Silver had a blindfold on. Following the directions from his book, he felt around with his magic alone and slowly navigated the room. "Are you still there?"
They didn't answer. His family, and Surprise, were hiding. He had to find them without his eyes, and they were to be silent, so ears wouldn't help either. A sudden thought struck him and he sent his magic upwards, feeling around the smooth ceiling until he ran into a warm and furry presence.
He formed the presence into fingers and began tickling, sending Surprise falling to the ground in a fit of giggles. One down.
He could feel Surprise approach. "No fair! I had the perfect hiding spot!"
They bumped together, then she began to follow him as he felt around slowly, searching while avoiding the pitfalls and hazards they had strewn around the room just to test him. When he dispersed his magic, he could almost see without seeing, and he began to walk more confidently. He moved for one of the closets and pulled it open, only for brooms to fall towards him with a sudden clatter. He managed to seize them in his magic, concentrating his power and setting them gently aside. Another trap, but he wouldn't be dissuaded.
Surprise clopped eagerly behind him. "Well since you already found me, I can make noise now. Nice catch, by the way."
Silver swiveled an ear back at her. "No hints. I'll find them on my own." He reached into the closet and began feeling around within with his magic, only for wind to play past his snout. He recoiled in surprise and sent his magic seeking in all directions, just catching what might have been a tail fleeing him.
The chase was on!
He took off at a gallop after the ghost of an impression even as Surprise giggled and cheered. He ducked to the side suddenly as his field of magic alerted him to a pile of books he would have tripped over. He felt powerful in a new way and kicked up to new speed even if he couldn't 'see' the ground he was charging across.
Hubris came before the fall.
Suddenly he saw it, but it wasn't running away anymore. It was right in front of him. He crashed into the form of the pony, but she caught him and gave him a gentle squeeze. "You're doing very well," whispered Night into his ear. "Your mother's going to be the trickiest."
He smiled. The graceless stop hadn't dampened his spirits. "I'll find her, and Dad too." He spread his magic out wider, straining to encompass the room in a dim field of magic. There was somepony! He moved slowly and purposefully towards it, focusing his magic around the pony shape in his vision. They had a horn. Trixie? She wasn't being very tricky, standing in the open like that.
Silver pounced the figure and they squeaked, but it wasn't quite the squeak he expected. Who had he caught?
"It's nice to see you too, Silver," spoke a soft and new voice. He was nuzzled and kissed, which made him blush.
Who did he tackle?! "Um, sorry about that?" Should he lift his blindfold? "I'm practicing and I'm not allowed to look around."
"You found me very well for not looking."
Surprise giggled. "He's a unicorn, so he's cheating."
"Oh, I see."
Night approached quietly. "I don't think we've met."
"Trixie will not wait forever." There was movement outside his diminished field of detection. "Who is this?"
Magic gripped at his blindfold and lifted it out of the way, allowing him to see a white unicorn with pink hair and a sun emblazoned on her flanks. "Hello. I am Sunny Days, but you know me more commonly as Celestia." She flashed a bright smile. "Is this a bad time?"
Silver blinked dumbly, unsure of what he was seeing. "W-wait, is this... Are you?"
"This is truly me, not a splintered form." Sunny put a hoof to her chest. "My sister's mistake was trying to hold her echo apart, which only became more painful for her, and you, when they came back together. I am Celestia. Celestia is me. She can see what I see, and I can hear what she hears. We are one pony, not two."
Night raised a brow high. "Interesting, but... forgive me when I wonder about your motivation?"
Trixie wrinkled her nose. "This lesson is thoroughly ruined." She moved over and nudged Silver on the shoulder. "You were doing quite well, colt of mine. Rough, come out!"
Rough poked his head out from under one of the beds and the rest of him emerged soon after, joining Trixie. "Sunny Days, was it?" He tilted his head at the Celestia-shard.
Surprise clopped her hooves excitedly. "Is this your birthday?! That means I have to get ready!"
Sunny held up a hoof. "Be at ease, Surprise. I don't require a birthday. I am Celestia, and it's not her birthday. You don't have a birthday party when you get a mane cut, do you?"
Surprise blinked. "My mane doesn't usually talk to me."
Night leaned towards Silver. "Note she said 'usually'."
Sunny smiled gently. "That may be true, but I'm still Celestia, and she's me." She turned to Silver, nodded, then turned to Night. "Night Watch, as the matron of your herd, I would like to petition to prove my worth and earn my entry into it."
Night's ears spun back on her head. "So direct..."
Sunny nodded. "You've had more than your share of deception and duplicity."
Silver shook his head. "This isn't right. Even if Luna has backed off, she's your sister. Playing rebound on her seems cruel."
Sunny tilted her head. "When she is ready, I won't keep her away. It would hardly be the first herd to have sisters in it."
Silver recoiled. Was it really happening again?!
Night let out a slow breath. "I appreciate your honest approach, but I want more. Why? You could have any stallion in the country." She thrust a hoof at Rough Draft. "You could order him to abandon his wife and become your royal servant and there wouldn't be much he could or even would do about it. Silver isn't that special."
"Hey..." Not that Silver disagreed, but that phrasing... "I do have feelings."
Sunny tapped her chin. "I would never demand any of my little ponies abandon their mate like that, and it is not physical gratification I desire. As even my sister comes to realize, I want a stallion I can look in the eyes, and does not instinctively bow. I want to be challenged, and to relax. I desire a peer. While I could hunt down another human, this one is already deeply enmeshed in my life. I know his quirks, and they don't displease me."
Night took a slow breath, clearly considering. She looked to Silver. "Alright, stallion. You get a say. Do you want me to chase her off? That would be my traditional duty if either I or you don't want her around."
Silver perked his ears, gladdened to be consulted in that decision. "Celestia has been nothing but straight with us so far." He glanced at Sunny and back towards Night. "I..."
Trixie clopped the ground. "Are you seriously doing this just like that? Where's the pomp and ritual?"
Rough rubbed his cheek against Trixie's. "Let them work it out for themselves, dear."
Silver shook his head. "Sunny, right? I presume you're applying as your 'Sunny' self, and not 'Celestia' self, to avoid a huge mountain of shock and outrage."
Sunny smiled. "Yes, but there is also business to tend to. Celestia-me is currently seeing to court, handling a dispute. Though I am famous for it, I'm not the only pony with a sun for a cutie mark. So long as we don't draw attention to it, few should even notice."
Silver suddenly went red, thinking of his dreams and the time he was with Celestia, but that was the full sized Celestia, and he was an alicorn prince... "You read it all, right?"
"I did. I can't say I comprehend it all."
Silver shook his head. "And, if I understand, you plan to do this 'for keeps'? And if something forces you to draw this, Sunny, back into yourself, you'll just split again afterwards, since you never fully separated to begin with."
Sunny bobbed her head. "Exactly right. We are one pony, just with two bodies. My dear sister split entirely. Her fragment developed her own mind and spirit. I'm sorry you had to go through that."
He banished the thoughts of Celine even as they rose. He couldn't do anything about that other than feel bad. "You said you want a peer, a friend, from the sound of it. Why join the herd?"
A smile spread on her snout. "I wish to be part of a family. To have step parents, family friends, even a co-wife and children. I have watched your family grow and mature, and it is a lovely family. May I join it?"
Celestia had only caused him harm in his dreams, but that was Luna's insecurities more than Celestia's failing. She had been fair and honest and generally just kind. Could he turn her away? Of course he could but should he?
Night put a hoof on his shoulder. "I can see when your gears are turning. Sunny, I accept your petition. You may prove to us your sincerity. In two week's time, if we have not already done so, a decision will be made final."
Sunny sat and clopped her hooves once. "Fantastic. Thank you for this opportunity."
Confetti suddenly rained down around them as Surprise squealed in delight. "Congratulations! Now this calls for a party!" She was gone before anypony could object.
Rough Draft shook his head. "My OC, fillies and gentlecolts. When he's not busy saving the world, he's seducing its leaders. I dream them up big."
Trixie drove an elbow into Rough's side. "Don't be crass. Now that this is settled, perhaps we can resume the lesson?"
"Might I assist?"
"Of course." Trixie smiled at Sunny. "Potential daughter-in-law, follow Trixie and she will explain the rules of this before we begin."
Silver shook his head a little at how smoothly Sunny was being welcomed into the family. Maybe things would work out?
That would be nice.