//------------------------------// // Ignorance is Bliss and Silver's Stupid Kiss // Story: The New Guy // by SilverWind102 //------------------------------// “And you just stood there and didn't tell her?” Star Shine questioned. After Celestia had left, they moved their conversation to the home owners bedroom, and were about to head out into the castle to go back to Silvers. “Well what did you want me to say?” Silver defended, “Onyx is a very sweet but shy mare. Can you imagine how embarrassed she'd be if I told her that she just got married to me? And in front of Ruppy and Tia too!” Star mulled it over for a moment, “Hmm, yeah you've got a point. But you still do need to tell her. Just be glad Black Wing or I wasn't there. Then it'd be official.” “Yeah, I know,” Silver sighed, “Tia said I should tell her too. I just hope she doesn't freak out too much.” The two left Star's home and went into the castle, heading down the hall and to the door for Silvers. Walking in, they headed to the back porch and slid the door open, intending on checking on the four trainees. “So when are you going to tell her?” Star asked. “Probably some time tonight. Onyx stays up later than the others, so I'll do it then.” The female canine couldn't help but giggle, “Have fun with that. And don't forget to explain things to the Princesses too. I'm pretty sure Princess Luna knows what collars mean for wolves.” “One problem at a time,” Silver sighed. As the two came up to the training spot, the coal mare they were discussing had appeared before them. Silver still had her on the leaf cutting training, though it seemed that would not be needed for much longer. With a powerful kick, Onyx bucked the trees and a rain of leaves fell free from it's branches. She quickly pivoted around, her hooves and body gracefully falling into stance. Her shifting was so fluid. She's done the exact same motions hundreds of times in the past three weeks she'd started and now the movements had become ingrained in her body. “She's learning as fast as I did.” Just as the leaves reached half way to the ground, Onyx's blades blurred. Each one easily found it's path from one leaf to the next, never missing a target. It was over by the time it began. Just as quickly as she started shredding, she stopped. The cleaved leaves were tossed away in a breeze, and a clap from behind drew the mares attention. “Beautiful,” Silver applauded, “Simply astounding. When did you finish the training?” “A few days ago,” Onyx admitted, brushing half of a leave out of her mane, “I wanted to keep doing it for a little while longer though, to make sure I had it down.” “And do you?” Star asked. The unicorn nodded, bucking the tree once more before turning and swinging her blades. Once again, the leaves were cut clean in half and blown away. Onyx turned and faced the two observing wolves. Silver grinned, “Perfect! Now if Ruppy and Aerial are done with theirs, then we can move onto the next stage.” “What about Beats and Sica?” Onyx asked, “Won't they get left behind?” Silver shook his head, “Their schedules timing is different from the three of yours since they came in later. Besides, they aren't using magic. Beats just needs martial arts training and body conditioning. Anything else added on will be through his own choosing. And Sica....well, in truth I'm not really sure how to train her. There's no point in combat training, she has plenty of experience. I'll probably just let her train her own way and have her help out with the rest of you.” The coal unicorn nodded and trotted up to his side to follow. “Alright then,” Silver said, turning back to go to the path towards Ruppy and Aerial, “Let's go see how the others are doing.” Silver knew both mares were gifted. Aerial may not have an affinity for violence, but her potential as a wind magic user was significantly higher than most. Add in the fact that she's an earth pony, and you get a near mythical result. And yet still even with the unlikely odds, the mare was floating four boulders at least seven feet above her head with remarkable ease. Each one was roughly three times her size. Even for a unicorn with telekinesis, this feat would be no simple task. Of course, the pegasus below on the slope was equally impressive. As Aerial launched two of the boulders into the air and the other two rolling down the slope, Ruppy seemed almost bored. Instead of waiting for the boulders to reach her, the tan mare bolted up the slope, crushing the closest one with a single strike and moved onto the next. She jumped up and onto the rolling rock, then kicked off it, the force of her hind legs shattering it. With using her wings, Ruppy easily managed to reach the same height as the boulders in the air. A single jab from one of her hooves crushed each one, sending dust and pebbles raining down below. As Ruppy flapped her wings and and hovered in the air for a moment, Silver took notice of something. Around her body, there was a thin, golden light being emitted. “Is she producing earth magic? How? I thought Aerial was the only one who could use Elemental Magic. Unless...unless it's been laying dormant all this time and the gauntlets triggered it. After all, any creature can use it. Hmm...” “Girls!” Silver called, gaining the attention of both the mares, “That's enough! Come here for a moment!” Aerial quickly hopped down from the ledge, floating herself down to where the others waited while Ruppy just flew. “What's up?” the tan mare asked as she landed in front of them, Aerial beside her. “Could I see your gauntlets for a moment?” Silver asked. Ruppy shot him a quizzical look for a moment before shrugging and taking them off. Silver took them and slipped them over his own paws. It took a moment, but the wolf connected with the weapon. “Sir?” “I'm wondering, the magic Ruppy just used. Was it the same as the one I imbued you with?” “In a way. The mare has enormous reserves of raw power locked away. I tapped into it and just gave it an element. It's like making food. She has the raw ingredients, I just gave it some spice for flavor.” “So that aura line of earth magic around her body was a combination of the two of you?” “Yes. Is that a problem?” “Not at all. In fact, it's rather curious.” Silver shook his head and removed the gauntlets, “Sorry, just had to check something. In any case, I believe all of you have progressed far enough to move onto the next stage. It may take a few days to get things in order though, so continue with this for now.” “Sweet!” Ruppy hoof pumped, “So what are we gonna do next!?” “So far I've had the two of you do generalized training to get you used to using your weapons. Now I'm going to teach you how to use them. We'll be focusing on developing your personal fighting styles and how to apply them to combat. We'll also be expanding on your magics. In short, you'll be doing a lot of sparring and thinking. In fact, I'd like the three of you to think about what abilities you'd like to focus on and how you'd like to employ them for the next few days until I get everything set up.” “Wait,” Aerial chimed in, “The three of us? You mean me too?” Silver nodded, “Especially you Aerial. Your ability to use Elemental Magic depends on how clearly you want to use it. If you think that wielding wind magic just means that you get to make breezes all day, then you're terribly mistaken. We've learned control and built a strong foundation of magic, now you need to figure out what you're going to build from it.” Aerial nodded vigorously. The prospect of personalizing her magic sounded like fun! Like she was finally making her magic her own! “But what about the other two?” Ruppy asked. “I've got plans lined up for them as well,” the wolf explained, “Sica does her own thing, and Beats should be relatively easy to train.” “If you'd like, I could help train them,” Star Shine offered, “I can spar with Beats, or at least let him use the training sim, and see if Sica needs anything else.” “That would be perfect!” Silver exclaimed, “Right! Now that that's settled, I would like you all to continue with what you've been doing until I say otherwise.” “What're you gonna go do?” Ruppy asked. Silver hung his head and sighed, “Confess.” Beats could be found in the clearing of the forest, the same spot he and Star Shine had used for sparring. His newly acquired headphones rested over his ears as the music flowed through him. The song playing this time was different than the others, or at least most of the others. It wasn't wild, or powerful. No, it was something else. It was calming; soothing even. It didn't provide him with the rush the other songs had, but that was okay. He liked how this one felt. He'd listened to it before, and even asked Vinyl about it. Turns out, it was a sub-genre of her Dubstep, called Chillstep. As the music played, his body moved in rhythm with it. His movements were not quick and jagged like before, but smooth, flowing from one motion to the next, almost like a falling feather. He found his balance far easier to achieve, and his senses were the only thing that were affected in the same way as before. He could see everything, every little movement, though without the rush of the music, the world seemed serene and peaceful. Every little twitch of the leaves seemed so smooth. Even the ones of the mare in the bushes. She wasn't easy to spot. Her body was completely concealed, and if it weren't for the shifting of the leaves, he never would have noticed her. She'd been there for a while, though he couldn't say how long. What was most curious was why she bothered watching him. He honestly had no idea, but as the last beats of the song rang out, the stallion lifted a hoof to hit pause on the headphones before the next track could be played, and removed them from his head. "Um, can I help you?" he asked, turning directly to the bush. No response came, and for a moment, he thought he might have been wrong about there being someone there. That was until he heard a rustle come from behind him. Snapping his head around, he found Sica emerging from the shadows of a tree. "You're good," she complimented, "Though I suspect that's in part of your headphones." Beats shrugged, "You have a point. These things are pretty neat, and I can notice a lot more things than normal with them." Sica giggled, "Well aren't you the humble one." "I try," he said back, "Do you mind telling me why you're watching me?" "What if I do mind telling you that?" she quirked, fluttering her eyes for some reason. Beats couldn't help but wonder if she was trying to flirt. "Then I'll simply go back to my training," he answered anyway. This actually made the mare raise a brow, "Really? What if I intend to harm you?" Beats chuckled a bit at this, "If you wanted to hurt me, then you would have when my back was turned. That was the point of the distraction, wasn't it?" Sica couldn't help but playfully smile, "My my, humble and smart. But also a little off mark. I made the distraction out of habit. Though that being said, you still did well to reveal it. I'm very good at hiding things after all." "I can see that," he retorted, "So are you going to tell me why you're watching me?" Sica eyed the stallion up and down, as if she were gauging him, "Hmm....very well," She conceded, wandering around him in small circles, "In truth I was simply curious about you." "Curious?" "Yes. You're different from the others. There's a kindness in your eyes, one that seems to be a bit out of place for some pony who wants to be here." "What's that supposed to mean?" "It means, I don't understand why you're here. With the others, it's rather easy to tell. Ruppy is ambitious and power hungry. Onyx just wants to please Silver. And Aerial is trying to discover herself. But you....I still can't figure you out. "I suppose there's always the idea that you're just trying to provide for your little sister, but that seems a bit wrong. After all, if you were then why not take up a job at that DJ's club? I'm sure she pays too. But no, instead you come here. You become a guard for the princess and learn to fight. I can't understand why." After her pondering was over, Sica stopped her circles and watched Beats sit on his haunches. She watched his ruby red eyes met the ground and his brow furrow with contemplation. He remained like that for a moment, and then looked up to her. "Hmm...." he hummed, studying her as he did. He couldn't deny that he was rather curious about this mare as well. Well, perhaps curious isn't the right word. He was more...fixated, more so on the way she carried herself than anything. The small grin she wore everywhere she went; the saunter she had in her steps; her playful, almost flirtatious way of speaking. But what caught his attention the most were her eyes. The way they fell to a half lidded form, as if everything around her were some game she was in complete control of. It was borderline arrogant, but still alluring all the same. He wouldn't deny she was a pretty mare, which may have attributed to his interest in her, but he still knew that behind all those features, the mysterious air that followed her everywhere; there was something dangerous. Something cold and sharp, like a knife. Yes, just like her name implied. This mare was a dagger dressed with the finest of gems. "I know I'm rather pretty, but I'd rather you didn't keep staring," she cooed, breaking the stallion from his trance, "Though that's not to say I don't find your attention to be undesirable. You are a handsome stallion after all, even if you're a bit young." Beats shook his stare away, "Sorry," he apologized, though the blush in his cheeks decided to make itself known. Sica simply giggled, "Quite alright. Although, since I did answer your question, might you answer mine?" she asked. Beats shrugged before looking to her again, "You want to know why I'm here?" he asked, earning a nod from the mare. The stallion turned to the sky for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. Sica instinctively leaned forward, nearing the tips of her hooves. Her curiosity was finally about to be put to rest. He turned his head back and looked to her with a large grin plastered on his muzzle before saying, "I have absolutely no clue." The mare fell flat on her face. "Ooooh," Beats winced, "You, uh....you okay there?" Sica lifted face from the dirt, "What do you mean you have no clue?" she asked, nearly on the verge of a growl. "Exactly that," he said, offering her a hoof and lifting her off the ground, "You were right when you said I'm trying to provide for Scoots, but I can get other jobs. In truth, I actually took this one to pay back Onyx and Ruppy, but even then I could have said no. I'm sure they would have understood. So in other words, I don't really have any reason to be here. I just kinda am." Sicas eye suddenly developed a twitch, "I--you--but---...I give up," she sighed in defeat, letting her head hang, "I was thinking you were the one pony here that might be normal. But no, you're just....ugh..." "Hm, I don't think I've ever been described like that before, but I'll take it I guess. But why does it bother you so much?" "It bothers me because I can't understand it. You're not normal, but you're not like the rest of us. You don't have a reason to be here." "Well just because I don't have a reason to be here doesn't mean I don't want to be here. I like it here. Silvers cool, Onyx and Ruppy always make things fun, Aerial's relatable and you seem to add a little something else into the mix. Besides, I get to talk with the princesses. Who wouldn't want this job?" " You say I add 'something else'?" she questioned, "What do you mean by that?" Beats shrugged, "Dunno. It's kinda hard to explain. But I like it though." Again, Sica sighed, "You're impossible." "Perhaps," he agreed, "But what about you? Why are you here?" Sica rolled her eyes, "Isn't it obvious? Look at me," she said, giving a twirl, "Does my attire not equate to anything?" "You mean an assassin?" he said rather obviously, "Yeah, kinda figured that already. Still doesn't tell me why you're here though." "Then allow me to explain a little further. I'm here because I'm not needed anywhere else. In case you hadn't noticed, it's rather difficult to find assassination jobs in a peaceful country. So I came here, hoping to put my skills to use." "Ha!" Beats mocked, "Equestria may look peaceful on the surface, but there's a not so pleasant side to every place in the world. You just have to know where to look." "Yes, I'm all too aware that Equestria isn't as kind as it seems, though that being said, I still can't find many clients wiling to employ me. So when a position in the military opens up, ponies like me tend to try and fill that space as soon as possible. It's the only form of steady pay we can get." "So you're here for a paycheck?" he asked. Sica waved her robed hoof in a so-so fashion, "More or less." Beats stared at her for a moment, then made a funny pfft sound as his cheeks bulged with air. Then did it again, and again and eventually fell into an all out laugh as he dropped and rolled around on the ground. "What?" Sica asked, more than confused at the stallions out burst, "Was it something I said?" "Aahaha!! Ahaha!!!" he cried. Figuring there was no point in trying to talk with a pony who couldn't breathe properly at the moment, Sica simply sat and waited for his laughing fit to end. When it finally did, she fixed him with a small scowl. "Are you done now?" she asked. "Ahaha.....aha...ahhhhh....Yes," he said, wiping a tear away and raising himself to his haunches once more. "Now do you mind telling me what you found so funny?" Another snort of laughter came from him, though the glare Sica shot him quickly made sure he didn't fall back into his fit again, "Sorry," he excused, though the amused smile on his face remained, "It's just, it was kind of ironic." "What was?" "Well, here you were trying to find some pony with a normal reason for being here and then you don't even realize that you're reason is the closest thing to normal we'll get. Well, aside from Aerial, but she's not in the guard so we'll leave her out." "How am I normal?" Sica questioned, genuinely confused, "I'm an assassin. I'm here because I can't find work anywhere else." Beats simply sat there and grinned, "Exactly. Doesn't that sound like an average reason for taking a job? Because you want a paycheck? Because no one else will hire you?" Then, it finally hit her. "Oh dear Celestia, I'm normal," she concluded, slack jawed and wide-eyed. Once again, Beats laughed, though this time it didn't evolve into a roll around in the dirt, "Yep! You're weirder than I am." "How am I weird? You just said I was normal!" "Yeah, but you're stuck with a bunch of outcasts and weirdos. Therefore, normal becomes weird, and weird becomes normal." Once more, a twitched developed in her eye, "You really are impossible." But then again, so was she. After all, she was mostly lying to the stallion. While it was true that it was hard to find jobs for assassins in Equestria, the temple of the Remnants was not located solely in this land. There were several temples scattered throughout the world, and she'd been sent on plenty of jobs to eliminate targets in other countries. But still, Sica couldn't help but find telling him the lie to be some what enjoyable. Beats was a rather amusing stallion to be with, and even shared a curiosity similar to hers. And for a moment, even though she was lying, she wasn't deceiving him. She was having fun. She wasn't the mysterious assassin she'd always played as, but rather just Sica. "Yes," she thought to herself, "He's quite impossible." Silver sat on the sofa of the couch, dreading as the time ticked away. No, not even ticked. After all, that would imply that there was a clock to tick the time away with, but as it stood at the moment, the room was silent, devoid of anything resembling such a noise. And yet, the time still crept by achingly slow. Star Shine had left about half an hour earlier, saying something about needing to check on her machines. The girls were training and Celestia had wandered off to wherever after she'd left Stars. Even the T.V seemed to loose it's appeal. And so now, without a distraction to ease his mind, the wolf simply sat and waited for his impending doom. His marefriends. He pondered what he would say to them. What he was about to admit to wasn't exactly an easy thing to do, but keeping it to himself would only make things worse in the future. Sure, some of his misdeeds hadn't been too terrible. But there was one that he knew would cause strife, one that he knew would hurt them. That's right. Silver was going to come clean. About everything. It was amid his self-conversing that a glint of light from the setting sun crossed the floor, shining right into his eye and blinding him for a moment. Breaking his concentration, Silver just sighed and flopped onto his side on the couch. “This isn't going to end well. I don't even know what I'm going to say. And I still have to talk to Onyx. Why is that all of my stress stems from females?” (Because you're a whore Silver) Just as the thought crossed his mind, the wolf heard the knob jiggle, followed by the swoosh of the door swinging open and hoofs trotting in. “Silver!” the voice of Twilight called, “Are you here?!” A paw rose up from the couch, waving down the lavender mare. Twilight trotted over to the sofa, crawling over the back and sliding down to land at his side. “Hello~” she cooed, nuzzling gently into his side. “Well hello to you too,” he welcomed back, wrapping his wing around her, “Where's Luna?” “Right behind her,” the midnight mare answered as she trotted around the side of the couch, leaning forward to give him a quick peck. It wasn't until after she pulled away that she noticed his newest accessory. For a moment, Luna didn't say anything. She just stood and stared at the collar around his neck. Then, her eyes flicked up to meet the wolfs, whose had just become flooded with guilt and shame. “Silver?” she asked, “Why is there a collar around your neck?” Twilights head snapped up from her nuzzling, “Oooh! I like it!” she awed, fiddling with it with her hoof, “Where did you get it?” “Yes Silver, do explain where you got your collar,” Luna added, her voice clearly laced with anger. The purple mare messing with the embellishment stopped and looked to her marefriend with concern. “Luna, what's wrong?” she asked. “It's...” Silver began in her place, “It came from Onyx. She gave it to me as a gift.” The midnight mares eyes went wide, “Did she now? And you didn't stop her because...?” “Wait, hold on,” Twilight chimed in again, “What's going on? I don't get it.” “It's the collar Twilight,” Silver sighed, “In wolf culture, you put it on the one you've chosen as your mate for life. It means I'm married.” Her violet eyes grew wide, “M-married? B-but we didn't--” “Exactly,” Luna cut in, her expression now fully formed into a scowl, “But Onyx did.” “Girls look, Onyx didn't know what she was doing. I know you're both mad, but please try to underst--” “It's not Onyx I'm upset with Silver,” Luna interrupted once more, “It's you. You're right, I don't expect Onyx to know what this all meant, but you do! You could have done something! And I know it's not official, but this still hurts!” Silvers ears folded back and he head hung in shame, “Yeah....Y-you're right. I co–should have done something...but I didn't. I can't apologize enough for hurting the two of you, but please....please forgive me..” Lunas scowled continued to hold for a moment, and the wolf could feel it burning into his skull. Finally, a long sigh came from the mare. “...Fine,” she yielded, “I can understand why you wouldn't anyways. It'd be terrible to reject and embarrass her like that. Just...please, explain everything to her so she knows what's happening.” Silver nodded. Another sigh came from the midnight mare, “Now then. I don't suppose you have any other confessions you'd like to admit to?” “Here we go....” “Um...,” Silver began, “I kinda had to slap Stars butt to get her attention.” That actually earned the wolf a pop on the nose, “How is that an appropriate way to get someones attention?!” “She was wrapped up in her machines! It's what I always do to snap her out of it!” The mare huffed and rolled her eyes, “Whatever. Anything else?” It was here that the wolfs expression to a much heavier turn. The guilt from before had been washed away by a tsunami of...fear? “Why is he so scared?” Silver swallowed hard, but still found his throat unusually dry, “I...I screwed up...” the wolf admitted. At this point, his eyes had completely broken away from Lunas, looking solely at the ground. “Silver,” Luna said firmly, “What did you do?” “...I kissed Rainbow Dash.” … ….. “…..You what?” Luna asked. “When I was still recovering in bed, she came to see me. We talked about how she felt about me, and...I don't know how it happened, but we ended up kissing. It was quick, but--” Silvers words were silenced by the sound of hooves hitting the tile. He looked up, only to find that Luna was no longer in front of him, but now headed to the door. “Luna, wa--” “Don't,” she hissed, not even bothering to look back, “Don't you dare say another word.” Silver opened his mouth, but couldn't find his voice. All he could do was watch as one of his mares just walked away. The door let out an agonizing creak as it opened, then clicked shut behind her, leaving a chilling silence to hang in the air. Once more, Silver found his head hanging. He knew this was how it would go. He had no idea why he bothered to hope otherwise. Unfortunately for him, this new angle allowed him to realize that his other mare was missing as well. The lavender mare that was by his side was now gone. Instead of resting herself against him, she was pulled away into the corner of the couch, and he never even noticed when she left him. Worst of all was the pain that was written ever so clearly across her face. “Y-you....” was all she could manage. “Twilight please,” Silver tried, his voice breaking as he turned to face her, “I didn't mean for it to happen. The way we were talking and I was just so shocked that I didn't stop her. I wish I could go back and undo it but I can't.” But the hurt on her face didn't go away. Her breathes became huffs and she swallowed hard. She slammed her eyes shut as she forced the tears back. She felt something touch her back, and knowing it was Silvers paw, pulled away. The wolf said nothing, simply mimicking Twilights actions and backing off. “This....this is it, isn't it? This is how we end. And all because I'm an idiot. I can't really blame them either. Th-they're hurt; I hurt them. This is what anybody would do.” After a moment, Twilights breathes became....well, steady would be a lie, but they weren't as bad as before. “You...you said you didn't stop her,” She eventually said, “Does that mean she kissed you?” Silver nodded, “Not that it matters though,” he said, his voice low and quiet, “It still happened. I'll understand if you want to--” THUD! “Oof!” Silver coughed as a force impacted him, knocking him flat onto the couch. He looked up to see a face full of lavender for a moment until his lips were assaulted by another. The kiss was strong and forceful, but loving all the same. When it broke, he could feel droplets fall down on to his cheeks. “Don't you dare finish that sentence, you jerk!” Twilight shouted, “Do you really think I'd throw this all away so easily?! That I'd end this just because you messed up once?! Over a kiss?....” “I—I...” Silver was speechless. Twilight dropped her full weight onto the wolf, her voice becoming much softer, as she let out a quaking sigh, “I'm not gonna lie, I'm angry. I'm confused. I'm tired. And I'm hurt,” she admitted, “But I'm not letting this end that easily. Not when being with you and Luna makes me so happy. Things could be worse. You c-could have gone f-further and--” “No!” Silver rejected, “I might have screwed up, but I would never go that far. Not when I'm with the two of you.” Twilight swallowed hard, “I...I believe that. But Silver, just telling me this won't fix things. Please, go find Luna. Talk to her and bring her back here. Then we can talk about this together.” “But what about you?” he asked. Twilight raised herself up and slid off the wolf, “I'll be okay, just as long as you bring her back.” Silver sat up as well, “I'm honestly not sure if she'll even want to listen.” “Silver, she's a millenniums old alicorn. She's a lot more patient than either of us. She's just....hurting right now.” The wolf bit his cheek out of self-disgust. He knew he'd never forgive himself for what he'd done. But he also knew he'd hate himself even more if he let this herd fall apart. “Alright,” he said, “I'll bring her back, I swear.” “Good, now go.” Silver quickly scampered off the couch and bolted out of the door, leaving Twilight to herself. Once she heard the door shut, she threw her head and let out a long heavy sigh. In that moment, what little composure that she managed to keep all this time came crashing down, as she fell onto her side clutching a pillow, and wept. Her mask of strength fell and shattered, leaving an exposed heart that was already wounded. And in doing so, the mare never even noticed the coal black figure, hiding on the porch. Silver raced through the halls of Canterlot, desperate to find his mare. Amid his running, the thought had finally occurred to him to just stop and ask one of the guards. Sliding to a halt, the wolf turned and faced the nearest one. “You! Where's Princess Luna?!” he nearly shouted. The guard, for her part, actually scowled at him. Silver could see it in her eye, her sudden disgust for the wolf reflecting clear as day and instead of answering him, she merely turned away. “Hey!” he said, clapping his paws in front of her face, “I don't care about whatever issue you may have with me, regardless of what it may be. I need to find her so I can fix one of the single biggest fuck ups of my life!” “Well maybe you shouldn't have screwed up in the first place!” the mare shouted, finally turning to face him. Silver pulled back, surprised at the mares outburst. Surely she couldn't.... “Yeah, you're right! Princess Luna did come running through here! Crying! And she ran into Princess Celestia too! But all she said was one name; yours! So why the hell do you think I would tell you where she is after whatever the hell it is you've done!?” “Because I'm trying to fix this!” He argued before turning away. “So what? You're giving up?” she shouted after him. “I'm going to find my marefriend!” There wasn't much point in wasting time arguing with that mare anyways. “Just who the hell does she think she is? I'm trying to make things better and explain but noooo! She just had to go and be a pain in the ass! Oh well. At least I got something out of it.” Silver rounded another corner and made his way to a set of two golden double doors. If he was right, then the one inside should still be awake. Of course, that might not be the best of options at the moment. After all, the study room of the mare he was looking for did threaten to toss him into the sun for his most recent offense. But time was short, and Silver would rather deal with an angry Celestia than lose Luna. So, he knocked. There was silence for a moment. Maybe she'd already gone to bed? CLICK Nope. The door opened, and as a pair of magenta eyes fell onto the wolfs form, it swung wide and quick. Celestia glared down at Silver, the towering height made the wolf feel meek for the first time in decades, and the color of her iris beginning to change froze his blood, “You have some nerve to show your face to me.” Swallowing his fear of the alicorns rage, Silver spoke, “Tia, I know you're pissed but you can roast me later. Where's Luna?” he demanded. “Why should I tell you?” she growled. Whatever fear Silver felt at the moment was overridden as he snarled and stomped a paw in anger, cracking the ground, “Would the ponies in this castle please stop second guessing my intentions so I can just make things right?!” he shouted, “I've had it! I'm trying to fix this and none of you are making it easier!” “And why should we?!” she countered, fully stepping out of the room and moving to mere inches away from him, “You've hurt someone we all love and care for! Why should we make this any easier for you!?” “BECAUSE I LOVE HER TOO!” he screamed, his announcement echoing through the halls, “Or have you forgotten that in the five minutes I've admitted my screw up?!” “If you love her then why--?!” “I DON'T KNOW WHY! I made a mistake, okay!? I know that! But I'm trying to fix this and the only pony that seems to be willing to help me is the one that should be the maddest at me right now!” Silver huffed for a moment, his frustrations finally tiring him out and his voice died down to a near desperate whimper, “So please, Tia I'm begging you. I need you're help to make this right. I don't know where she is or how much she's hurting. I need to find Luna.” The alicorns glare continued to hold. It wasn't that she doubted his intentions. It wasn't that she thought he was lying when he said he wanted to make it up to Luna. It was that, even with every apology he could offer, it still wouldn't change the fact that he made her cry. This wolf, the one her little sister loved and one that said her loved her back, would dare to make her shed tears of anything other joy. Most ponies would be burning in Tartarus by now for such a crime. Simply whisked away from the realm of the living, and damned to an eternal pit of hellish flames that Celestia herself would craft with her own magic. Such a punishment would be befitting of anypony who would dare do something foolish enough to earn her wrath. But...this wasn't most ponies. This was Silver. Over the many years they'd known each other, Silver rarely lied to the mare. And above all, his loyalty was second to none. She had to admit, there must have been more to what happened. He wouldn't do something like this out of lechery. But one thing that always stuck out to her was his treatment of females. She knew he had a soft spot for girls, especially cute ones, but there was still something...odd about the way he spoke to them. He wasn't just protective of them. He wasn't just spoiling them. He didn't just flirt or make them laugh. He was just so...gentle. This wolf had some strange demeanor about him that put everyone at ease. There was no need for a mask or some false pretense. No need to hide the side of yourself you were ashamed of because you knew the world wouldn't accept it. Something about him would tell you he would. He...he would love you....honest and pure...no matter what. But this revelation certainly didn't help him now. After all, if he loved every girl he talked with, then how could he possibly remain faithful? Wouldn't he just do this again? Wouldn't he just find another poor girl to sweet-talk? So why not spare Twilight and Luna the heartache and get rid of him now? It would be so easy.... ….Easy...it would be easy.... Yes, that phrase applied in more than one sense here. With Silvers charm, he could have almost any girl he wanted. “So why Luna and Twilight? After all these years, why now?” “Because they're amazing mares,” Silver answered. Celestias eyes went wide. Did...did she say that out loud? Silvers voice still trembled with heartache as he spoke, “Neither of them hated me for the...the thing that I was. They looked beyond my past and judged me for who I am today and not who I was. They ignored the empire of death I've built my throne upon, the oceans of blood I've spilled. Every sin I've ever committed, rendered completely insignificant in their presence. Do you have any idea what that's like? “I've lived everyday of my life carrying these burdens, and not once have I ever found someone who would see past it. Until I met them. This–this weight that's been crushing me for all of my life and that has only gotten heavier with each wicked act I commit is gone when I'm with them. For the first time in a very long time, I'm honestly happy. But now....I screwed up Tia. I-I hurt them an-and I'm trying to get them back but I-I can't do that unless we do this together. “Please...please don't let me loose this happiness. I-I can't keep going like this...I'm so tired....” Celestia continued to stare. Her glare had softened now. In fact, now her brows were knitted in a fashion similar to pity. How? How could this wolf sway her so easily? Just moments ago, she was contemplating damning him to Tartarus. And now.... “When she's upset, she likes to look at the night sky,” Celestia explained, not entirely sure why she was, “I told her she could set the sun a little early this evening. It's nearing the winter solstice after all. She should be up in the clouds somewhere.” Silver looked up, his breathes becoming gasps of relief, as if someone had just stopped strangling him. “You....you mean--” “But Silver, I swear on my crown that if you mess this up again, I'll cram you into the darkest hole in Tartarus and leave you there to rot for the next millennium.” The wolf gave a short nod, “If I mess this up again, I'll come to you myself. Goodnight Tia, and thank you.” As the wolf turned and walked away, he never caught the wide eyes of the ivory mare. “What is this? Silver would never just surrender himself. He always fights for his life, for his freedom. He'd never resign himself and accept his fate of damnation. “Unless...oh...so that's how it is. I've been foolish to doubt the wolf. Perhaps...perhaps everything will be fine.” It took all of five seconds for Silver to find a window and slip out of it. Honestly, did those two ever think that maybe having so many points of entry might become a bit of a problem in the future? Of course, their architectural designs of the castle were of the least importance at the moment. The wolf had a mare to find, and so he took to the air, flying up to and through the cloud line. Unfortunately for him, the clouds tonight were not only heavy, but placed at varying levels. Some sat higher than others, and all were heavy and thick. He could clear them all away with a swing of his wing, but not only would that upset the Canterlot weather management department, but probably also Luna and the rest of the city. So flying around aimlessly for a little while seemed to be his best bet. That was, until he noticed a shadow passing over head. Looking up, he found a single, lone cloud hovering high above the rest. It was small, but clearly large enough for a pony. But what bothered him the most about this cloud is that while the others where all dark and heavy with what seemed like water or snow, this one was completely black and filled with a wrathful lightning. Whether it was courage or stupidity, Silver choose to ignore this foreboding image and flew up to the cloud, landing silently. Sure enough, his eyes fell upon the form of a weeping mare, a sight that crushed the wolfs heart with guilt. “...Lu-Luna?” he called, struggling to find his voice. He could he a small gasp come from her as her body froze. Her head snapped back and she quickly rose to her hooves. “What are you doing here!?” she shouted, “I've had enough of you!” “Luna, I want to talk about what happened, okay? I just want to explain eve--” “Explain!?” she interrupted, “Explain what?! How you kissed another mare?!” “Luna please, I--” “No, Silver! I don't want to hear it! I already didn't trust you with my sister, but I figured she made a point! If you wanted to be with her, you would have been! And Onyx didn't know what the hell she was doing, so I can't get mad at her! But Rainbow Dash!? And you waited a week and half to tell us about it!? Tell me, how long were you planning on keeping this from us?! How many more times would it have had to happen before you finally said something!?” “Luna, it wasn't like that!” he tried, “I don't want her, I want you and Twilight, that's all!” “You still haven't answered me Silver,” she said coldly, “How long were you going to wait before you told us?” The wolfs ears dropped along with his head. He was silent for a moment, before speaking ever so softly, “I...I wasn't going to.” Luna's eyes went wide, her pupils shrinking to mere pricks in a white void as fresh tears flowed down her cheeks. Neither spoke nor moved. Silver refused to face her directly and the mare seemed to be unable to take her eyes off of him. “I...I can't believe you...” she said in a near whisper. Silver shook himself from his silence, “Luna please,” he pleaded, taking a step forward, “Let's just--” “STAY AWAY FROM ME!” she screamed, stomping her hooves into the cloud. A current of lightning carried through it, frying the wolf on the other end. Silver stopped in his tracks as the electricity hit him, paralyzed for a moment as his muscles went rigid and tensed. The smell of burnt ozone flooded his nose, along with singed fur and....blood. When the current finally left his body, Silver remained standing, huffing to catch his breath for a moment. He looked up to see Luna, staring horrified at her own actions, but still hurt from before. And then... He took another step. “I-I SAID 'STAY AWAY!'” she screamed once more, this time the lightning coming directly from her body instead. And once again, Silver was struck. The bolt was stronger this time, hitting him square in the chest. He fell into the cloud, incapable for moving for a moment. But just as before, when the current left him, he rose to all fours and stepped forward again. “No...please...” Luna cried, her body already crackling with energy, “Please just leave....Why won't you just leave me alone?” The wolf managed to make it to the other end of the cloud now, thankful it wasn't very big. He reached out a paw and gently brushed her cheek. The strongest bolt of lightning Silver had been delivered that night passed through him with that small contact. The pain was excruciating. His entire body felt like it was being set ablaze and ripped apart at the same time. Every fiber in his being screamed at him to remove his paw, but even if he could, he knew he wouldn't. As the shock died down, the silence of the night resumed. Luna stood, horrified at what she'd done. And then...something moved. The wolfs other paw rose up, cupping her other cheek. Very slowly, he pulled her close, and she eventually fell into a hug. “Because the night we met, I promised that I would never let you feel lonely,” he said softly. “No...stop it...” “Because the first night the three of us slept together, was one of the greatest joys of my life.” “It's not true...” “Because I can't stand to see you cry, especially when I'm the reason for it. Pick any reason, I don't care which Luna. But they all mean the same thing.” “You're lying....” The wolf pulled back, his eyes fixated on hers, “I will never leave you...because I love you too much.” The mare broke out into tears once more, burying her face into his chest while also pounding him with her hooves. “You bastard, you're lying!” she cried while Silvers arms wrapped around her, still beating his body, “If you did love us, then why would you kiss her!?” “Because I'm an idiot. I screwed up and should have never let it happen. But Luna, I swear to you, I will never let it happen again. Not with Rainbow Dash or anyone else.” The last strike of her hooves fell weak against his chest and she clung to him, only weeping now. “I KNOW!!” She cried, “I know you won't! I know how much you love us and I know you didn't mean to hurt us! I know you won't ever do it again! But it hurts! Dammit Silver, it hurts so much! “She got something only Twilight and I are allowed to have and it was only once, but it's killing me!! I know I shouldn't be this angry, but I just--....” Luna rambled off into a choked sob, burying her face deeper into the wolfs fur and pushing him back until he fell and sent her tumbling on top of him. His hold didn't loosen as he kept her tucked against him. “Luna, you have every right to be angry. I broke your trust...and your heart. I deserve every bit of rage you throw at me, so don't hold it back.” As the words hit her, a floodgate opened in her heart. It wasn't just the anger she held from Silvers confession, no. This was all of it. Every bit of rage she'd suppressed since she last had her breakdown. It was all coming out. Her wails and cries only grew louder as she wrapped the wolf in a crushing hug. Literally, crushing. Silver was beginning to struggle for air, but he didn't dare mention it. Not now. Nor did she say a word. She just cried and shouted in frustration, and the wolf laid there and accepted it. This was the result of his crime. He had one job; to keep his mares safe and happy. And he failed.