Silver sat on her bed, looking at a letter hovering in her magic. Silver took a moment to consider the floating letter, not actually reading it, but noticing that she wasn't always using hands to get things done. Sometimes she just wanted something to float, and it did, and it was easier than bothering with a full hand or two. "I really am a pony," she said to herself, holding up a hoof to look at quietly before setting it back down. She flopped back against the head of the bed, closing her eyes and trying to envision her old self.
The image of David wasn't very clear. He had dark skin, and was slightly overweight. He had hands, and a scruffy beard that would sometimes get quite thick. He spent most days typing on his computer, not dealing with people face-to-face. Silver opened her eyes, sitting up. Was David dead, or changed? Was there an actual difference between the two? Silver drew a shuddering breath as fresh tears began to build. She felt foolish and tried to force them to stop, but they kept coming. She was mourning her old self, and she became irritated at herself for doing it. "I'm not dead!" she shouted to the empty room, thumping the mattress. "Life is change..."
Life is change, but very few went from being a highly-evolved ape from a technological society of greed and merit to a magic-driven matriarchy of equines. Very few surrendered their masculinity for a womb and became a willing brood mare for their family. Even then she could feel the slowly-growing ball of life and magic within her. She was not filled with disgust and fear, as would be a normal reaction for a male in this situation... Contentment, even pleasure instead greeted her. She wanted to be full of life, to be a mother. Silver hopped to the floor, leaving the letter behind. "I'm still me!"
She forgot the letter was there and stormed from the room, descending the stairs towards the exit. Twilight and Night were discussing something. Silver ignored them, storming for the door. She almost made it. Magic wrapped around her and gently lifted her from the ground and she was brought over to float in front of Twilight and Night. Twilight reached out a hoof, brushing at the fresh tears. "What's wrong?"
Silver was silent, falling back on ancient habits and just staring dead ahead.
Night advanced under the floating Silver and nuzzled up against the underside of her barrel. "Talk. What has you worked up?"
Silver squirmed at the ticklish sensations. "Nothing..."
Twilight frowned a moment, then carefully adjusted her grip. Silver felt soft petting run over her body and began to sag in place. She was putty between Night's nips and Twilight's "full-body" strokes. Twilight set Silver on the ground on her side. Night moved over Silver, pinning her down and biting at her neck. "Bite me."
Silver blinked at the command. "What?"
Night nodded. "Bite me. Show me what you're feeling."
Silver shuddered softly. "I don't want to share this..."
Night frowned, nudging Silver with a hoof. "Not up to you to decide. I can handle it."
Twilight pulled Silver away in her magic, hauling her up. "Do it to me. Consider it an experiment."
Silver wriggled, but could not refuse her wives for long. She leaned forward and found Twilight's neck, and soon her emotions were shared with blood. Twilight stiffened as her wings unfurled. Soon her own tears were staining her snout, then she began to sob, squeezing Silver close and tight. Silver tried to draw back, to stop biting, but Twilight wouldn't let her. "I know exactly how you feel..."
Silver perked an ear at the words, but couldn't speak with her mouth full. Twilight continued despite it. "I look in the mirror, and I don't know who I see sometimes. These wings... I never asked for them. I'm taller than all my friends. I wear a crown... I have a castle! Is this me? Am I some imposter come to replace Twilight Sparkle?" Twilight squeezed Silver. "Am I me...?"
Night was silent, watching the two with concerned eyes, but this wasn't really her conversation. She was still very much the pony she was a year ago, minus her romantic entanglements.
Twilight stroked down Silver's back and drew away, breaking their connection. "I understand."
Silver smiled gently, believing her. "We understand." They nuzzled nose-to-nose, which became a kiss, and they sank to the floor, holding one another and crying, but they were happier tears than the ones before them.
Feeling the tensest moments past, Night tilted her head at the two. "Is there something we could do, to help?"
Silver and Twilight sat up on their haunches, helping straighten one another out. Silver spoke first, "I don't think so, besides being an awesome partner, which you already are."
Twilight nodded. "We have to work through this ourselves, but... It's really... comforting... to know I'm not alone." She looked across at Silver and flashed a smile. "I didn't realize you were feeling that way."
Silver squirmed a little. "I didn't either... It all kind of crashed down on me earlier today. I've... changed a lot since I came to Equestria. I like change, to a degree, but looking back at all of it, at once... I was overwhelmed."
Twilight and Night came together and soon they were resting on one another.
"Started a snuggle party and didn't invite me?" Fast stepped towards the huddled ponies and invited himself into it, squeezing them fondly and nuzzling tear-stained cheeks. "What's with all the water works?"
Twilight gave a half-giggle. "We're getting over it. I just shared a moment with Silver."
"Literally," said Fast as he tapped a hoof against one of Silver's still bloodied fangs. Silver flushed and licked them clean quickly. "Silver, I think you left a letter upstairs? It's still on the bed."
Silver bobbed her head. "I'll go read it. It's from Rough Draft." She vanished up the steps shortly.
Twilight perked an ear. "That name is familiar..."
Fast nodded. "It should. That's his adopted dad."
Night adjusted her glasses as she sat upright. "And a good friend. They... created each other, in their imaginations, then met each other when Silver came to this world."
Twilight's eyes widened. "They're mirrors!? I didn't think the world Silver came from was a mirror of this one... That's amazing! I... this gives me some ideas..." She rose and trotted off with an occupied look, already mumbling to herself.
Fast nudged Night. "You, me. We're going out and having fun." Night opened her mouth, looking ready to object, but it died unspoken and she nodded. The two departed side-by-side, leaving their more unbalanced partners to take care of themselves for the moment.
Silver picked up the letter from where she had dropped it and began to read.
Hey Dave!
I hope that you don't mind that you're still David in my mind. How are things going? My address is on the envelope, so be sure to write me back. I know you're busy getting into all kinds of crazy adventures, if I had to guess, but it'd be nice to hear from you once in a while. Enough lecturing, on to good news! The book's selling well and ponies are eating it up. Trixie announced she is with foal and has retired from magical study to 'do it right', as she said.
She's cleaned up my house to the point that I don't even recognize it anymore! She's been a good influence on me, and I hope I've been a good one for her. Thank you for bringing us together. I never realized it before, but I was living a very lonely life. Trixie fills all of my holes, and we are very happy together. So how are you doing? Master all of magic yet?
Please Write Back,
Rough DraftPS: We love you.
Silver set the paper down and sighed gently. "I did something right..." She held up the paper again. "I still don't get how he writes so good with his mouth..." She quickly got her own paper and quill and set to writing.
Hello Rough Draft,
Sorry for not writing you sooner. Your letter made me really happy. How did you even know where I was? Congratulations on the foal! I bet he or she will be adorable. Wouldn't it be amazing if they looked like me? After all that, I really was the image of your bond? I admit to not being sure what to say about how I brought you two together, except that I'm glad. I hope you two remain together, happily.
As for what I'm up to... that's a long story. Here goes...
Silver spent the greater portion of an hour detailing all that had happened, finally ending with.
Your Loving Daughter,
Silver Stars
Silver got a sudden idea and grabbed her dress from the closet. She carefully put it on before trotting out of the castle with the letter in her magic grip. She stopped by a photography shop and soon had a picture taken of herself, showing off her entire form with a smile. She tucked the new photo into the letter once it was ready and sealed it in an envelope. "I hope Rough Draft doesn't faint..." Fearful or not, Silver sent the reply on its way and felt better for it.
The feelz and then the comedic ending. I give this two hooves up.
you are so good at putting to gather the kind of chapter to just read over several times as it is that good.
and Trixie with foal exultant.
and Silver and Twilight now have a much better understanding of how each other feels.
and I did not miss how they are referring to the little group as wife's including Twilight.
A vary happy Harts Fire
I have ben thinking on this chapter all day. and I finally figured out what was bothering me.
the amount of trust Twilight showed Silver in allowing her to bite twilight.
remember silver has killed with a single short bite when her emotions ware running scared just think how it code have turned out for twilight with Silvers emotions running amuck like they ware.
Harts Fire added post
Excellent chapter! Can't wait for the next one!
Comments seem to have been shut off.
EDIT: No, wait, they're back on now.
DOUBLE EDIT: See above. Apparently something was keeping me from commenting. How weird.
The "slowly-growing" ball of life and magic within her.
I think that first part should be "She wanted to be filled with life."
She was putty between Night's nips and Twilight's "full-body" strokes.
Silver smiled gently, "believing" her.
Nix the period after "Silver."
There are two spaces between "side-by-side" and "leavin"
EDIT: I'm aware I misspelled that last word in that final correction, but for some reason FimFiction.net won't let me post if I put the missing "g" or period there.
5874773 Fixes done, thank you! This chapter kind of made itself, which sounds weird.
5874826 I'd say that this chapter was long overdue. Silver is finally coming to grips with how much of herself she's altered since she came to Equestria, prompting a "Ship of Theseus"-style crisis of identity as she tries to figure out if she's still the same person she was before.
I was relieved when Twilight stopped Silver from barging out of the castle, simply because that seemed like it was going to lead to the cliche of running off in a fit of pique only for the villains to then pounce. What I didn't anticipate was Night's suggestion that Silver use her emotion-sharing bite to explain how she felt when words were too painful to form. That was very brilliant, just as we've come to expect of her. But it didn't stop there, with Twilight unexpectedly offering to be the one to take on Silver's feelings, something made very appropriate when contrasted with the changes in her life.
This really struck me as being a bonding moment for Twilight and Silver - besides their date by the telescope (and their rutting), I'm not sure that they've ever really shared an intimate moment just between the two of them. If Twilight wasn't sure about her emotions before, I bet she is now that she feels like they both share a common burden; you don't throw away someone who understands your pain.
That said, I'm nervous about what ideas Twilight is kicking up with regards to Silver's home. My gut instinct is that she's going to try and find it via the mirror portal, but in that regard I doubt she'll have much to work with. The last time she created a portal, she had a pair of magically-linked objects that she was able to amplify so as to widen their connection between dimensions. She doesn't have anything nearly as convenient available for this point, so I wonder how successful she'll be.
Also, Night and Fast are going on another date? My my, those two seem to be having a second (or first?) honeymoon all their own!
One can only wonder how Trixie and Rough will deal with Silver's recent spate of changes, though I doubt they'll be anything but supportive, if a little freaked out. At this point, Silver seems to have thoroughly separated from her adoptive parents, which isn't surprising - the nature of children is to leave as they grow and become more confident. Hopefully they'll be back for the inevitable (at this point) wedding.
5874907 Fast just wants a fun day. No big plans, no grand designs. He's bored, Night didn't look busy. 2+2=GET OVER HERE!
Silver hijacked my intended narrative, literally breaking down as I nudged them towards that letter. They ran off rather than read it. Twilight and Night handled it properly, and some good bonds were forged for it. A lot of feelings were thrown out into the open, for the better, I think. Twilight has sharp ideas, as she tends to do. Will it come to fruition? What will they do if it even works?
5875626 1000 years
dungeonmoon!5876103 For Twilight, she is able to play off her part in a few key ways. She brought in a politically charged person and made a request on their behalf and acted very little like she was being confident with them, save for their proximity. Considering Silver's checkered past in Canterlot, she may be being held for the room's safety, not Twilight's affection. What did that crazy unicorn do now that she needs a personal alicorn escort? It actually comes off a lot less Twilight showing off a new mate and a lot more like Silver got busted for something, again, or is involved in some kind of crazy... thing... that requires princess involvement. Hopefully it's nothing that'll affect the good ponies of Canterlot.
Luna and Silver are knee deep in a charged situation. It really could go in a lot of wild directions. As you pointed out, Luna is in a vulnerable place, and isn't really... trying to be a jerk. It is fortunate to her that Silver is very unlikely to take much of it in the light that would send most other ponies scraping at the door to escape the room.
Chances are low that Silver would trade in a perfectly good Twilight for Luna (act now and we'll throw in a car freshener with your alicorn purchase!), however, if she had to weigh the two side by side on a scale. That doesn't mean she doesn't want Luna to be happy, and to have a positive relationship, not hate, between them.
Only time will tell!
Sorry for not writing you sooner.
Grammar error: Sorry for not writing to you sooner.
5874580 From me 12 hooves out of 10 for this entire story so far.