With the whispering droning in his ears, Silver hurried out of the way of the street. ~You made a critical error.~
~Oh? We think not. Surrender yourself to us, and we can both know true power.~
Silver sat down with a soft sigh from his female form, crossing his legs and assuming a meditative stance. ~Come, we'll talk, like adults.~
He fell into his own dreamworld, landing lightly on his bed. He was Silver Lining.
A set of spectral eyes appeared before him. "You would surrender your dreams to us? We thought you were determined to--"
Silver clopped his forehooves together, and the eyes were encased in crystal. "Shh." The crystal fell to the floor limply. "I may not have magic pouring from me, but I know how to control my head, and I know when I'm dreaming." He leaned forward. "Now, about that conversation?"
Elsewhere, changelings were sent scurrying away from the imposing and huge figure that marched past them. "Where is your so-called Queen? Bring me to her and I might let a few of you return to my good graces."
Cowed and trembling, a few drones bowed before her, prostrating themselves. "She should be on the third floor, Queen."
"Very good, show me there." Chrysalis smiled wickedly. "We have things to discuss."
"That's quite far enough." A changeling stepped forward, larger than the drones, but smaller than their former queen. "This isn't your hive."
"You don't get to tell me what is or is not my hive!" Chrysalis stomped the ground, fury etching into her face. "Traitor. Step aside and I might not rip you in half! Stand In, I expected better from you."
Stand In sneered. "Just one more mistake to add to your tally."
With a roar of fury, Chrysalis' horn glowed with a fierce green light, and they met in a violent clash for supremacy.
Returning to Silver, the shadow would not be subdued so easily. It shattered the crystal around itself, only to find itself in a bottle, which it broke as the door to a safe closed. "We can do this all day." The safe began to melt, only to reform into an iron ball. "All day... We'll, at best, waste time."
"Very well," echoed the voice from within the iron. "What would you speak?"
Silver smiled. "Like adults." With a soft clop, the eyes were released. "Now, tell me why you hate the crystal ponies so badly."
"Hate?" The eyes scowled. "I suppose that may have been true, once..."
Silver rolled a hoof. "Do you want to conquer the world?"
"That would not be displeasing, but I do not like your tone of voice."
He shrugged softly. "You can leave, or talk. I told you to go away, now we talk. I am not your, or anyone else's puppet. I've had enough of that, Christ."
"What manner of pony are you?"
"The human kind." Silver hopped off his bed. "I've experienced true death, and here I am. You just annoy me." His words were perhaps a little bolder than he felt, but standing proud and confident seemed proper for the time. "This world is ruled by many powers. You could make one hell of a mess, but you would eventually, eventually, be spanked back to the ground. What do you want?"
There was a quiet moment between them. "You speak as if you know me."
"I think I might."
"Prove it."
Silver waved a hoof. The crystal heart appeared, pulsing with light that shone through a window, showing a young grey pony that cried with pain. "For what it's worth? She was wrong for not telling you sooner."
The eyes glowered. "How? How can you know this?"
"Does it matter? Am I wrong?" Silver raised a brow at the eyes as the vision faded back to his room, both across from one another, back on his bed. "You were wronged. You were viciously wronged."
"Then you agree! Join me and let us--"
"Easy there. You've punished them. They equate your face, your name, with terror." Silver gestured to the closed door to his room.
"Sombra!" Clip clops quickly receded from the door.
"The mere mention of you is enough. You have had your revenge. It's time to move to the next step, if you have one. Whipping them forever changes nothing."
"Enough!" The eyes glowed with malignant power. "If you will not help me take this place, I will do it without you. You are not nearly old enough to think you can lecture me."
Silver awoke, his mind clear and thoughts unburdened. The shadow had passed, but the threat... "He's coming."
He rose and strode out onto the street just to almost run into a crystal pony going perpendicular. "Oh, sorry ma'am." The crystal pony perked an ear. "Oh, did I spill something on you?"
Silver glanced back to see Trixie and Silver's cutie marks were bleeding together on his flank. The distraction of the dream perhaps? "Oh, no, ha ha, pay that no mind at all. Trixie really must be going. Good day!" He hurried into the jewel shop, a bell above the door jingling cheerfully on his entry.
The shopkeep was a portly mare crystal pony with jewels dangling from her every portion. Her ears went to him, jingling from the various gems it brought with it. "Welcome! You look like a mare who can appreciate a little bit of jewelry in her life, hmm?"
Silver smiled with relief. "Oh, yes. You see, Trixie left her heart crystal at home."
"Like the Crystal Heart?"
"Much smaller." Silver held his hooves out, then paused and tapped at the purple sphere around his neck. "Here's one. She needs another."
The mare approached Silver and examined it a moment. "I have a few gemstones that could qualify, but something tells me the one you wear is magic, from the glow?"
Silver nodded quickly. "Oh yes. You don't have any enchanted?"
She shrugged. "Sorry, not many crystal unicorns. Will the stone work by itself? Maybe you could enchant it."
Silver sank a little. "It will have to do. Show me what you have."
She walked leisurely towards the back. "I'll be right back with that. Why don't you have a look around? You may see something that catches your eye."
They weren't his eyes, or so he thought to himself as he did glance at the various bits of exotic gems that the store had to offer. Deep purples, bright blues, vibrant greens, and so many other shades teased him. They were all magnificent in different ways, but he hadn't come... He paused and she found him staring into a case. "Oh, you like those?" She came up. "You're a mare with fine tastes."
She reached right past him and undid the lock, bringing out a pair of silver horseshoes, much like the steel ones he wore in his dream. Were they also magical? He had to know. "I'll take those, in addition to..." Silver looked over the selection and picked the one that felt most round and smooth. "This one." His magic plucked free his bag of bits. He paid for his purchase and tucked it all away into that 'pocket'. It all felt odd and new, poking him gently from the inside. "Thank you."
"You really should put them on." She smiled gently. "I'm certain they would look divine on you."
Silver gave a feminine titter that he had meant to be a chuckle. "I'm certain they would, but there's a right time for all things."
"Can't argue that." She sat. "Enjoy them, and your stay in the city."
With mutual well-wishes given, Silver slipped out onto the street and hurried for the castle, only to be flagged down by another crystal pony. "Excuse me, who are those for?" She pointed at Silver's midsection. Could ponies see inside pockets?
"Oh, they just caught Trixie's eyes." He smiled at her, forced and eager to flee.
The mare tilted her head. "Oh, do you know what they are?"
That caught her attention, and she took a step towards the mare. "No, what are they?"
"Well I can barely make them out, but they look like--"
Silver pulled the set free, hovering them up to where the mare could clearly see them.
"Yes! They're exactly what I thought they were. They're marriage shoes."
Silver blinked softly. "Marriage shoes?"
She nodded quickly. "Oh yes. They look like one full set, and they are, for a bachelor pony, but once you find that special somepony you give them the back pair and you both wear them until you're married. Why I've heard some ponies just never took theirs off." She reached up towards them, brushing one. "They look so nicely made, too. Do you have somepony in mind to give them to?"
Silver shook his head. "Oh no. Trixie did not even know that's what they are, though Trixie supposes she does have a special somepony to give them to." He flashed a smile. "If Trixie can be talked away from them."
The mare's expression fell a little and she started looking confused. "Did you have mismatched eyes the whole time? I really should start paying attention. Oh! I don't mean anything bad, they're quite dazzling, really."
Silver stiffened. His magic was unraveling further, he guessed. "Thank you, but Trixie really should go now." She crammed the shoes away. "Good day!" And off she went, not even looking back as she galloped through the streets. As he went, he tried to feel for the spell woven through his own heart crystal. It was dim and fading. He tried to pour more energy into it, but it seemed only to slow its descent rather than halt it.
When he arrived at the castle, he slowed his trot to a stately walk, trying his best to look like he belonged there as he wandered past the guards. Amidst other visitors, they didn't seem interested in him. The bathroom wasn't hard to find, but pressing on its door yielded nothing. He knocked on it lightly.
"Occupied!"
Silver spotted a mirror and moved to inspect the damage. His eyes had indeed gone off balance. His left eye shone with Silver Lining's eyes, brown and rich, and the right, Trixie's, purple and vibrant. His mane was starting to become spikier and wild, though he supposed he could reason that away with why he needed to get into that bathroom.
A sudden thought made him giggle at the reflection. "Mother, would you be disgusted or proud of me failing to live up to your Great and Powerful image?"
"You don't look that bad." Shining Armor suddenly sat down beside Silver. "Waiting for your turn too?"
Of all the ponies! "Oh, yes. Trixie needs to touch up." He looked down, fearing he'd see his mismatched orbs.
"Rough day, huh?"
"Yes, you could say that." Silver inspected his spell, seeing it slip further towards darkness. "They sure are taking their time..." Perhaps he could re-cast it? What would that even do while he was already in disguise, failing as it was?
Shining Armor nodded. "That's the bummer with public facilities. Hey, why don't I show you mine?"
Silver looked up at him sharply. That sounded so... wrong. "Shining Armor!"
"That's my name! Helping mares in distress is one of my games."
Silver took a soft breath. Maybe accepting would give a chance to do... something, anything. "That's very kind of you, lead the way." He stood up on blue legs, even as he worried how long they'd stay blue if nothing was done for them.