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The Silver Stars

by David Silver

Chapter 70: 70 - Letting Go

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"Twilight, could you give us a moment?" Silver gestured to the door.

Twilight rose to her hooves. "Sure, just call me back if you need me."

She departed shortly, and Celestia looked at Silver curiously. "What did you need to speak privately about?"

Silver wobbled a hoof. "You want her."

Celestia frowned. "She is perfectly happy as she is. You had best treat her perfectly."

Silver shook her head a little. "You want her, badly. I'm in the way."

Celestia set a hoof down on the table. "You're not the only one that can see a pattern, Silver Stars. You're about to try giving her to me. I won't take her. It... humbles me, that you would, but worries me at once." She leaned over the table towards Silver. "She does not see me as somepony she can love, only admire and worship. I will not hurt her in breaking this perception."

Silver snorted softly. "It's still stupid as hell. You're both princesses. The only differences between you are in her head."

Celestia gave a sad little smile. "Her adorable head, dense as it can be at times. What do you suggest, Silver? That I sweep her off her hooves, proclaim my fire for her, and demand her hoof?"

Silver tilted her head one way, then the other. "Yes? She's an adult, a full-grown mare. Heck, she has a foal, odd as it may be currently. Trust her to make a decision on her own instead of making it for her."

Celestia frowned and the hoof on the table began to smoulder as her heat built to the point of burning the wood. "Perhaps you have a point. I have been told I don't allow my ponies to decide things, and she is not my pony, she is my peer. But what of you? Do you not love Twilight?"

Silver sighed softly. "With all my heart, as far as I can tell, but I know she would be so happy if you got through to her. I can't even imagine standing in the way of that. You have an uphill battle, but if you did get through that..." Silver rolled a hoof slowly. "I do think she would be ecstatic beyond reason."

Celestia reached over the table and poked Silver on the snout. "You are too kind, and I mean that literally. If my sister did not still have her eyes on you, I might be tempted."

Silver warmed dangerously. "I... does that mean you don't hate me then?"

Celestia shook her head. "No... I think I never did. You just reminded me of things that angered me, and forced me to see what I did not want to see. Do you wish to be my friend?"

Silver bobbed her head with a bright and fanged smile.

"Good." Celestia looked to the door and raised her voice. "Princess Twilight, do come in."

Twilight stepped back in and closed the white door behind herself. "Everything alright?"

Celestia rose from her cushion and stepped towards Twilight. "Princess Twilight Sparkle, I have an announcement to make."

Twilight recoiled a little in surprise. "What?"

Celestia bowed, the front of her body dipping to the floor. "I would suit you, Princess Twilight Sparkle, that you would find me acceptable."

Twilight's mane went from freshly brushed to frizzy instantly, and she collapsed to her haunches. "W-what? I... What?"

Silver smiled from her seat, even as a new pain lanced through her. "Celestia wants to bid for your hoof, Twilight. She deserves the chance, does she not?"

Twilight grit her teeth a moment before giving a stiff nod. "I... suppose? I... Celestia? You..."

Celestia reached forward and plucked Twilight off the ground, nuzzling her. "Think of me not as your mentor or teacher. Those days are past. As I said when you ascended, you are a princess now, and we are peers."

Twilight began to wriggle uncomfortably, becoming more and more overwhelmed by the moment. "But..." Her words refused to come out of her snout as she flailed mentally.

Silver smiled with a bit of building sadness. "You two will make a lovely couple..."

Twilight suddenly snapped, teleporting back to her hooves. "No! No no no! I accepted Silver Stars and her herd's engagement. This isn't right! I mean... I'm flattered, beyond flattered. I don't even know how I feel right now. Do you... like me that way?"

Celestia smiled gently. "I would be your eternal partner, gladly and forever."

Twilight shoved a hoof in Silver's direction. "Then you'd better court her herd, because I'm not abandoning them. That is not how a friend behaves. You helped me know that."

Celestia sighed gently and moved to reclaim her seat. "Then we proceed as we stated. Go, speak with your herd. You will either have to learn the ways of royal herds and obey the laws, or separate from them for a time. I don't predict the nobility will cede to our demands quickly or easily. They know who is involved in the only royal herd, and Silver has earned little love from them."

Silver nodded stiffly, glancing between Twilight and Celestia before looking back at Twilight. "We've made up. We're friends now."

Twilight smiled gently. "Now that's great news I can stand behind. Good. You're both wonderful ponies." Twilight moved to settle on her own cushion. "I hope we can all be good friends to one another, above and beyond any... romantic feelings."

Celestia looked away. "I'm sorry for troubling you."

Silver frowned at the exchange. "No." She tapped the top of the table with a hoof. "Twilight, she means it, and that's OK. She isn't your teacher anymore. You're a mare, not only an adult, but a princess."

Twilight nodded at Silver slowly. "I... understand that." She smiled at Celestia with worry. "This is just all so sudden. I'm not... angry, Celestia. Please, just give me a little to... process it? I do mean it." She pointed at Silver. "You either join the herd or not at all. I've already agreed and that would be... I'm not even going to consider breaking that. That would..." She hung her head then, unable to continue.

Celestia reached out a wing, brushing Twilight's cheek lightly, "Take your time. I can wait. Time is a resource I have in abundance. You should be truthful in your dealings. If you deny me, I will still be here, and I will still be here for you. If you threw aside Silver's herd, you would not be the wonderful mare I've grown so fond of."

Soon they departed the room, Silver carrying the weighty book of herd laws in her saddlebag. They spread their wings and soon Silver and Twilight were on their way to Ponyville. Luna stepped free of another room closeby. "You said more than I thought you would."

Cadance stepped out of the same room right after her. "I may have helped."

Celestia's eyes widened. "Niece!" She trembled, flames licking over her form a moment before it fizzled off. "She took it better than I thought she would."

Cadance gestured at the shrinking forms of the two alicorns. "She is a grown mare, as you said. Aunt, trust her, and yourself."

Luna snorted softly. "I was flattered when you thought of me, sister. Why did you not take Silver's offer?"

Celestia raised a brow. "Didn't you hear Twilight? She would not have accepted my taking her away from that herd. I am not in any hurry to do that to her."

Luna snorted softly and ruffled her wings. Cadance looked to her with a raised brow. "You are the mare of her dreams."

Luna barked out a laugh at Cadance's words. "I do suppose that is the case. Ugh, when did our life become a poorly-written romantic novel? I'm going to bed. Wake me when it is time to get actual work done."

When Luna had left, Celestia settled her eyes on Cadance. "Well, do you feel that was worth it?"

Cadance pointed back at Celestia. "Do you?"

Celestia rose to her hooves and moved to walk down the hall. "There is much to prepare for. You should return. Your ponies need you."


Silver and Twilight landed lightly on the balcony of the castle and moved inside. Night was there, writing something out. She looked up on their entry. "Back so soon? Did it..." She looked over their expressions with a frown. "What happened?"

Silver pointed at Twilight. "Celestia wants Twilight."

Twilight went red quickly. "You can't just say it like that!"

Night raised a brow. "I... see? So should I expect her to turn us all to ash or quietly move us to some forgotten outpost?"

Twilight turned on Night, wings flared wide. "Don't say that! Celestia isn't like that. She's good and kind..."

Silver shook her head at Night. "I think she'll try approaching us, maybe."

Night sank in place. "Great..."

Silver quickly moved up to Night, nuzzling her cheek. "You sound disappointed, not scared."

Night leaned against Silver. "The writing's on the wall. If she means it, there's no way you'll turn her away. She's already Twilight's idol, and Fast is hardly much of a gatekeeper. It's... Come on, you have to see this."

Silver considered a moment before it came to her and she sagged a little. "And you're going to be overshadowed more."

Night tapped Silver on the nose with her fuzzy wing. "Bad enough with two alicorns and a very talented unicorn. Now you want to throw the ruler of all Equestria in there? Seriously?" She sagged. "The bite thing didn't even last long."

Silver tilted her head. "It wore off?"

Night nodded slowly. "Tested it with Fast. I'm not a pure breed, it's just not in the cards. I'm just a bat pony with good eyes."

Silver winced at 'bat pony'. "Night Watch! Never say that about yourself. You are not just 'an' anything. You got me here. You stood at my side. You helped heal me."

Night brushed gently across Silver's snout with a wing. "And now you are much better. You don't need me. Nopony in this herd does. I'm just a big fat mare. I... I'm glad we've had this time together, but I'm just in the way now."

Silver wrapped a wing around Night, squeezing her. "You are the mother of my foal, and I love you. You don't need special powers to hold onto my heart. Did you see about the town hall job?" She looked up for Twilight, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Night sagged. "Pushing papers around? That's not what I imagined for myself. I want to use these eyes of mine. I want to tackle intruders and criminals. I'm a guardian, Silver. I want to guard. This castle has its own guards, it doesn't need me, and I'm just getting fatter, so that scratches out tackling anything, except maybe you. You're easy to tackle." Silver began to object, but was suddenly thrown to the ground, and Night settled over her, belly-to-belly.

Silver warmed as she felt Night's bulging belly press against her. "You are a wonderful pony." Silver brought in her legs, rubbing across the bulge. "Swelling with our love. I'll do anything for you, just... say it."

Author's Notes:

Things are growing more complicated. At least Silver is facing each problem.

We'll make the typos run away instead.

Next Chapter: 71 - Night Break Estimated time remaining: 6 Hours, 32 Minutes
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