The letters came the very next day: invites to events in Manehattan, Phillydelphia, and Baltimare, requests to be a guest speaker everywhere from Los Pegasus to the Crystal Empire. There was even one request from a company called ‘Raging Stallions’ that wanted him to perform in a movie called ‘Star’s Studs’, which Star Bright immediately vaporized with his magic before Silver Script could see it.
It was only when he opened the front door on Wednesday morning and saw Derpy panting on the ground with an overstuffed mail bag that he decided to take Silver Script up to Canterlot. That, and the fact that he couldn’t wait to get rid of Princess Twilight Sparkle, who knocked incessantly on their doors, tapped on their windows, and even gave a sudden appearance as a penciled in figure in one of his books—the bump on his head from the fall being very difficult to explain to a confused Silver Script, who opened the book and found nothing.
And now there they stood at the steps to Canterlot Castle in front of a pair of guards stationed at either side of the castle doors. Star Bright’s gaze continued to go up the ivory walls, squinting as he reached the windows that reflected the light of the setting sun.
“So you’re telling me that after writing to the academy yesterday, they sent word back this morning that you could stay in the castle until the ceremony?”
Star Bright turned to Silver Script, who was glancing at the guards one by one, his wings ruffling. “No,” he replied. “They sent word that we could stay in the castle until the ceremony.”
“Oh, yeah.” The pegasus gave an uneven smile.
As they climbed the steps, a figure approached from inside the great hall, a clipboard hovering next to her. As she saw them reach the top of the stairs, she turned her head and nodded to a nearby unicorn. His horn lit up, and the suitcases they were rolling behind them were lifted off of the ground. The unicorn mare cleared her throat.
“Mister…” she hesitated, levitated the clipboard to her muzzle, and adjusted her glasses. “Star Bright? We have your room ready for you.” She pointed to her right. “It is in the east wing, closest to the Royal Observatory.”
Star Bright took a step forward and pointed a hoof to himself. “Yes, I’m Star Bright, and this is my—”
He pointed his hoof to where Silver Script was standing, only to see his partner frozen in place, his eyes wide and his jaw open. Star Bright suppressed a snicker and turned back to the mare.
“My partner, Silver Script.” He leaned in. “He’s never visited the castle before.” He smiled and winked at the mare, who simply raised an eyebrow.
“I am Raven, personal aide to Her Highness, Princess Celestia,” she replied, oblivious to his knowing wink. “ And this is Caliper. Now, if you two gentlecolts would be so kind.”
Raven nodded once again to the unicorn holding the bags before turning down towards the east wing. Star Bright walked up to Silver Script and tapped his shoulder.
“We need to get to our room,” he said, nuzzling the pegasus. “I can take you on a tour later on this evening.”
Silver Script shook his head and stared at the unicorn. “How many times have you been here?” he asked, the shock in his voice apparent.
“Enough times,” he said with a sigh and a quick gaze around the room. “Let’s catch up with them.”
The two stallions galloped until they caught up with Raven and Caliper, then slowed down to an easy trot. Star Bright noticed how the unicorn servant seemed to keep his eyes closed most of the time, as though he had worked here so long he had memorized the layout. As though in an attempt to prove his point, both the unicorn and Raven turned at just the right moment at the next hall.
“She’s working awfully late for an aide to Princess Celestia,” Silver Script said in an almost whisper, and the stallion nodded his head in agreement.
“Indeed I am,” Raven replied without looking back. “In fact, you two are the last item on my docket for today.” She turned her head ever so slightly, but it was enough so that Star Bright caught the corner of her eye. “Though from what I’ve heard about you, Mister Star Bright, now is just the beginning of your workday. Work night, as it were,” she ended with a snicker.
The group turned down another hall, and Star Bright was able to see the Royal Observatory ahead due to the floor-to-ceiling windows in the distance. He smiled and gave a nudge to Silver Script.
“Hey, Silvy, I’ve got an idea,” he whispered. “Maybe after we get to our rooms I can take you to The Cage.”
What Star Bright expected was for Silver Script to giggle and then agree to visiting the lab beneath the observatory. What he wasn’t expecting, however, was for the pegasus to jerk his head back at him, his eyes filled with terror.
"What's The Cage?"
Right, Star Bright remembered, [he doesn't know].
“The Cage is just what my work buddies call the lab,” he explained, relieved when his partner’s frightened gaze toned down. “It will be cool for you to see where I work.” He leaned in again. “After all, I’ve seen where you work.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
“I work at home in a room in the attic.”
Star Bright’s smiled faded, and he turned his attention back to the hall. He shook his head, unsure of what to do next. Ever since I got that letter, he’s just been fading, he wondered, like an old star that Princess Luna makes that slowly stops working. His thoughts continued to pile one on top of the other until he felt a hoof touch his foreleg, almost imperceptibly. He turned back to Silver Script, who was now smiling, although faintly.
“I’d love to,” Silver Script whispered back.
Raven and the unicorn finally stopped and turned towards a door. Raven’s horn lit up, and the door slowly opened. The four entered the bedroom, though Star Bright made sure to turn to his partner so that he could see the stallion’s expression. I’m not missing it this time.
True enough, the moment they walked through the door, he saw Silver Script’s eyes narrow for a moment, as though he wasn’t sure what he was seeing. Star Bright’s grin grew wider as his partner’s jaw dropped lower. Star Bright bit his lower lip to contain his excitement as Silver Script’s gaze toured the room, whose eyes grew wider and his jaw continued its slow descent. Raven coughed again, and the two stallions quickly gave their attention to her. She levitated the clipboard back to her face.
“It seems that your discovery has caused a great deal of attention,” she began, flipping the first sheet of paper over the top of the clipboard. “I have had many requests from multiple newspapers and magazines who want to sit down with you for an interview.”
Star Bright felt his chest tighten and his jaw clench. “I don’t really… I mean,” he stammered. “I’m not s-so good at interviews.” He reached up a hoof to scratch his other foreleg.
“No need to worry,” Raven replied, shaking her head as though she were comforting a foal. “I have taken your needs into account. I have only scheduled three interviews.”
Star Bright gulped. He began to feel lightheaded.
“I have ensured that the ponies who will interview you are sensitive to first-time interviewees,” she continued, either unaware or ignoring the stallion’s current state of mind. “The Los Pegasus Review[i/], which is the widest-reaching paper in the west, the Cloudsdale Chronicle, which will cover the pegasus market, and then finally—hmm…” Raven squinted her eyes, adjusted her glasses, and then squinted again. “Ah yes, The Manehattaner.”
The ponies heard the sound of glass shattering on the bedroom floor, and everypony turned to see what had happened, only to find Silver Script’s outstretched hoof on top of a table, staring at a glass figurine, now in pieces on the floor.
***
For what seemed like an eternity, nopony breathed.
Silver Script stared at the wall, horrified, a litany of curse words bombarding his mind. Too terrified to move, he remained as motionless as the glass figurine he had just destroyed. No no no, he thought, his heart beating through his chest. Finally, after making an audible gulp, he slowly turned around, fearing what he would see. Just as he thought, Star Bright’s eyes were so wide he thought they would pop out of his head.
“I… I’m sorry,” he whispered, his wings pressed so tightly against him he swore they would leave a permanent impression on his fur. “I just touched it, and…”
The rest of the sentence died in his throat as he hung his head in shame and folded his ears back. Glancing at the shattered figurine, he could tell it was of a pegasus, though now both of the wings lay at its side. He looked up and was surprised to see that neither Raven’s nor the other unicorn’s expressions had changed.
“Oh dear,” Raven said matter-of-factly as she turned to the unicorn butler. “Caliper, would you mind?”
Caliper nodded, his horn glowed, and the glass hovered in mid-air before merging together. Silver Script watched as the pieces were slowly reformed until it appeared as though the figurine had never been broken in the first place. He backed away from the dresser and watched as the glass pegasus floated back to where it originally was.
Star Bright whistled. “Wow, that’s a good skill to have.”
“Quite,” Raven replied before glancing at Silver Script once again. “You aren’t the first pony to accidentally knock over one of our pieces, nor will you be the last.” She skimmed over her checklist once more before setting it aside on the bed. “Be that as it may, do try to be more careful next time.”
Silver Script nodded, but didn’t speak. Raven turned to Caliper, who bowed slightly before trotting out of the room. Raven followed soon after, but turned to the pair as she reached the doorway.
“Breakfast is served from dawn through eight o’clock. For lunch, I encourage you two to visit one of Canterlot’s many fine dining establishments.” She turned her attention to Star Bright. “Mister Star Bright, one of the interviewers has arrived a day early. If it will calm your nerves, I suggest finding him so that you can become acquainted.”
“And where would I find him, exactly?” Star Bright asked.
“I do believe he had mentioned something about going to the Royal Observatory.” She waved her hoof. “Something about trying to make it relatable for his readers. I would suggest you start there.”
“Oh, what a coincidence,” he said. “I was going to take Silver there to show him my work.” He turned to Silver Script. “Isn’t that right?”
Silver Script nodded, his ears still folded back.
“Very well,” Raven said with a smile. “I will leave you two gentlecolts, then.” She trotted out to the hallway, but then stopped and turned around. Her horn glowed, and the clipboard floated off of the bed and into her grasp. “One more thing, Mister Star Bright. It’s about the speech.”
Silver Script watched as Star Bright’s body tensed.
“Don’t worry about coming up with anything,” she continued. “We have a staff of dedicated speechwriters. I’m sure they will come up with something for you.”
“I could write it!” Silver Script immediately covered his mouth and tried to avoid everypony’s gaze. He looked up and saw Raven’s curious expression. “I mean, if I do it, it will be more intimate.”
"That would be nice, actually," Star Bright added, his hoof trailing along the carpet.
“Oh that is a kind gesture, but unnecessary,” Raven replied with a slight snicker. “We have professional speechwriters on staff. They know what they’re doing.”
Silver Script’s smile immediately disappeared.
“You gentlecolts have a good evening.” She bowed her head and shut the door, leaving the two stallions in stunned silence.
Professional writers…
“Silvy?”
Silver Script fell back on his haunches, his eyes still focused on the now closed door. Star Bright cursed and he galloped to his side, throwing his forelegs around the pegasus. For his part, however, he remained motionless.
Professional writers…
“Silvy,” Star Bright pleaded. “Please just say something.”
Silver Script took one look at his husband, who leaned in to kiss him. Star Bright pulled away, his lip trembling.
“Silvy, are you upset about what she said?”
His gaze returned to the door. “I need to be left alone,” he whispered.
Though he didn’t move, he could still see out of the corner of his eye the way Star Bright’s expression immediately darkened.
“No,” he replied as though he were commanding the pegasus.
“I made a promise to you,” Silver Script said, his voice turning low.
“Had I known you meant that literally, I wouldn’t have agreed to it.” Star Bright leaned in once more, but this time, Silver Script raised his wings and wrapped them around his head. “Come on, she didn’t mean it that way.”
Silver Script kept his wings up like a feathery shield. “I’ll be fine,” he said.
There was a pause. He heard Star Bright sigh and then the sound of his hoofsteps on the carpet, followed by a door opening. Silver Script breathed a sigh of relief and began to lower his wings.
“Did something else happen?” Star Bright suddenly asked.
Silver Script’s wings shot back up. He opened his mouth, letting out a silent scream. “No,” he finally said. “I just… why don’t you go look for that interviewer? I’ll catch up.”
“S… S…” He heard Star Bright take a deep breath. “Silvy, what if—”
“If you really wanted me to write something you would have told me. I could have shown something to her.”
Another moment of silence, followed by the sound of Star Bright picking up his saddlebag. Silver Script heard the door open and then close. He retracted his wings and galloped to the door to lock it. His legs grew weak, and he fell down on all fours. Trembling, he pressed his ear against the door to make sure that Star Bright was heading off to the observatory. Finally, he heard Star Bright’s voice through the door.
“I'm sorry, S-Silvy.”
Once he was certain Star Bright was gone, Silver Script turned around, leaned back against the door, and watched as everything he saw turned blurry and distorted.