Silver softly rapped on Fluttershy's door and waited a moment before the door opened, revealing the yellow-furred face of Fluttershy. She looked ready to retreat back into the house, but Silver stuck his hoof forward into the door, blocking it. "Please. Talk to me?"

Fluttershy glanced around a moment then back at Silver. "O-OK... If you want..." She backed away from the door, allowing him to enter. He lightly kicked the door shut behind himself.

"I'm sorry."

Fluttershy looked confused at the words. "What are you sorry about?"

Silver tilted his head. "I think I took Twilight away from you, filled up her time. That's why you're upset, right?"

Fluttershy smiled bashfully, hiding behind her mane. "N-no... Having a new friend doesn't mean you lose your old ones. I just told Discord that."

Silver gave a hesitant nod. "Alright, then... why are you upset? I feel awful thinking I hurt a nice and innocent pony like yourself, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy shuffled in place, struggling with the words before she sighed. "You remind me... of me."

Silver perked his ears. "Is that bad?"

Fluttershy nodded quickly. "Yes! I mean... oh, I don't mean you're bad." She shrank a bit, then stood up, marshalling her willpower. "You're a shy pony, but you've gotten so far despite it. I'm... I'm jealous. Look at you." She pointed at Silver. "You're a prince now. You have a lovely herd. You talk to Celestia without having a panic attack."

Silver flopped onto his haunches. "For real?" She nodded. He reached out a hoof towards her. She shrank back a little, but didn't retreat. He softly brushed her hair out of her face. "That's actually very sweet, Fluttershy. Social situations still make me uncomfortable, but I think I'm more like Twilight. They just tire me out, and I feel awkward, but they don't scare me."

Fluttershy nodded quickly. "Twilight too! She's so... so amazing at talking to ponies. Here I am, living with my animals, alone... just the way I planned it to be."

Silver tilted his head a bit. "You have Discord, yeah?"

Flutter shook her head. "He's lovely, but he's a friend, not... company. I would like a special somepony eventually. Everypony else is getting one. Rainbow Dash and Applejack are a lovely couple, and you have Twilight." She sank to her belly in defeat. "I'm not good enough to find somepony to be with."

Silver's heart ached at her misery, but he couldn't think of any good solution. At least, no easy ones. "Well, if you see something wrong, you have to stand up, and fix it. Ask Pinkie what parties are going on around town, and go to them, even if you just hang out in the corner, you're more likely to run into that special somepony."

Fluttershy peeked up from where she cowered. "That's very nice of you to say... I'm sorry for hiding from you." She slowly rose back up. "I didn't mean to give the impression I was angry at you. I don't get angry that often..."

Silver chuckled softly. "I know that feeling. My herd-mates are chewing on my ear constantly for not hating Starlight Glimmer."

Flutter looked curious. "Hate her?"

Silver wobbled a hoof. "She apologized to me, then helped me. She's been nothing but good and kind, so I forgave her the pain she caused me. Was she wrong? Yes, but she isn't wrong right now, so why should I be angry at her still?"

Fluttershy smiled cautiously. "I understand that. I don't like being angry. Did she really apologize?" Silver bobbed his head. "Oh good. I'm glad to hear she's doing better. I... I thought her town was kind of nice. If only she were nicer about it. Forcing ponies to give up their cutie marks is wrong."

Silver nodded in agreement. "She's stopped trying to steal mine. I... don't think she's entirely given up on the idea that ponies might be happier without them, but she's been nothing but good around me, and she deserves a chance."

Fluttershy nodded firmly at that. "Yes! She does. I gave Discord a chance, and now we're best of friends." She reached out a hoof, shaking in the air before it rested on Silver's foreleg. "I hope you can show her the same kindness, even if everypony else tells you not to."

Silver felt... good. Fluttershy agreed with him, and she wasn't angry at him. The trip was a complete success. "I hope we'll see more of each other. Please don't be so jealous we can't hang out." He spread a wing. "You're a great pony, and don't forget it."

Fluttershy smiled, a pure and content expression. "I was being silly. I'll stop by tomorrow to visit."

Silver bobbed his head. "Twilight will be happy to see you. If you come during the day, Night, Fast, and Tumble will probably be out working, so that's less people, if you're feeling overwhelmed."

Soon Silver was outside. He shared a wave with Fluttershy, and retreated into the darkness, returning home with a satisfied trot. As he approached the town, then moved through it, a thought came to him. He detoured to Lyra and Bon Bon's abode and softly knocked. Lyra answered the door and her expression brightened on seeing him.

"I must have been a good girl." She snorted out a laughter. "What brings you by, Silver?"

Silver tilted his head. "I was curious... No judging here, but did Celestia take the spell from you or something?"

"The spell?" She looked confused before realization flashed. "Oh, the spell! She made me give up all the written copies I had, but she didn't get this one." She tapped her head. "I'm being good though. I didn't write it down. I don't want to be away from Bon Bon again! I learned my lesson, honest."

Silver held up a hoof. "Easy there, Lyra. I said no judgment. We're friends, and I was just curious. I'm not big on reporting people for crimes without a victim. Just don't share it." A fresh thought came up and it made it to his mouth without filtering. "Did you use it?"

Lyra burst into a titter. "Maybe once or twice... That's none of your business! You had your chance!"

Silver reached for Lyra, who didn't flinch away. He softly rubbed across the top of her head. "I'm glad I ran into you, Lyra. I hope you and Sweetie Drops are happy."

They exchanged farewells and Silver moved on, wondering when Bon Bon would begin to show, and how Lyra planned to explain it. Would they claim a stud? He supposed there was little way to confirm or deny it, current Equestria technology being what it was. He put the thought out of his mind and trotted into Twilight's castle. It was late, and he was tired. He retired to bed to find Fast already occupying it. His entry woke her up, and he wasn't allowed to get any sleep at all for a time, but he had few complaints about Fast's methods.

In the dream realm, he looked around for Luna, but didn't see her. "Must already be patrolling..." He thought of a pony he wanted to know more about, and concentrated on Starlight Glimmer. A door slid into view, and he opened it with silver magic, revealing Starlight being ridden by himself, reliving the moment in that small breeding room. Silver didn't pay much mind to the act, instead focusing on the fact that Starlight was crying while it happened, tears streaming down her snout in great torrents only possible in dreams.

He slipped smoothly into his dreamself version, becoming Starlight's lover. He leaned in and softly nipped an ear. "What's wrong?"

Starlight thrashed around under him, almost throwing him free. "What's wrong? Everything! You don't love me. You pity me with those big... sad... soulful eyes of yours... You think I'm pathetic, and you're so... so..." She stomped on the ground, making riding her quite a challenge. Silver wasn't there for satisfaction, so he slowed down and stopped in favor of listening. "You're so happy with that cutie mark! And why shouldn't you be? It makes you better than everyone else. You can do things others can't, and you're so happy about it."

Silver ran a hoof back, softly caressing Starlight over her cutie mark. "Your cutie mark is very special. You can do something not a single other pony in the whole world can do."

Starlight shuddered and recoiled, pulling away from the touching hoof. "It's not fair!" She sank down to the ground, the lovemaking entirely aborted. "You hate me so much..."

Silver softly rolled her over onto her back, then sank belly-to-belly with her, allowing them to gaze into one another's eyes. "Why do you love me?"

Starlight looked baffled at the question, her hooves kicking a little into the air. "I... I didn't at first. I hated you, you and your stupidly-special cutie mark." She scowled at him. "But you refuse to be angry. Even when I tried to take your dignity, you smiled at me with that sad little smile. You pitied me. You wanted to hug me, not strike me. You felt bad for me, instead of yourself. Everyone else... They..." she sniffed loudly. "Do you hate me? Did I run out of chances?"

Silver leaned close, and their lips met. He answered her with a silent exchange, kissing her with a shared adoration for several quiet moments. When he parted, he flicked his tongue over her nose. "I do not hate you. I like you, in fact."

Starlight ran her hooves down to her belly, which was suddenly quite swollen in a fit of dream logic. "You can leave those other horrible mates behind. We'll run away together, raise our foals together..."

Silver shook his head. "I won't do that, Starlight. I like you very much, but we're not married." He sat up on his haunches. "You can't have me like that. Will you try to manipulate me through our child?"

Starlight looked like she had been struck, and started to sniffle and cry anew. "I would do something awful like that... wouldn't I..." She curled around her gravid belly. "I'm tired of... Silver, sav--" She woke up suddenly, throwing Silver out onto the dreamscape. He managed to keep his hooves under himself and come for a smooth landing with an abrupt flapping of his wings. Ugh...

"So close..." What was she going to say? He felt like he was really getting somewhere...

Silver decided to give Luna's job a try, patrolling the dreams of strangers. Most ponies dreamed of very harmless things, thankfully, and he tried to leave them a little better than he found them. He briefly considered seeking Celestia's dreams, but remembered Luna's warning. Those dreams were well protected, and Celestia would have more control within her mind than Silver would. He would be a helpless intruder in her fantasy, and he wasn't sure he wanted to deal with that.

Author's Notes:

Silver settles some old feelings and puts some things to rest even as he prods a beehive. Oh Silver, don't ever change.