Sweetie Belle burst into the fire-lit room and immediately looked around in a panic. She was not sure what she expected to see- -or not see- -but her eyes immediately fell on Rarity, who was wrapped in blankets, sitting near the fire, and leaning against Silver Sight’s shoulder.

“Rarity!” she cried, causing Rarity to turn and nearly burst into tears. Sweetie Belle could not control herself at the sight of her sister crying, and she burst into tears too. She ran to Rarity and wrapped her in a tight hug.

Muguet had entered with her, and when she saw Silver her eyes lit up. “Frère!” she cried, racing to him. He seemed extremely happy to see her, and although he did not cry they hugged as well.

“I thought I would never see you again!” cried Rarity. Her whole body was shaking, and her mane was still slightly damp and smelled of pond.

“What the buck happened?” said Sweetie Belle as her and her sister released each other. Muguet also turned toward them, curious, although she pressed herself into Silver’s chest rather than disconnecting from him completely. He put one hoof around her, holding her tight.

Rarity hardly seemed to mind Sweetie Belle’s severe language. “I…I had too much to drink,” admitted Rarity. “I went outside, and…I fell into the pond.”

“You fell in?” Sweetie Belle had seen the pond on the way to the castle; it was not big, or even that much deeper than a pony. “Why didn’t you just, you know, swim out?”

Rarity looked insulted by this, but Silver spoke. “It is not that easy,” he said. “Winter has only recently passed, and the water there is still terribly cold. One cannot swim in cold water. Your sister nearly drowned.” He paused. “We both did.”

“I would have,” said Rarity. “Had you not been there. You saved my life.”

“No. I prolonged it, slightly. But we both would have been lost had the Baroness not intervened.”

“But if you had not been there in time,” said Rarity. “I…I…” she burst out into sudden sobbing. “I was so afraid!”

“It’s okay,” said Sweetie Belle. “You’re safe now.”

It took Rarity a moment, but she seemed to calm down. As sad as she seemed, Sweetie Belle got the impression that Rarity was actually experiencing a rather unstable form of joy at not being cold and deceased in the bottom of a pond.

Rarity turned to Silver. “But you saved me,” she said. “And after I was so horrible to you.”

Silver’s hoof instinctively went to the deep cuts on his face, some of which had been stitched closed. It was at this time that Sweetie Belle realized that he was not wearing his eye patch. The eye underneath was white, and it did not move in unison with his other eye. It just stared blankly, and when Silver saw Sweetie Belle staring his expression changed to one of shame and he turned his head to hide it.

“I couldn’t just leave you,” he said. “You’re too young to go so soon. No pony should have to face a death like that…”

“But how did you find me?” asked Rarity. “I couldn’t scream, or cry out. It was like…”

“Like the water had taken your voice,” said Silver, knowingly. “I had been sleeping in the groundskeepers hut when I awoke from a curious dream. I was lying there when I heard a splash. I went to investigate, and got there just as you had stopped struggling.”

“Stopped struggling?” gasped Sweetie Belle, putting her hooves to her mouth. She felt a chill go down her spine as she realized how close her sister had been to death. At the same time, though, a second through occurred to her. “Wait,” she said. “Why were you sleeping in the groundskeeper’s hut?”

“Because I was tired,” said Silver, averting his eye and trying to dismiss the question.

“Well, I’m glad you were,” said Rarity, leaning over and hugging him, much to Muguet’s chagrin. “If not, I would have…”

She did not finish the sentence, but Sweetie Belle was still confused. She knew that her sister was tired and just wanted to be left alone with Silver to warm herself, but something did not feel right.

“How did you fall in?” she asked. “What were you even doing out there at night?”

“I was looking for Silver,” said Rarity. “I saw him walking out there, and I tried to follow.”

Silver looked confused at this. “You saw me?”

“Yes. When you went out to the garden.”

“But I just told you. I was asleep. I had been in the hut since sunset. I never left.”

“Sleeping?” asked Sweetie Belle.

“Sure…sleeping…”

“But then who was I following?” asked Rarity. Her eyes widened. “Actually, I remember…” She looked to Silver. “Before I fell in, I saw a white unicorn.”

Sweetie Belle gasped, but this time less audiably, because she knew what Rarity was talking about. She had seen him too, on more than one occasion. She also was careful to take note of Silver and Muguet’s reaction. While Muguet just looked confused- -as seemed normal for her- -Silver’s eye showed a hint of recognition. Sweetie Belle realized that he knew.

“I’ve seen him too,” she admitted. “Who is he?”

“No one,” said Silver. “In the most literal sense. No white unicorn has lived in this castle since the death of the late Master De’Lis, and that was long before my time.”

“And he was a white unicorn?”

“Of course. All nobility are. Quite stately, I believe. His daughter inherited his pink mane. In all honesty, it is far more fetching on a mare.” He paused, and looked directly into Sweetie Belle’s eyes. “But I assure you. There are only three white unicorns here.” He looked up to Rarity. “What you saw, I do not know what it was, but it was not one of us.”

“But…I saw him. He was right there.” Rarity shivered, and this time not because she was cold. “White body, white hair, and…those eyes…” Rarity then looked up for a moment. “He was the last thing I saw before I was pushed into the water…”

The three other ponies looked at her in shock. “Pushed?” said Sweetie Belle and Silver simultaneously.

“At least, that is what it felt like, but…” Rarity shook her head. “I’m not sure. I had too much pony wine. If I was seeing unicorns that don’t exist, I certainly could have imagined that. Never mind. I’ve met all of you, none of you would have done it. I simply must have lost my footing on the mossy edge.”

With that, Rarity laid down in front of the crackling fire. “I’m just so glad,” she said. “That I’m still here…”

Within seconds, she was asleep. Silver smiled and adjusted her blankets. “She is very tired,” he said. “As am I, I think. I am very glad to see both of you, and it warms my heart to see how concerned you were for your sister, Miss Sweetie Belle. But I think we both need to rest now.”

“I can stay with you,” said Muguet.

“No,” said Silver. “You need to rest too, as does Miss Belle. Both of you ought to go back to her room. I will stay here and watch over Rarity.” He paused, and his expression darkened. “And if you see Feathery, tell her that I need to see her. Immediately.”