Chapter Three:
As We Move On
As the weeks went by Luna slowly grew more accustom to Silver watching her every move. She had to be drug to the shower and forced to eat. Other than the shower she wouldn't leave the room but she would walk around it every so often when Silver thought she was to cramped up in the bed. Every day while playing chess with Crystal she would ask how Luna was coming along. Silver never had good news for her but Crystal kind of expected that.
"Celestia is coming to visit her sister tomorrow and you need to show her you're taking good care of her... Otherwise I get in trouble... And if I get in trouble, you're going to be in some deep shit my friend..." Silver nodded before ending the game. Crystal had played a little distracted and set herself up. "Buck you..." Silver laughed before standing up to leave. "I mean it Silver... Celestia doesn't put up with horseshit..."
"I got ya... I can handle this Crystal... Just keep on supporting this and it should go smoothly..."
"Fine... But I would like some results soon..." Silver nodded before walking out of the door. He accidently bumped into a pony on the way out.
"Oh sorry..." He said not looking at the pony before walking off.
Silver looked at the large alicorn in front of him. Crystal had said she would come by today but he really didn't expect at four in the morning. He almost had the mind to curse at the pony who woke him but then zipped his lip when he saw the princess.
"So... What can I do ya for?" Silver asked as he picked his jaw up off the floor. Celestia chuckled and pushed the tall unicron aside. She knelt down to her sister and took a good look. She stood back up and stared hard at Silver.
"Look here punk... I know your only in here because you're tight on money, but I'm offering you a chance to redeem yourself... It's simple really, you make my sister better and you get out when she does... I'm giving you two years to do this okay... I've seen ponies in deeper slumps than this but it's going to take some time... If you need anything I will be here to help... Also I will check in on you two monthly... Maybe not early in the morning but I will still show up."
"Uhm... Okay..." Celestia stalked out of the room and closed the door silently. Silver looked at the doorway blankly. He heard the sheets ruffle a little and he jumped when he saw Luna sanding in front of him. He sighed. "Luna please don't do that..." She just pushed him out of the way and walked over to the door.
Luna peeped her head through the small window and then walked back to Silver. He looked at her worridly. "Something wrong Luna?" She shook her head and crawled back into bed. Silver sighed again. He was going to have to get use to this.
Months rolled by and soon it was late autumn. Silver was out in the yard more often enjoying the cool air in the warm sun. He finally paid off the guard yesterday and he waited for him to show up. Thiss was going to be a great day indeed. He would get Luna out of the room later and he would finally get to read the book every pony had been buzzing about for some time.
Gold walked up to him and waved his hoof in Silver's face. He didn't notice. "Hey Equestria to Silver!" Silver jumped a little and then blinked. He looked up at Gold.
"Oh hey, what's up?" Gold pointed to a nearby guard.
"He's got it..."
"Bout time!" Silver raced off to the guard and stopped short. It wasn't the same guard at all. He looked about the same but the new guard was a little taller and leaner. "Uhm... Excuse me?"
"Oh, you must be Silver Band!" The guard said cheerfully.
"Yeah... So can I have it?" The guard blinked.
"Huh? Oh yeah..." He pulled a large book out of his saddle bag and gave it to Silver. Silver took a quick glance over it. Brand new and it even had that new book smell. Like any other self respecting ponies he had his share of secrets He loved books but didn't like others to know.
"Thanks!" Silver said before rushing out of the yard.
When Silver closed the cell door and walked into the room casually he stopped when he saw Luna sitting up in the bed. She just sat there looking at the chair that sat in the corner.
"You okay Luna?" She turned and looked dully at him. With a quick nod she curled up and continued to stare the chair down. "I'm just gonna sit here okay?" She just blinked. Pulling out the book he sighed and flipped through the acknowledgements and chapter list. He looked at the title and smiled. My Second Life: The Story Begins by a one Coal Buck. Luna coughed which made Silver look up. "Something wrong?" Luna cleared her throat.
"Is that My Second Life?" She croaked. Silver's jaw hit the floor. He sat there for a minute staring at her.
"Di-did... Did you just speak?" Luna nodded. Silver smiled before hopping up and pouncing on Luna and hugging her. "Yay! Making progress!" Luna pushed him off and growled.
"Is it?" Luna asked him again.
"What? Oh! Yes." Silver picked up the book he had thrown to hug Luna. He showed her the large hardback book. "It took me forever to get it..." Luna nodded and pushed Silver a little further away.
"Read it to me..." Her voice was very hoarse. Silver nodded and sat down in the chair.
Silver clears his throat and turns the page to chapter one. "Six a.m. rolls around and my alarm goes off. I jump out of bed and stop the alarm before the third beep. “Why do alarm clocks have to be so damn obnoxious!?” I swear under my breath. “Auuuugh! I really need to stop doing this! I don’t have to work until 3:00 p.m. today! Why do I keep getting up so early!?”
I slide into my computer chair, getting comfortable, before turning on the monitor. Once the flash is over and my sight returns to me, the silhouette of Rainbow Dash as my desktop background graces my eyes. “Oh yeah, that’s why.”
The next several hours pass with my reading of fanfiction and checking Equestria Daily and My Little Brony Meme Base for new material. Currently, my desire for anything and everything pony is what solely gives me joy in life. You see, I have always been a bit introverted. I have had people I would call “buddies” in the past, but we were only close due to circumstance. We were friends because we went to the same school or worked the same job, but once life took over, each friendship would end without a single word being spoken about it. Those friendships simply ended as if they had never existed in the first place.
Silver continued on for a few chapters and set the book down. "Alright I think I'm done for the night..." He looked out the door to see the lights out and he sighed. He had read way longer than he should have. Luna lay in the bed and looked at Silver.
"Keep reading..." Silver shook his head and moved to get up onto his bunk.
"No, I need some sleep..." He stopped when he saw the book levitate over to Luna and she waved it around a little.
"Just a few more chapters?" Silver sighed.
"Fine but just a few more..." He reached out for the book but Luna kept it out of his reach. "Oh come on give it..." She shook her head.
"I want to actually read it and I know you do too..." She sat the book down next to her. Silver crawled into the bunk and rested his head against a pillow and held up the book. Luna opened it to the page bookmarked and set the mark down on the small shelf next to the beds. Luna scooted closer to Silver and rested her head next to his to read the book along with him.
Silver sat there reading quietly when Luna cleared her throat. "What?"
"Read it to me..." Silver sighed and began to read. Luna turned the pages when he got close enough and held the book up with her magic. He read through two more chapters before he finally stopped. The book itself was a good hundred chapters at least. He didn't know he skipped the chapter list.
Silver crawled out of the bunk and crawled up to his own. "Good night Luna..."
"Good night..." Silver fell asleep with a smile on his face.
Silver walked into the Rec. room and sat down at the usual board and began setting up the pieces. Crystal arrived right on time as soon as the last piece was put into place. Instead of sitting down she stopped and pulled the ring off his horn. Silver looked up to her with his mouth agape.
"Just got the orders today. I wasn't surprised since you've been doing a good job with Luna and all... Maybe you'll get out early... Anyways how has she been?"
"Same as always... Quiet and passive... Oh! I did get her to eat most of breakfast... Though she's still so scrawny..."
"I agree... You're first... It just takes time Silver... You don't remember when you arrived?" Silver stopped for a moment and sighed. He remembered just a few years ago. He looked and felt just as defeated as Luna was now.
"Don't remind me..." Crystal rested a hoof on Silver's shoulder.
"Hey, everything is going to be fine... You just can't give up hope..."
"Yeah that's what they all say... But the only real improvement was when I started reading the book. I don't think I can help her in a few years... Maybe after a long term but that's it..." He ended up getting his cutie mark in the prison. Silver use to be very depressed. He ended up bunking with an older stallion who was just as bad maybe even worse. After a while the two became a pair of good friends and ended up getting the stallion out and back on to his hooves.
Later that week Gold had complimented him on him cutie mark and that sparked their friendship. He has a nice little silver watch brandished on his flank showing off his therapy ability. He helps ponies with problems every now and then but this is putting stress on him and usually he's not as tense but he just had a nagging feeling. Crystal saw it in his eyes.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I just need some sleep..." He tipped he king over and walked away. He didn't even use his magic to close the door.