Silver did not leave Night's side for the rest of the day, following her around as she went about her business. Night perked an ear at Silver. "You don't have to trail me everywhere. I won't blow away."

Silver moved up on Night. "Not physically. I want to help."

Night wrinkled her nose. "I want to be useful. That's all. No more or less."

Silver gave a soft nod, tapping her chin a moment. "I will be right back." She darted in and kissed Night's cheek. "I'll be thinking of you the whole way." Night made a dismissive motion, but her cheeks warmed.

Silver made her way quickly into town on her large wings. Flying was a thing she was growing to enjoy. Like running, her new nature filled the very act of getting from one point to another a task with great pleasure. She decided she would run back. She ducked to the left, narrowly avoiding a pegasus flying the other way. The pegasus looped around and came back. "Hi!" It was Derpy.

Silver flashed a bright smile. "Hey Derps! I'm headed to the town hall. You?"

Derpy pointed down. "I'm delivering a package to Sugarcube Corner. Take it easy?"

Silver held out a hoof that Derpy met, then they parted ways amiably. She saw the town hall coming up and came in for a semi-smooth landing, forced to run until her momentum ran dry. She sprinted up to the door and opened it with her magic, stepping into the maze of very busy pencil-pushers.

A secretary gave a tired smile at her. "Oh, hello Princess Silver Stars. I don't think I've seen you here before."

Silver perked her ears, pleasantly surprised at the kind greeting. "Hello! I'm here trying to find out what projects are in need of security or management. I have a good pony looking for a task that will help the community."

She tilted her head a little. "You'll want to talk to Pony Resources for that." She pointed down a hall. "Third on the right."

Silver nodded towards the pony. "Thank you. Good day." She trotted on past, leaving the secretary to resume typing. It was still a bit of a mystery to Silver how two-key typewriters worked. She soon arrived at the door that had 'Po y Res ces' written on it, with several of the remaining letters worn over time. Silver raised a brow at it, then wrapped the door in her silver magic and failed to nudge it open before remembering that doorknobs were a thing and refocusing her magic on it, soon opening the door. "Hello?"

A thin stallion behind a desk looked up, a huge set of glasses perched on his snout. "What? Oh, hello there! Uh... Who are you?"

Silver trotted into the crowded office, trying to step on places where papers weren't scattered around, though that was more often a choice of places with less papers, rather than being entirely clear. "I'm Silver Stars. I wanted to get a list of current projects? Preferably those in need of supervision, management, and/or security. Can you help me please?"

He tilted his head. "Oh, well, I guess you're in the right place for that." He adjusted his glasses with his hooves, reminding Silver of Night a moment. "Oh, are you a princess?"

Silver couldn't help but giggle at the slow recognition. "Yes, but forget that."

He began to reach for various stacks of papers, making more of a mess as he pushed them around and knocked much of it to the floor, grumbling to himself. "Equivalent Position is out with a cold. She's a lot better at this... It's in a red folder."

Silver spotted a red folder in the pile that had been knocked over and picked it up with her magic, offering it to the stallion. "Here you are. What's your name?"

"Leave Sharing." He accepted the folder and flipped it open. "Let's see... There's a project to renovate the road leading to Princess Twilight Sparkle's castle. There's a planned road through the Everfree..."

Silver tilted her head. "Why would you want a road through there?"

He shrugged. "Somepony thinks trade will pick up with a safe route to Appleloosa that isn't the railway. We don't have security or management for that. Why do you ask, if you don't mind my asking, your majesty."

Silver waved. "You don't have to 'your majesty' me, it's quite fine. I have a friend looking for work that specializes in security and has a good eye for detail. I think she would manage the project very well."

Leave looked thoughtful a moment. "Well if you say so, but there are forms to fill out. Have her come down and we'll get started on those, and the Mayor has final say on all hires."

Silver flashed a fanged smile. "Fantastic! Thank you." She turned to depart. "Have a good one." Leave waved and Silver slipped out into the hallway, returning to the front desk. "May I speak to the mayor?"

The secretary shook her head. "You need an appointment."

Silver tapped her chin, reversing her previous stance. "Even for a princess?"

The secretary sighed softly and pressed a button on a console. "Mayor Mare? Princess Silver Stars is here to see you."

There was a moment of quiet before a soft crackle played over the speaker. "Send her away! And clean everything she touched. Don't look her in the eyes!"

Silver sagged at the frantic-sounding rebuff. "I'm not... I'm just trying to get a pony a job, not put a spell on the Mayor."

The secretary shrugged softly. "Sorry ma'am." She flashed a brief smile. "If it makes any difference, you seem nice enough."

"Thanks..." Silver turned and strode from the building, grumbling a little to herself. She sat on her haunches in front of the city hall, frowning.

"Why the long face?" Silver looked up to see Rainbow Dash on a cloud, looking down at her.

Silver pointed back at the town hall. "The Mayor's decided I'm an evil demon and won't talk to me."

Rainbow descended in a flash of color, landing in front of Silver. "Who cares about her? You wanted to get her to come to a building opening or something?"

Silver huffed gently. "Not quite. I want to get Night Watch a job, and she has to sign off on it. If she hates me, she probably knows Night's related to me."

Rainbow gave a huh. "Yeah, that sucks... Try talking to Applejack. I think she and Mayor Mare have an understanding. Failing that, there's always Twilight. She's been wearing the crown longer and the Mayor usually listens to her." She spread her wings wide. "So, used to flying yet?"

Silver bobbed her head. "It's great!"

Rainbow smiled brilliantly. "Isn't it? So... wanna race?"

Silver swiveled one ear back. "There's no way I'll beat you, Rainbow."

She waved a hoof. "Come on! Where's your competitive spirit?" She pointed towards Sweet Apple Acres. "You want to go there anyway, go on. I'll even give you a headstart. 1..."

Silver unfurled her wings and took off into the air. She wasn't especially in the mood for a race, but didn't see the harm in it. She pumped her wings and let the magic in her flow, trying to get more of it into her leathery wings. She could feel the speed picking up, but her flight became increasingly unsteady, as if she were flying through turbulence. All too suddenly, Rainbow flashed past her with a giddy cry of victory. Despite Silver's best effort, she was beaten thoroughly before reaching Applejack, who was by her barn.

Rainbow grinned smugly. "We'll try again later." She was gone into the distance before a reply could be offered.

Applejack shook her head at Silver. "A race huh? That mare... Want a drink?"

Silver bobbed her head. "That would be lovely. I don't think I ever got a chance to say thank you, by the way. You helped get us all together, right?"

Applejack tipped her head. "T'weren't nothing. Twilight'd do the same thing fer me if she saw th' chance." She leaned forward towards Silver. "So, out with it."

Silver perked her ears. "Oh! Well I was hoping you could speak to Mayor Mare about Night Watch getting a job. They're building a road through the Everfree and I think she'd be fantastic at managing and security, and she really wants to be busy."

Applejack nodded softly. "Huh, makes sense... but I meant out with the juicy details, ya know, what ya been doing to our Twilight." She grinned suggestively, waggling her brows. "Y'all getting along?"

Silver brightened. "I didn't think you were the rumor-mongering type, AJ."

Applejack moved in, nose an inch from Silver's. "When it involves Twilight, Ah get a little more interested. She's a friend, a good friend. So, out with it. Ah been hearing half-truths and wild conjectures left and right, so ah want the straight scoop, then ah'll help yer marefriend out."

Silver sank to her haunches. "Well, alright... We're getting along just fine. I like Twilight, she likes me. I... Our foal... It's complicated."

Applejack raised a brow. "Complicated?" she pointed at Silver's lower belly, looking at it. "Y'all looking skinny for a carrying mare. This the bad kind of complicated?"

Silver shook her head. "Well, no, yes? It's... complicated. The foal is a part of me, spread out. She, or he, is very alive, and growing. I think... when she's older, I may be able to separate from her." She frowned a bit then. "Magic complicated."

Applejack rolled her eyes. "Magic complicated. Shoulda said that ta start, but Ah'm glad yer both OK. So... did she ever..." she rolled a hoof. "Do it again? Ya know, give ya a ride?"

Silver's flush deepened. "No! She's... She's shy."

Applejack snorted softly. "And yet ya obviously ain't so much. She aught be doing her part."

"AJ..."

"Yeah?"

"I like you, you're cute, honest, dependable, and wonderful."

"Well shucks, thanks."

"But please stop talking about my love life like that." Silver smiled gently. "I shudder in fear of what would have happened if I ran into you before her."

Applejack waved a hoof. "Nothing. Ah'm married to mah work. Yer a good pony. A little quirky for being born a stallion and settling so well into mare life, but it takes all kinds ah reckon." She pointed back towards town. "Let's go help out that marefriend of yours, and while we go, you can answer a few more questions I have for ya."

They headed back for the city, walking side-by-side. Silver perked an ear towards Applejack "Does it bother you? Her being so busy, you know, with us? We're not trying to take her from you."

Applejack huffed. "Ain't nothing. Ah vanish for weeks at a time working a harvest or whatever. Twilight can understand mah life, I can deal with hers just fine. Ah think Fluttershy is taking it harder. Y'all keep giving Pinkie Pie more reasons to throw parties, so she couldn't be happier. Rarity's expertise is in demand, and Rainbow's enjoying making you into a natural-born flier. Nope, think you're doing alright by most of us, but if'n you find some time ta pay Flutter a visit and show her ya care, that might be good."

They chatted idly the rest of the way, trading recent events and gossip. Applejack didn't pry again into bedroom affairs, but did ask about Night. She proved sympathetic to the fattening mare's worries, and they went to straighten it out.

Author's Notes:

A very Slice of Life chapter. I liked it.

The typos also liked it.