bits I’m after… are you certain you don’t want to give up that nasty cutie mark and come with me?” Glimmer asked in a seductive tone. “I’d love to be corrupted.”

Silver went red quickly, her rump shaking a little with her tail swaying. "I've felt your magic before… I'm sure it's perfectly lovely for somepony, but it… it's just…" She stomped into the snow with a crunch. "It's kind of horrible. I can't think… You know?"

“Oh, I do… just looking at you, my mind begins to draw a blank,” Glimmer continued teasing, winking at her, sitting down and looking at Silver. “But, it’s not bad… should you ever change your mind, just let me know. You don’t need to think for what we’d get up to.”

Silver suddenly recalled something and sat in front of Glimmer. "I have a question and I need a forthright answer. When you first attacked us, who did what in the dark?" She raised a brow high.

“My associates worked on distracting those around you while I zapped your fine flank,” Glimmer replied, however there was no longer any hint of seduction present. “I didn’t stick around beyond that, I had a cutie mark to take care of.”

Silver gave a slow nod… "They hurt one of my herd members. Did they… survive Twilight's outburst? They said they didn't find anything there, but I figure you would know better."

An involuntary shudder ran down Glimmer’s spine. “Fortunately, I had sent them ahead to the camp… once they heard what had happened though, who knows where they are now?” she finished, taking in a deep breath. “That is mostly the reason that I have no desire to chase after your mark anymore. You, however, are far too interesting to just leave be.”

Silver tilted her head a little, looking a bit more relaxed. "Well, alright." She took a slow breath. "Look, why don't we try this from the start? If nowhere else, Equestria is a place for second starts and chances, so…" She thrust a hoof towards Glimmer. "I'm Silver Stars."

“You’re quite the odd one…” Glimmer trailed off before taking Silver’s hoof with her own. “Starlight Glimmer. However, I think your purple princess would be more than happy to lock me up and throw away the key.”

Silver smiled gently. "They forgave Discord. You can't be as bad as he was starting out, right? Nice to meet you, Starlight. That's a lovely name." She canted her head a little. "Sorry about the scare. You should have… seen it from my angle. Twilight gave us both a fright."

“A fright? Somewhat of an understatement,” Glimmer was quick to reply, shivering once more. “I should have hidden her cutie mark far, far away when we first stumbled upon each other had I known what would happen. I was honestly surprised to hear that you had survived…”

"I didn't," replied Silver flatly before she raised a hoof. "But you can't go hunting Twilight for that. She's important, and good, even if she does make mistakes. You want to be forgiven, right? It goes both ways."

Glimmer stood back up, her magic coming to life and teasing the very tip of Silver’s left ear with that smirk back on her face. “Do I? Perhaps I have other reasons for approaching you, all alone, nopony in sight or hearing.”

Silver's ear twitched wildly at the rubbing as a little shiver ran through her body in the subtle pleasure of it. "Are you playing at something?" Click. "Oh wait." She raised to her hooves uncertainly. "I'm… I have a herd."

“And?” Glimmer slyly asked, her magic fading from Silver’s ear, this time moving to the small saddlebags on her back, a silken-wrapped small object coming into view. “A gift for you, Silver.” It came to a stop just in front of her at eye level.

Silver went cross-eyed for a moment peering at the sudden object hovering before her. She flopped back onto her haunches and reached for it curiously, forgetting for just a moment her objection in favor of discovering what was hidden inside. "What is it?" Not that she paused her attempts to open it and find out.

“Just an object that will forever bind your will to mine that if I were caught would no doubt have me banished from Equestria,” Glimmer seriously replied, letting her magic drop it onto Silver’s hoof. “Go on, open it!”

Silvery magic wrapped around the package before Silver thought to concentrate on her old missing hands. She gently began to unwrap the package with the magical digits, eager to discover what was inside. As the purple sphere came into view, she smiled at Glimmer. "You are very kind. See… that was just nice. You could have done all kinds of things with this I bet." She moved to hastily put it back around her own neck.

Glimmer rolled her eyes for a moment. “Not even a remark? I must be losing my touch.” She pouted for a moment before sighing. “Yes, there are all sorts of nefarious things that I could do to make you mine… but then I’d have a rather powerful princess chasing me, and one brush with death was more than enough. But don’t think I’ve completely given up on my pursuit,” Glimmer finished, voice raising at the end as the smallest hint of seduction came back.

Silver flushed a little, but her eyes didn't leave Glimmer as thoughts raced along all too-predictable lines. "Why don't you stay a little while? You sound ready to run off?" She rose up to her hooves and approached Glimmer with a happy smile. "I'd like to get to know you, the real you… The one not running around trying to snatch things." She reached out a hoof, trying to wrap a leg around Glimmer's neck in a hug.

Ducking underneath the hoof, Glimmer came up and nuzzled at Silver’s cheek. “I think that I’d like that, you becoming an alicorn has only drawn out even more of that beauty… to think, you’re not done growing yet, either,” she slyly spoke, shifting gears a moment later. “However, I believe there are three mares of yours, not to mention the princess’ friends, who would just love to get their hooves on me for the wrong reasons.”

Silver's cheek was quite warm, kept softly tinted red by the affection. She frowned at Glimmer's words and shook her head. "I will defend you if I have to. You showed me real trust today." She gently brushed the heart crystal. "You deserve a chance to be good… I know what that's like, being the bad pony, having people look at you that way…"

“Still, I think it best I see to… other matters first, give things time to cool down,” Glimmer responded with a smirk, her magic teasing Silver’s ear for a few, short seconds again. “However, before I leave… perhaps you’d like to know who is after that lovely little flank of yours?”

Silver couldn't suppress the shiver at the ear attention. "Uhn, yes, please?" She blinked softly before leaning forward towards Glimmer, flashing her fanged teeth. "I… You know, most ponies are put off by the whole lunar appearance, especially on a unicorn, or, uh, alicorn now, but unicorn when we first met."

Moving forward, Glimmer only stopped once their lips were nearly touching, every puff of breath of Glimmer’s felt by Silver. “I’m not most ponies, now am I?” she softly and arrogantly started. “The night is just fraught with danger… and there’s nothing sexier than danger. So… for a kiss, I might just tell you who it is.”

Silver tried to be slick and leaned in quick, aiming to press her lips to Glimmer's left cheek in a chaste exchange. "Maybe I'll visit you in your dreams." Her words lacked the usual sarcasm one might have when saying the phrase.

“Oh, now that’s tempting…” she curiously replied as Silver’s soft lips touched her cheek. Taking a step back, Glimmer winked at Silver before darting in and bumping noses for a split second. “Look to the mail, it’ll come eventually… shame I didn't specify where that kiss should be.”

The nose bump only seemed to make Silver happier. She bobbed her head. "I'll keep an eye out for it. Don't be a stranger… If you let me know before you come, I'll settle the others down, and maybe we can talk it out? I meant what I said, about everyone deserving a chance." She didn't mention the kiss, thinking better on discussing that part.

“Oh, I will, trust me,” Glimmer took a few steps back, grinning at Silver now. “If I’m really lucky, I’ll be on your mind for some time now. But, it’s time for me to split, things to do, bits to be made before I come back around, you know how it goes,” she humorously remarked, turning around and starting to canter away, her tail swaying rapidly to and fro.

Silver watched her go a moment before raising a hoof in a wave. "Be well." She turned herself then and spread her wings. She launched to the air and made her way home, wondering how everyone else handled the day, and wondering about Glimmer along the way. Perhaps they could become friends?

Luna pointed at Celestia. "You."

Celestia frowned sharply. "That is not amusing."

Luna nodded with a sure expression. "All of the worst things have come from your action or inaction. You kept Silver always at hoof's length at best. When she needed you, you turned away. When she slipped, you punished and berated her without hesitation. You always kept your eyes set to the far future, where there was no room for the pony right in front of you that needed your warmth today. This isn't about Silver, not specifically."

Cadance nodded softly. "We should put her aside for now. This is a larger problem. Little problems today can become the great trouble to be solved in the future." She gestured northwards towards her own kingdom. "The Crystal Empire is well on the way to reconstruction. In the long-term, we will almost assuredly succeed..."

Celestia nodded at Cadance. "This is good. I have read your reports."

Cadance smiled gently. "But in the short term... My people are badly undersupplied and lacking horsepower. We're doing everything with painful slowness, and that hurts morale, which slows things further. Hurt morale also opens us to shadow attacks." She raised a brow. "Which I think is a large part of why we were besieged when we were. It wasn't a 'beacon of chaos'. We created that trouble for ourselves. You decided how much we would get, and we're doing our best with it... But..."

Shining Armor interjected quickly. "Not that we don't appreciate what you have sent! Every shipment is a lifesaver."

Celestia put a hoof to her head. "I am sending what I can. Where can I divert more without causing shortages in Equestria itself? You know I've done the numbers, both of you. Sending more will tip the economy towards a downfall, with severe long-term effects. As you said yourself, you will pull through this."

Luna rolled a hoof. "There must be a compromise..."

The debates went on.

Author's Notes:

A delightful collab chapter! The first part was done with Spacecowboy who played a rather nice and subtly evil Starlight Glimmer. Will she come to the good side? Silver's willing to bribe her with cookies and promises of friendship. Reformation is the Equestrian way, right?

Meanwhile, the princesses discuss heavy matters, like typos.